How to Train as a Personal Trainer While Studying Full-Time

One option building strong momentum in this tough situation is personal training. Increasingly, students searching for work that offers flexibility, control, paid experience (with strong earning potential) and a qualification they can use immediately, are exploring the opportunity of working in this sector. And thanks to the study choices available from great UK health and fitness education providers, qualifying as a personal trainer while studying for a degree is no longer unusual. Here’s the current picture:

The student work squeeze

The rising cost of being a student has led to a significant shift in undergraduate behaviour. A landmark 2025 report has revealed that this year, 68% of full-time undergraduates undertake paid work during term time – this was just 42% back in 2020. Traditional student jobs – bar and restaurant work, retail, call centre, event and festival staffing- are in higher demand than ever. And for students lucky enough to get a job, the roles can be very unreliable. Zero-hours contracts mean planned shifts can be cut at short notice, while seasonal demand leads to income spikes followed by fallow periods. Exam periods can often clash with shifts, which forces students to choose between academic performance and generating income. And in a lot of cases, most available roles offer little in the way of skill development beyond basic customer service.

Why personal training works alongside a degree

Unlike traditional student jobs, personal training does not rely on fixed shifts or zero-hours contracts. No rotas are handed down week-to-week, and the pressure to accept hours that simply don’t work with lectures or exams doesn’t exist. Instead, personal trainers build their own client base and can create their own schedules around their academic and personal life commitments. That control is why this route appeals to so many students. Trainers know when they are working and aren’t looking at their phones, waiting for that shift confirmation to arrive, or those “there are plenty of students who’ll take your work if you don’t want to do it” toxic messages from unreasonable bosses.

The skills development through personal training also goes much further than the gym or class. Communication, planning, time management and client care are all directly applicable to careers in coaching, physiotherapy, healthcare, education, sports management and wellbeing-focused roles.

Is it realistic to qualify while studying?

Adding another layer of study onto a degree can sound daunting. University workloads can fall into a cluster of deadlines, while exam time can be a time of stress and long nights burning the midnight oil revising. Until comparatively recently, fitness qualifications often required class attendance at a gym or leisure centre, at fixed times, which often made them difficult to combine with study.

However, that is no longer the case. Many personal training courses are now available that deliver learning through online or blended models, which allow students to study in their own time, at their own pace, and complete assessments to fit into their academic calendar.

Students progress steadily, can pause during busy times, and pick things back up without feeling like they have fallen too far behind. Indeed, great UK providers such as The Fitness Group offer personal training courses designed specifically for people balancing commitments, and that’s why they’re perfect for students.

What studying fitness alongside university actually looks like

The time demands can vary heavily from one degree to another, but generally speaking, students on personal training courses tend to treat the qualification as a background project rather than another study workload. Progress is therefore slow and steady (qualification to the stage aspiring trainers need to work independently can be as little as 8 weeks!), but there is nothing wrong with that!

Common approaches include:

  • Studying in the evenings or during weekends, or outside term time.

  • Completing online module assessments in quieter academic weeks

  • Doing practical assessments outside term time

  • Slowing or postponing work during exam revision time

Again, it’s the freedom to study at your own pace that makes this option so easy and attractive. There is no need to overburden yourself with competing demands.

Income without shift work

Unlike the majority of student work roles, personal training offers paid work that does not depend on shift availability. You are masters of your own time – choosing when to work, how many clients you have (and who they are), and how your sessions fit in around your main studies.

Once qualified, universities are fantastic places to find clients to work with. A recent industry survey found that 62% of students spend at least 2 hours in the gym per week – double the amount that spent that amount of time in the pub!

Qualified students often begin by:

  • Training friends or fellow students

  • Supporting university sports clubs or societies

  • Running small-group sessions on campus or in local parks

  • Working limited hours in university gyms

Benefits that go beyond money

Training as a personal trainer while studying also has less obvious advantages. For instance, research consistently shows that physical activity is effective at improving students’ mental health by reducing stress, while studies also indicate that improved academic performance also comes with exercise.

There’s also the value of graduating with more than a degree certificate. A nationally recognised qualification shows initiative and practical competence, whether or not a student plans to pursue fitness long term. Many employers value candidates who can demonstrate responsibility, client-facing experience and the ability to manage competing priorities.

A student’s way forward

Unless they are very lucky, students have to balance generating income alongside their degree. And securing both means neither academic success nor wellbeing can be compromised. Personal training is a standout option because it ticks so many boxes – control, flexibility, no zero-hours contracts, and delivers income and real-world skills on a student’s own terms. By doing a personal training course with a great provider, a student can graduate with much more than a degree.