Can A Personal Trainer Teach Yoga?

Questions like ‘can a personal trainer teach yoga’ can be difficult to answer, especially due to the wide range of terms and qualifications in the fitness industry.

For this reason, OriGym has created this definitive guide to clarify what career options are available to PTs looking to explore employment opportunities teaching yoga.

Every trainer’s first step should be to secure a comprehensive Level 3 Yoga Diploma, which provides a solid foundation of knowledge and skills, and is an absolute must-have for securing employment in the competitive field of yoga.

To learn more about all of the courses we offer at OriGym, download our FREE prospectus.

Can A Personal Trainer Teach Yoga Classes?

For the sake of providing immediate clarity, the answer to the question ‘can personal trainers teach yoga?’ is yes, technically they can.

This is due to the fact that the yoga industry is unregulated, meaning that you are under no legal obligation to receive a qualification which certifies you to teach the practice. 

Therefore, you could hold a personal training diploma alone and still teach a yoga class.

For example, we can see The Fitness Directory is looking to hire a Fitness Instructor to teach yoga among other classes,  with the role only requiring 1 year experience as a qualified PT.

Therefore, when it comes to answering ‘are fitness instructors qualified to teach yoga?’, from both a legal and employability perspective, the answer seems to be a definitive yes.

But just because you technically ‘can’ teach yoga with just a personal training qualification does not mean you automatically should. 

Instead, we’d strongly advise going through the proper channels and enrolling on a yoga teacher training course. 

A qualification of this kind offers so much more than just an official title - it can provide vital knowledge and practical skills that are simply inaccessible to individuals who solely operate as a PT.

This will not only benefit your future career prospects by allowing you to apply for more employment opportunities, but it will also benefit your yoga students and personal training clients too.

For example, not only will your teachings in the yoga class itself be strengthened, but you could also impart this wisdom in training sessions too.

Hypothetically speaking, a client may suffer from lower back pain, which could draw the session to a halt. In this instance, you could draw from your yoga knowledge to recommend poses and stretches that are specifically designed to help relieve said pain.

From this, we can say that both qualifications can work in unison to strengthen your employability. More information on pursuing this job role can be found in our article discussing 'How to Become a Yoga Instructor'.

Why Should Personal Trainers Seek Additional Qualifications to Teach Yoga Classes?

It will now be apparent how nuanced the question ‘can a personal trainer teach a yoga class?’ truly is. Whilst you technically can jump into this role, this approach is only really suitable as a temporary role, rather than a long term position.

For example, as a personal trainer you could cover one off yoga classes, but staying in the role any longer could highlight your inexperience, or leave customers unsatisfied.

If you’re serious about teaching yoga full-time or as a side hustle, you will absolutely need to pursue an additional qualification. In doing so, you can strengthen areas such as your:

• Transferrable Skills
• Employability Prospects 
• Specialist Knowledge 

Let’s explore each of these in more detail.

#1 - Yoga Teacher Training Will Provide Transferable Skills for The Workplace

Through enrolment on yoga teacher training courses you will develop transferable skills that will appeal to employers. 

By far the most important skill required to be a successful yoga teacher is knowing how to plan and deliver a class. The vast majority of employers will ask for experience of this kind, so developing it through teacher training is absolutely essential.

Learning How To Plan A Yoga Class

Whilst enrolled on OriGym’s Level 3 Yoga teacher training course for example, you will learn how to plan yoga sessions suitable for groups and individual students. 

Throughout this training you will also develop an ability to adapt your classes to suit specialist populations of students such as:

• Pregnant women 
• Children
• Elderly clients
• Those with disabilities 

Employers will regard the ability to adapt to situations as a key skill that all desirable candidates must possess, with other examples including:

• Strong communication skills
• The ability to encourage your students 
• Good time management skills e.g. arrive on time to greet everyone in attendance 

When relating this skill back to the overarching question of ‘are fitness instructors qualified to teach yoga?’, we can draw comparisons between the planning process of a yoga class and the creation of bespoke training programmes for your PT clients.

As a trainer, you will likely already have experience making amendments to bespoke programmes for your clients. When planning yoga classes of a similar nature, you can pull from this experience to ensure that all students remain safe throughout the session.

Learning How To Run Effective Yoga Classes

Advanced yoga training will also see you gaining experience in delivering sessions, too. 

On OriGym’s prestigious Level 3 Yoga Diploma, this is achieved through the 400 hours of supported learning, as well as a practical assessment that will require you to run a meditation class.

In a similar vein to your personal training sessions, communication will play a vital role in leading yoga classes. For this reason, it’s often regarded by employers in the yoga industry as one of the most desirable transferable skills to take from education to employment.

Think of it this way. When working as a yoga instructor, you’ll need to communicate with your students in order to:

• Explain the purpose of the session at hand 
• Offer descriptive guidance on how to perform an asana safely 
• Provide corrections or amendments 
• Guide meditation sessions to close the class

Likewise, personal training communication skills are vital for performing such duties as:

• Conducting initial personal training consultations 
• Explaining a client’s bespoke workout programme in a way they can understand
• Offering demonstrations and corrections to your clients 
• Providing check-ins throughout the duration of the programme 

Strengthening your communication skills is a vital component for ensuring that every aspect of your yoga classes and personal training sessions run smoothly.

This skill will improve your working relationship with both your PT clients and yoga students. Remember, these individuals rely on you for guidance, so they must feel reassured during every stage of their practice. 

The importance of developing this skill can be seen in the following yoga advertisement:

As well as this advertisement for a personal training role at David Lloyds Gyms:

For this reason, when discussing ‘can personal trainers teach yoga?’, we must again stress the benefits of receiving additional training. 

In doing so, you can strengthen your already existing personal training communication skills, whilst learning how to specifically equip them to suit a yoga class. 

For example, prior to this qualification, you wouldn't necessarily have been able to adequately communicate the purpose of asanas to your students. But, following the completion of your training, you will be equipped with the knowledge of how to do this effectively.

#2 - Your Employability Prospects Will Expand With Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga teacher training can increase your employability prospects by making you a more attractive candidate for employers.

When discussing the topic ‘can a personal trainer teach a yoga class’, it’s clear that some employers will consider applicants without professional yoga training. 

But these opportunities aren’t too frequent, and more often than not employers will specifically ask for candidates to hold a yoga qualification. Check out this ad from Virgin Active:

‘200 hour’ refers to the number of teaching hours that are associated with the course. OriGym’s Level 3 yoga teacher training course provides double that, with 400 hours of guided learning. 

With this, you will be able to apply for job roles such as the example provided above, whilst presenting yourself as a more desirable candidate with double the necessary experience.

This isn’t to say that once you’ve completed yoga teacher training that you should solely apply for jobs within this field. Instead, you can also apply for opportunities that combine aspects of both roles.

For example, employers such as ELITE Health & Performance will view the two qualifications as beneficial counterparts, necessary to teach yoga and fulfil other duties too:

In this instance, you can increase your employability prospects by fulfilling multiple roles within an organisation. For example, if you were to be hired by ELITE, you would be expected to complete tasks such as:

• Leading yoga classes
• Running fitness classes - e.g. HIIT and resistance training 
• Design bespoke personal training programmes for clients 

Ultimately completing yoga teacher training increases your employment opportunities as it provides you with the luxury of choice. 

Once this is obtained you will be able to choose whether you wish to pursue jobs roles in personal training, instructing yoga class, or a combination of the two. 

#3 - Specialist Knowledge From Your Yoga Teacher Training Will Be Used Throughout Your Career

Yoga teacher training will also equip you with knowledge required to perform the day to day responsibilities of an instructor. 

For example, at OriGym, our students study a module that specifically focuses on the anatomy and physiology associated with the practice of yoga. 

These teachings provide insight into how different bodily systems interact with one another during yoga. In addition to this, a focus is placed on learning about the kinesiology of asanas and the moving body.

Your yoga students will want to learn during their sessions, and obtaining your teaching qualification will be an effective way of ensuring each of their classes are an informative and enriching experience.

By acquiring this specialist knowledge you will be able to explain details such as:

• The history of the practice/variation of yoga
• How to perform each asana 
• The physical and psychological benefits each asana can provide
• How to transition from one pose to the next

Yoga instructor job descriptions will often list this knowledge as an essential requirement of the role, as evident from the example displayed below: 

For this reason, when debating ‘can a personal trainer teach a yoga class?’, it can be said that holding both qualifications will work to your advantage. This is because you will have a specialist understanding of anatomy and physiology as it relates to yoga specifically, as well as holistic workouts.

Take a look at the way in which the module is described on OriGym’s Personal Training Diploma: 

In some regards, you may even find this specific yoga teacher training module easier than others, as you will have pre-existing knowledge to draw from.

As a result, you will not only be able to offer insight into the bodily effects of specific asanas and movements, but you will also be able to offer your students advice on their holistic workout habits. 

For example, you could recommend workouts that improve flexibility, a skill that will ultimately improve their yoga performance.

- - - - 

When researching about the process of becoming a yoga teacher as a personal trainer, these OriGym articles will provide great insight:

• How Long Does It Take To Become A Yoga Teacher
• How Much Does Yoga Teacher Training Cost?
• How to Become a Successful Yoga Teacher

What Additional Qualifications Do Fitness Professionals Need to Teach Yoga?

You will now be aware that in order for personal trainers to host informative classes, they should first complete yoga teacher training. But with many training providers and courses to choose from, you may naturally have questions about what you should sign up for.

#1 - Level 3 Yoga Teacher Training is a Vital Additional Qualification

Those who have no previous experience in teaching yoga should enrol on a Level 3 yoga qualification. 

This course will be taught through a blended learning approach, combining in person and virtual teachings. When you graduate, you’ll have developed fundamental skills and knowledge required to efficiently lead yoga classes. 

Blended learning will grant you access to OriGym’s bespoke e-learning platform, on which you will gain theoretical knowledge and experience. This will be combined with practical workshops at one of our various national locations.

For reference, it takes the average student a total of 4 months to complete the course. In addition to this, remember you will receive 400 hours of guided learning during this process.

All OriGym courses also receive government regulation from Ofqual. This means that we’re working to a set national standard, ensuring that the knowledge and skills acquired on this course can be applicable to your future career. 

OriGym courses are also recognised by CIMSPA (The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) which help to further legitimise their authenticity.

Therefore, whilst the yoga industry itself is unregulated and technically allows unqualified individuals to teach, you can take control of the quality of the education you receive by seeking out a regulated provider. 

Another benefit of choosing OriGym as a course provider is that our team will be on hand to offer career support following graduation. This means that if you’re a personal trainer looking for advice on kick starting their career in yoga, our team can provide insight into areas such as: 

• Creating a Yoga Business Plan 
• How to Start Your Own Yoga Business 
• Advertising and Marketing Strategies as a Yoga Instructor

Through the implementation of these business strategies you can target new customers that are specifically interested in yoga, whilst being able to offer your existing PT clients an additional service. 

#2 - Level 4 Yoga Teacher Training Can Allow You to Pursue a Speciality

Throughout this article, when discussing the overarching question ‘are fitness instructors qualified to teach yoga?’, we focused largely on holistic yoga classes. 

But with a Level 4 Yoga Teacher Qualification can build upon your existing knowledge, whilst honing in on a speciality. Specifically, when you can choose a speciality from the following types of yoga:

• Hot Yoga
• Iyengar Yoga
• Hatha Yoga
• Ashtanga Yoga 

Note: In order to enrol on this course applicants must first complete their Level 3 Yoga Teacher Training. 

Similar to the Level 3 course, students will also be studying through a blended learning method. The average student will complete this course in around 4 months, and will receive a further 400 hours of guided study.

This level 4 qualification will expand your employment opportunities even further, as once you graduate you can apply for jobs in specialist studios. For example, with a specialist qualification in hot yoga you will be able to apply for such roles as the example displayed below:

With just a Level 3 yoga teacher qualification, you wouldn’t be able to apply for this specific position.

With a Level 4 qualification, you can also incorporate these specialist skills and knowledge into PT sessions too. An example of a PT who’s done this successfully is Fitness With Sian.

From the example displayed below, we can see how qualified Personal Trainer Sian has managed to incorporate Hot Vinyasa Flow sessions into her business plan:

Using specialist skills and knowledge in this manner can help to increase your monthly income by allowing you to target different demographics.

For example, by following a similar approach to Sian and offering yoga classes as separate fee, you can appeal to new customers who only want to learn yoga, whilst being able to offer your existing PT clients a new service. 

So, regardless of whether you wish to pursue yoga as a main source of income, or just as a side hustle alongside your personal training business, you can potentially earn a lucrative monthly salary with these combined practices. 

Before You Go! 

Questions such as ‘can a personal trainer teach yoga classes?’ may prompt different responses from those within the fitness industry. 

In order to ensure that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to lead sessions, completing proper yoga teacher training is paramount.

OriGym’s Level 3 Yoga Teacher Training ensures that all our students are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills required to succeed, and carve out a lucrative career combining personal training with yoga.

You can also download OriGym’s course prospectus here, and discover more of what we offer.