How Much Should I Charge for Post-Rehab Exercise Sessions?

Why Pricing Post-Rehab is Different (And More Valuable)

Post-rehab and corrective exercise training isn’t standard personal training. Your clients typically have medical histories, require a deep understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, specific injuries or conditions, and careful program design to avoid setbacks while promoting progress.

This specialization inherently carries a higher value. Clients aren’t just paying for reps and sets; they’re paying for:

• Your specialized knowledge and certifications (e.g., PES, CES, specific post-rehab certs).
• The safety and appropriateness of exercises for their condition.
• The ability to communicate effectively with healthcare providers (physical therapists, chiropractors, doctors).
• A structured pathway from recovery back to their desired activities.

Simply charging a standard hourly personal training rate often undervalues the expertise and risk management involved in this niche.

Key Factors Influencing Your Post-Rehab Pricing

Several variables impact what you can and should charge. Consider these carefully:

• Your Expertise & Experience: How many years have you been specializing in post-rehab? What specific certifications or advanced training do you hold? More experience and higher-level credentials command higher rates.
• Your Niche & Specialization: Do you focus on specific populations (e.g., post-surgical knees, chronic low back pain, neurological conditions)? Deep specialization allows you to become a go-to expert, increasing perceived value.
• Location: Operating costs and market rates vary significantly by geography. A studio in a high-cost-of-living area will have different pricing potential than one in a rural setting.
• Overhead Costs: Factor in rent (if applicable), equipment, insurance, continuing education, marketing, software (like scheduling, CRM, or pricing tools), and administrative expenses.
• Target Client’s Ability to Pay: While value is key, understanding the general economic profile of your ideal client base in your area helps inform pricing.
• Market Rates: Research what other specialized post-rehab providers in your area are charging. Don’t just look at general personal trainers. Look for businesses offering similar high-level services.
• Desired Profit Margin: Beyond covering costs, what profit do you need to reinvest in your business, pay yourself a sustainable wage, and account for downtime or cancellations?

Beyond the Hourly Rate: Structuring Your Post-Rehab Offers

While an hourly rate provides a baseline, most successful post-rehab businesses move towards package or program-based pricing. This benefits both you and the client:

• For You: Ensures commitment, provides more predictable revenue, allows for long-term programming, and reduces administrative churn.
• For the Client: Encourages consistency, clarifies the total investment for a defined period or goal, and often offers better value than single sessions.

Common structures include:

• Session Packs: Offering discounts for purchasing 5, 10, 20, or more sessions upfront. Example: $120/session for 5-pack, $110/session for 10-pack, $100/session for 20-pack (vs. $130 for single).
• Monthly Retainers/Subscriptions: Fixed monthly fee for a set number of sessions per week or month, plus potential extras like remote check-ins or programming updates. This creates recurring revenue.
• Outcome-Based Programs: Packaging a specific duration (e.g., 12 weeks) or focus (e.g., ‘Return to Running Program’, ‘Post-Spine Surgery Strength Program’) for a single price. This shifts the focus from time to transformation.
• Hybrid Models: Combining in-person sessions with remote coaching, online programming, or group classes.

Presenting these options clearly is crucial. Static PDFs or spreadsheets can be confusing. Tools that allow clients to see options and select their preferred package interactively can significantly improve the client experience and reduce questions during the sales process.

Presenting Packages and Options Effectively

Once you’ve structured your pricing into packages or programs, how you present them matters. This is where modern tools can help.

Instead of emailing static PDFs, consider using an interactive pricing tool like PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com). PricingLink allows you to create shareable links where clients can view different package tiers, select add-ons (like extra sessions, specialized assessments), and see the total price update in real-time. This creates a modern, transparent experience.

PricingLink is specifically designed for presenting complex service options clearly and capturing lead information when a client configures their package. It doesn’t do full proposals, e-signatures, or invoicing.

If you need a more comprehensive solution that includes proposals, e-signatures, and CRM features, you might explore tools like PandaDoc (https://www.pandadoc.com), Proposify (https://www.proposify.com), or service-specific software if available for the post-rehab niche. However, if your primary challenge is providing a clear, interactive pricing menu, PricingLink offers a focused and affordable solution starting at $19.99/mo.

Regardless of the tool, your presentation should:

• Clearly state what’s included in each option.
• Highlight the value and outcomes, not just the features (number of sessions).
• Use psychological principles like anchoring (showing a higher-priced option first) or highlighting the ‘most popular’ package.

Calculating Your Baseline Costs and Desired Rate

Before you can determine how much charge post rehab clients, you need to know your numbers. This isn’t just about covering session time; it’s about your fully burdened cost per session or per client.

1. Calculate Total Monthly/Annual Costs: Sum up all your business expenses (rent, utilities, insurance, software, marketing, equipment maintenance, taxes, etc.).
2. Estimate Billable Hours/Sessions: Be realistic about how many sessions you can actually train in a week, accounting for admin time, consultations, travel, and downtime.
3. Calculate Your Minimum Hourly/Session Rate: Divide your total costs plus your desired salary/profit by your estimated billable hours/sessions.

Example: If your total monthly costs + desired salary are $8,000, and you realistically train 60 sessions per month, your minimum needed per session is $8000 / 60 = ~$133.

This gives you a floor. Your actual pricing should be above this based on your value, market rates, and desired profit margin.

Example Pricing Ranges for Post-Rehab Training (USD 2025)

Keep in mind these are rough examples and will vary greatly based on location, experience, and specialization. Use these as a starting point for your research:

• Single Session Rate: $120 - $250+
• 10-Session Package (Per Session Rate): $100 - $220
• 20-Session Package (Per Session Rate): $90 - $200
• Monthly Retainer (e.g., 2x/week): $800 - $1800+
• Specific 12-Week Program: $1500 - $4000+

Remember, these are illustrative. Your pricing should be justified by the specific value you deliver, your expertise, and your business costs. Don’t just pick a number from a list; do the math and research your local market.

Communicating Value During Consultations

Your initial consultation (often free or low-cost) is where you justify your pricing. Focus on:

• Listening: Understand the client’s specific pain points, goals, and medical history.
• Assessing: Conduct a thorough assessment to demonstrate your expertise and identify their needs.
• Educating: Explain how your specialized knowledge and program will address their specific issues and help them achieve their desired outcomes.
• Building Confidence: Position yourself as the expert partner who can safely guide them back to function.

When discussing pricing, frame it in terms of the investment in their health and recovery, and the long-term benefits, rather than just the cost per hour. Presenting clear package options, perhaps through an interactive link created with a tool like PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com), can make this conversation smoother and more professional.