Fitness Professional Jobs
Fitness professionals work in health clubs, universities, resorts, and in yoga, Pilates and other fitness studios. Fitness professionals include group exercise teachers, private trainers, and yoga and Pilates instructors.
Job Description: A Day in the Life of a Fitness Professional
Due to the fact that most regular fitness and personal trainer jobs offer only part time hours, many fitness instructors and trainers divide their time between a number of jobs, working at various gyms as well as for private clients. It is common to work early mornings, evenings and weekends as a fitness trainer, in order to accommodate your clients' schedules. On an average day, a fitness instructor may lead group exercise classes, have personal one-on-one training sessions with clients at a gym, or even work with a private client at his or her home. The exact duties will depend on the person's place of work, qualifications, and specialty.
General Requirements and Training
The level of education and type of training required varies for different fitness instructor fields.
To become a certified fitness professional, you must hold a high school diploma, be certified in CPR, and pass an exam specific to the fitness field in which they plan to work.
Certification is not always required to start working - group fitness instructors often start without certification, for example.
Certification from a top organization is especially important for personal trainers. While it is not always a requirement, more fitness professionals are getting bachelor's degree in exercise science, physical education, kinesiology, or other health-related area, as this greatly improves employment prospects.
Personal Trainer Salary Ranges
Additionally, for comparison's sake, Payscale.com reports that a fitness trainer or aerobics instructor with one to four years experience earns an average of $9.85 to $20.09 per hour, increasing $19.65 to $35.01with twenty or more years of experience.
Personal trainers tend to make more; with one to four years experience, hourly earnings average $10.75 to $23.53, while a personal trainer with twenty year experience can earn $24.72 to $50.61 hourly. Salary.com reports the mid-50% earnings range of a personal trainer to be $37,974 to $64,610.
