Comparative Analysis of Task Frequency, Importance, and Difficulty in Personal Training

This study aimed to quantitatively analyze the relative priorities of job tasks performed by personal trainers in the South Korean fitness industry. Based on a DACUM-based prior study identifying 8 duties and 52 tasks, a structured survey was conducted with 106 active personal trainers in the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. Each task was assessed in terms of frequency, importance, and difficulty. The results showed a strong positive correlation between frequency and importance ( r = .869), whereas difficulty was not significantly correlated with either. Tasks such as lifestyle coaching, exercise intensity control, and ongoing professional development were identified as core competencies. In contrast, tasks related to special populations, first aid certification, and data management were rated high in importance but low in frequency, indicating limitations in practical implementation. These findings provide a data-driven basis for competency-based education, certification design, and policy development in the personal training sector.