Amrisha Kudhail was on track to become a professional dancer and dance instructor, but when the pandemic hit, she re-evaluated her true goals and discovered her love for personal training, with a special emphasis on injury prevention and mobility. 

In the time since, she has built a highly successful career as a personal trainer, taking on individual clients as well as working with professional sports teams including the Manchester Giants, sharing cutting-edge techniques and concepts that help her clients stay in the best shape possible. 

Kudhail is also highly motivated to get more women involved in professional athletics, specifically in the area of training and injury prevention, as this is still largely a male-dominated space. 

During our interview with Kudhail, she proved to be a beacon of enthusiasm and commitment to her work, and we're excited to share her comments with all of you. 

Success Quarterly (SQ): How long did it take you to become a professional personal trainer? 

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Amrisha Kudhail (AK): I first started learning about anatomy and physiology early on in my Dance Science modules. There, I looked at the skeleton from an athletic perspective. This was really the baseline of my trainer journey. From looking at how ballet changes the skeleton, I researched a method called GYROTONIC and furthered my training qualifications post-graduation. 

During lockdown in the UK, I found myself working out most days to keep active physically and mentally. From here, I decided I wanted to qualify and intertwine personal training with my dance background, which triggered my journey working in injury prevention. 

Becoming a personal trainer has been a culmination of different influences which have helped bring different perspectives to the way I teach. I came out of the pandemic a nutritional advisor, gym Instructor, and personal trainer, as well as a GYROTONIC instructor.

SQ: What was the most difficult part of this process? 

AK: The most difficult part of the process was the fact that I was unable to practice my teaching in the middle of a pandemic. I was fortunate enough to find a qualification resource that allowed me to complete my theory online before an in-person exam. 

At a time of such uncertainty, studying personal training and nutrition gave me a focus for the future and I made sure I worked hard to make the most of the downtime so I could get to work straight away once the lockdown had lifted.

SQ: Do you have any advice for someone who wants to become a personal trainer? 

AK: I would advise all future trainers to gain as much experience as possible. Research a variety of topics, reach out to mentors, and practice your skills with anyone willing to participate until you feel 100% ready to teach. 

This will enable you to find an area of interest or expertise such as nutrition, rehabilitation, body transformation, etc. Something that inspires you to keep focused and energized. Training is such a people-focused industry, so finding and keeping a passion alive is key to maintaining enthusiasm, which will transfer to the clients and achieve the best outcome for all.

SQ: What's one of the most important things you learned about this industry early on? 

AK: Having confidence in your ability is the most important thing to have in this industry. You want your clients to trust you and your capabilities. For trust to be achieved you need your clients to believe that you know exactly what they need to achieve their goals. If a trainer is shy or nervous, athletes and clients will sense this and it could lead to doubting their abilities. 

This may be easy for me to say, but this is why I recommend trainers to learn and practice as much as they can before they qualify so they can transfer their new skills with as much ease and ability as possible.

SQ: How did you start working with sports teams? 

AK: I started working with sports teams when I realized my passion in training was focused on injury prevention. While I was studying, I reached out to a trainer who was working with a professional basketball team and I spent time observing and analyzing their gameplay and training and learned as much as possible about the common injuries and strength and conditioning training to achieve and maintain their fitness and prevent injuries. 

I was fortunate to be able to work with them and further develop my understanding and skills. From there, I gained knowledge about the sports industry and I found where I could help with my dance experience in terms of mobility and flexibility for injury prevention work.

SQ: Do you find it easy to stay motivated in your work? 

AK: Absolutely! I see the impact I make with athletes every day, and knowing that I helped them achieve their sports skills makes my work so worthwhile. I enjoy meeting new athletes, trainers, and mentors to keep learning, which in turn keeps me motivated and eager to continue teaching. 

Part of my work is to continuously learn about new techniques which always keeps my role interesting and only motivates me more, to pass on the new information I have taken on board. Athletes can find it hard to continually motivate themselves to go the extra mile in terms of injury prevention. It's only when they sustain an injury that they realize they take for granted the mobility and movement they had, so it is my job to stay motivated so they maintain the focus and hard work that we have achieved in partnership together. Having goals and working towards them keeps me motivated to make a difference.

SQ: Do you enjoy seeing the human impact of your work, seeing people recover and improve? 

AK: Seeing the impact of my work is the best part of my job. When athletes tell me the difference they feel in themselves and can see the improvements they have made, not only does it reassure me that I am great at what I do, but it also motivates me to make more of an impact. 

My main area of expertise is mobility and flexibility. When athletes tell me that they are no longer in pain after practice because of the stretches we have gone through or the exercises we have developed for hip mobility, etc., it makes me so happy that I have been a part of their journey in their careers and taught valuable lessons that should keep them injury-free and at their physical best.