So, you’re thinking about training to be a PT. You’ve caught the fitness bug, realised the magic of getting stronger and worked out how to make progress yourself – turning that hobby into a side-hustle is the obvious next step. You’ll get paid for doing what you love while helping people in the process. If you’re spending your spare time working out, you might as well get paid to do so, right?

“Being a PT is something I don’t even consider as ‘work’,” says Sammy Harper, founder and head trainer of Blitz by Harper. “I wake up every day excited to coach my clients and feel really grateful that I get to make a difference to so many people’s lives.” Who wouldn’t want that feeling? But what exactly does being a professional trainer entail and what should you know before taking the plunge? And, arguably more crucially, is it worth trying to monetise your passion or turn it into a career? We asked three top female personal trainers to share the things that they wish they’d known before qualifying, to help you decide whether becoming a PT is right for you.