Any PTs also working as personal trainers?

[DocTAP87]

I have a certification to teach an exercise class and I'm planning to expand on that with a personal trainer certification. My current clients consist of people with chronic disabilities such as MS/Parkinsons, arthritis, some are post cancer and others are older people looking to maintain or regain their function. These are the type of clients I plan to continue working with as a personal trainer. My job as a PT tech might also afford me an opportunity to work with clients post rehab.

I'm also going to be applying to DPT school very soon. So, I'm really enjoying all of this and I was thinking of continuing my work as a personal trainer even after I become a physical therapist. I'm really attracted to the entrepreneurial side of things as well and I imagine having a personal training/physical therapy wellness type center in the future.

Any therapists out there currently working as trainers or other type of job? Is this something that is legal to do? I imagine I'd have to keep them as separate so I'm not calling PT personal training or the other way around.

Thanks

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[swolecat]

Sounds like fun to do both. Physical therapy while they're injured to make them functional and well again, and then personal training afterwards to get them swole up and jacked OUTTA THEIR MINDS

 

[DocTAP87]

Haha, there you go. First we lose the pain then we make gains

 

[truthseeker]

There may be some legal expectations that a wellness client can have if you are also a PT. You might be held accountable for a red flag that is missed during your regular work out sessions simply based upon your training. As long as you keep up on your clients' health, you should be fine.

 

[DPTinFL]

I have a certification to teach an exercise class and I'm planning to expand on that with a personal trainer certification. My current clients consist of people with chronic disabilities such as MS/Parkinsons, arthritis, some are post cancer and others are older people looking to maintain or regain their function. These are the type of clients I plan to continue working with as a personal trainer. My job as a PT tech might also afford me an opportunity to work with clients post rehab.

I'm also going to be applying to DPT school very soon. So, I'm really enjoying all of this and I was thinking of continuing my work as a personal trainer even after I become a physical therapist. I'm really attracted to the entrepreneurial side of things as well and I imagine having a personal training/physical therapy wellness type center in the future.

Any therapists out there currently working as trainers or other type of job? Is this something that is legal to do? I imagine I'd have to keep them as separate so I'm not calling PT personal training or the other way around.

Thanks

I am a DPT and work as "trainer" at an upscale health club part time. There are no legal issues that I know of. My clients usually seek me out and are post rehab, have core dysfunction, rotator cuff, strains/sprains, etc... I don't really differentiate between PT or training at the health club. I do similar manual interventions at both settings. The exercises at the health club are usually more advanced.

I treat it as my own cash based PT practice. You just gotta remember that your PT license is always on the line no matter if you official job title is "personal trainer".

 

[truthseeker]

Exactly DPTinFL that's what I meant. If someone who received PT from someone else comes to you as a "trainer", whether it comes up formally or not, if they know that you are a PT they can have certain expectations of what I think the legals call "reasonable care" based upon your training. If they are doing some workout and their repaired rotator cuff fails, prepare for your supervision to be scrutinized more closely than it would be if you were not also a PT.

I'm not saying it can't or shouldn't be done, just that the clients' expectations may be different and you will be held to a higher standard.

 

[DocTAP87]

I am a DPT and work as "trainer" at an upscale health club part time. There are no legal issues that I know of. My clients usually seek me out and are post rehab, have core dysfunction, rotator cuff, strains/sprains, etc... I don't really differentiate between PT or training at the health club. I do similar manual interventions at both settings. The exercises at the health club are usually more advanced.

I treat it as my own cash based PT practice. You just gotta remember that your PT license is always on the line no matter if you official job title is "personal trainer".

DPTinFL, it sounds like you're doing exactly what I hope to do in the future. I was thinking that physical therapy would take the client from injured to better but therapy often only gets a person so far before they no longer need PT but they do still need maintenance or the insurance benefits run out. At that point, I could continue to see them as a personal trainer to help them progress further. I live in Michigan and we're not direct access yet so I have to learn how that might play a role. For example, if I connect with a client for personal training and they present with rotator cuff pain I'm supposed to send them to a physician who could send them to a PT to be properly diagnosed. But if I'm the PT, I wonder if I'd have to send them to their physician who can then send them back to me with a rx for therapy and we can focus on the injury. It's probably illegal to administer PT treatment even if it's cash based without a physician referral.

I'm really glad to hear that there's PTs out there working as both therapists and trainers.

 

[MarkPicklesimer]

It sounds good but I am thinking of doing internship in physical therapy as I just completed my course. I am thinking that I should consult doctors at Chiropractic clinic Centreville, VA for my internship. Hope everything will go well.