Careers in Personal Training:
Become a Certified Personal Trainer
Today, more than ever, people are investing time and money in health and fitness. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, career opportunities in the field of personal training are growing much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of fitness workers is expected to increase 27 percent over the 2006-2016 decade.
This rapid growth makes it an ideal time to start your personal training career, but you need to first become certified as a personal trainer. A certified personal trainer becomes the most qualified fitness trainer, and there are many versatile career opportunities available to the right candidate. Read some of the personal training career possibilities below to discover your fitness career niche.
Health Club Personal Training
Working in a gym or health club, a certified personal trainer becomes a motivator, instructor and leader. You can focus on one-on-one training with clients or facilitate group workout classes. You can even advance to a fitness director position and be responsible for hiring, training and supervising fitness staff members. Fitness directors earn higher salaries because they are responsible for creating and overseeing personal training and group exercise programs, as well as new member orientation, fitness assessments, and workout incentive programs.
Read about Hollywood personal trainers and how they got where they are today.
Spa and Resort Fitness Training
Working in a spa job or spa resort setting, a certified personal trainer becomes part of a relaxing, luxurious environment. You may not have long-term personal training relationships with individual clients in this environment, but you can give these resort clients valuable personal training advice that they can use in their lives. Spas and resorts also offer a wide range of group exercise and fitness classes, many of which are taught by certified personal trainers.
Workplace Fitness Programs
More businesses are recognizing the benefits of providing health and fitness programs for their employees. Personal training has an important role to play in this expanding sector. Certified personal trainers can work in corporate fitness centers or help coordinate health promotion programs for employees.
Athletic Training
With a career focused on athletic training, a certified personal trainer becomes a critical part of a sports medicine team. You can work with professional sports teams, as well as university and high school athletic teams. To maximize your chances of success in this competitive career, an associate's or bachelor's degree is helpful. As a personal trainer for a sports team, you will learn how to manage common health care problems associated with sports participation and collaborate with physicians, coaches, and other health care professionals.
*Note: Quote from BLS - Athletic trainers should not be confused with fitness trainers or personal trainers, who are not health care workers, but rather train people to become physically fit.
Youth Fitness
If you love working with kids, you may want to consider the rapidly growing field of personal training and fitness programs for children. As many schools have reduced their physical education programs and as childhood obesity rates rise, parents are enrolling their kids in health clubs and hiring personal trainers. The number of weight-training gyms specifically designed for children is also expected to grow. Depending on your education, you may even be qualified to work with children through a community recreation program, school, or non-profit organization.
Freelance Personal Training and Consulting
If you desire the flexibility of self-employment, you'll find many ways to build an independent career in personal training. You may choose to start your own business and recruit your own clients. You may also choose to work for a fitness center on a contract basis, perhaps facilitating group exercise classes. Freelance fitness consultants are also in demand for their skills researching, developing, planning and implementing fitness programs and policies for businesses and organizations.
Read personal trainer interviews to learn more about this diverse field, and gain insight into some of the top personal trainer schools.
Return to the Spa & Massage Career Center home page.
Looking for Spa and Massage Schools?
Try our Spa, Massage & Beauty Schools page. There you will find a comprehensive list of schools which offer program descriptions. You can also request information from the schools that interest you most.
Sources:
Consultant Journal, 2007
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009
