Personal Trainers and Athletic Trainers: What is the difference?

Personal Trainers
Personal trainers are found in gyms, health clubs, and even online as fitness influencers. Their goal is to help the general public achieve their fitness goals. Their clients can range anywhere from beginners to body builders, and they usually require a fee. Personal trainers are a great resource for cardio exercises, weightlifting techniques, and nutrition advice. There is no degree required to be a personal trainer. However, many have certifications that allow them to evaluate their clients and recommend exercises and nutrition regimens. While personal trainers are a very helpful asset to a person’s health and wellness, their role differs greatly from athletic trainers.

Athletic Trainers
Athletic trainers can be found in high schools, colleges, orthopedic offices, physical therapy clinics, hospitals, professional sports teams, military sites, and even in corporate and industrial settings. They provide athletes of all ages with preventative services, emergency care, therapeutic interventions, clinical diagnosis, and injury rehabilitation (acute and chronic). Athletic trainers are required to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree, a national certification, a state licensure, and coordinate care with practicing physicians. Athletic trainers often work behind the scenes to help athletes perform at their absolute best and are also first responders in the event of an athletic emergency. Athletic trainers are a necessity in Sports Medicine.

Differences
Both roles dive into exercise science and can even go hand in hand. Personal trainers often work with those that want to improve their health and wellness while athletic trainers work with people that need to improve their health. Both play important roles and are very useful in the sports and fitness world, thus it is important to know the difference between the two.

Athletic Trainers – Not “Trainers” (nata.org)