Unlike
the dot-com bubble, the fitness industry's rapid growth shows no signs
of bursting. The U.S. Surgeon General reports more than 60 percent of
U.S. adults are overweight or obese. An increasing number of adults are
spending more time and money on fitness, and companies are recognizing
the benefits of keeping employees healthy. Reduced physical education
programs in schools have parents spending an extraordinary amount of
money on extracurricular sports. Aging baby boomers are flocking to
gyms in record numbers.
What does this mean for you? If you're contemplating a career change,
the job outlook in the personal fitness field is ripe with opportunity.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook
Handbook for 2006-07, employment of fitness workers is expected to
increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014.
What they do
Fitness workers lead, instruct and motivate individuals or groups in
exercise activities, including cardiovascular exercise, strength
training and stretching. They work in commercial and nonprofit health
clubs, country clubs, hospitals, universities, yoga and Pilates
studios, resorts and clients' homes. Increasingly often, fitness
workers also are found in workplaces where they organize and direct
health and fitness programs for employees of all ages.
Although gyms and health clubs offer a variety of exercise activities
such as weightlifting, yoga, cardiovascular training and karate,
fitness workers typically specialize in only a few areas, such as
personal training or group exercise.
Personal trainers work one-on-one with clients either in a gym or in
the client's home. Trainers help clients assess their level of physical
fitness and set and reach fitness goals. They also demonstrate various
exercises and help clients improve their exercise techniques.
Group exercise instructors conduct group exercise sessions that involve
aerobic exercise, stretching and muscle conditioning. Because
cardiovascular conditioning classes often involve movement to music,
outside of class instructors must choose and mix the music and
choreograph a corresponding exercise sequence. Pilates and yoga are two
increasingly popular conditioning methods taught in exercise classes.
Instructors demonstrate the different moves and positions of the
particular method; they also observe students and correct those who are
doing the exercises improperly. Group exercise instructors are
responsible for ensuring that their classes are motivating, safe and
challenging, yet not too difficult for the participants.
Pastry chef to personal fitness princess
After finishing her bachelor's degree and working for a year, Kristen
Horler decided to go to culinary school and become a pastry chef. After
two years of solitude, whipping up lemon curd and baking hundreds of
pounds of banana bread in the fluorescent kitchens of posh hotels, she
became a spinning instructor to balance out the social aspect of her
life.
"I'm a people person, and being a chef was a bit too isolating," said
Horler. While teaching, she met the man of her dreams. "After I got
married, it became clear to me that the crazy hours I worked as a chef
weren't conducive to a quality family life."
Horler decided then to get serious about a career change and became
certified as a personal trainer. The national certification boosted her
credibility and success with clients and made her more marketable to
health clubs. It wasn't long before she said goodbye to ganache and
hello to "give me 20."
It was shortly after the birth of her first child that Baby Boot Camp®
was born. Horler searched for a postnatal fitness class to help her
lose weight and get back her pre-baby fitness level. After extensive
research, she was unable to find a challenging workout that didn't
require hiring a personal trainer and a babysitter or the purchasing of
a gym membership. Drawing from her experience as a group fitness
instructor and personal trainer, she developed Baby Boot Camp to
balance the fitness needs of new moms with their desire to spend time
with their baby.
What started as Horler and three friends doing cardio drills with
their babies in jogging strollers is now a rapidly expanding
stroller-fitness franchise program with hundreds of locations across
the United States, Australia and Canada (www.babybootcamp.com).
Although much of her day is spent running the burgeoning business,
Horler still takes personal training clients and instructs Baby Boot
Camp classes.
"I love the one-on-one interaction with people," says Horler. "I meet
so many interesting individuals, and I really enjoy helping people
reach their goals, increase their self confidence and become role
models for their children."
Is a career in fitness for you?
Horler says if you're not a people person, you're not going to like this industry.
"One thing that nobody prepares you for with personal training is that
you sort of play the role of a therapist. When you're working
one-on-one with someone an hour a day, one to three times a week,
clients tend to tell you about their lives. I know a lot of people who
have left the industry because they couldn't deal with that aspect,"
shares Horler.
Overall, people planning fitness careers should be outgoing, good
at motivating people and sensitive to the needs of others. Excellent
health and physical fitness are important because of to the physical
nature of the job. Those who wish to be personal trainers in a large
commercial fitness center should have strong sales skills as well.
Many positions in the fitness field are part-time, so you may have to
supplement your income with personal training clients or teaching
classes at a number of locations.
Pay scale
As health clubs strive to provide more personalized service to keep
their members motivated, most will continue to offer personal training
and a wide variety of group exercise classes. According to the
Occupational Outlook Handbook, the middle 50 percent of those in
fitness-related fields earned between $17,380 and $40,030. The bottom
10 percent earned less than $14,530, while the top 10 percent earned
$55,560 or more. Earnings of successful self-employed personal trainers
can be much higher. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) supports
this with results from its 2005 salary survey. It revealed personal
trainers out-earn group fitness instructors, both when working on an
hourly basis and as salaried employees.
Benefits
One of the most common complaints among fitness professionals is the
lack of benefits. The ACE survey reported only 2 to 7 percent of
part-time employees and consultants received health coverage, and 30
percent of full-time employees don't receive coverage of any kind.
However, if you're retired military or covered by your spouse, this may
not be an issue. In addition, fitness workers get the unusual benefit
of the use of fitness facilities at no cost.
Training & certification
Personal trainers must obtain certification in the fitness field to
gain employment, but group fitness instructors do not necessarily need
certification to begin working. The most important characteristic that
an employer often looks for in a new group fitness instructor is the
ability to plan and lead a class that is both motivating and safe.
Group fitness instructors often get started by participating in
exercise classes, and some become familiar enough to successfully
audition and begin teaching class. They also may improve their skills
by taking training courses or attending fitness conventions. Most
organizations encourage their group instructors to become certified,
and many, like Baby Boot Camp, require it.
In the fitness field, there are many organizations such as the American Council on Fitness (www.acefitness.org), National Academy of Sports Medicine (www.nasm.org) and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (www.afaa.com)
that offer certification. Becoming certified by one of the top
certification organizations is increasingly important, especially for
personal trainers. One way to ensure that a certifying organization is
reputable is to see whether it's accredited or seeking accreditation by
the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
Depending on the certification you seek, it can take from six weeks to
six months to become certified. Study materials start at $100, and exam
fees range from $200 to $800.
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