SPORTS JOBS: From SportsWorkers.com: Wanna Become A Fitness Instructor?
By Michelle Goldberger SportsWorkers.com
In my last column, I introduced you to different careers in the fitness industry. Now you’re probably wondering about the next step: are certifications or degrees required in order to become a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, or massage therapist?
Before deciding on certifications, you must think about how serious you are about this career. Becoming a certified fitness professional can be very expensive and time consuming. If you’re planning to become certified just as a hobby and don’t really intend to work and earn money as a fitness professional, then perhaps certification is not for you. However, if you would like to work in a gym, establishment, organization, etc., you will be held accountable, and, thus, you will need some kind of degree or certification.
Certification, of course, not only provides you with knowledge and a basis, it also adds to your list of credentials. You should remember that although, in the fitness industry, experience is extremely important (like in any industry), so are your qualifications and people will ask about them! You should also take into account that the fitness industry is booming and many people are getting college degrees in exercise science and other similar subjects. These degrees provide you with much more knowledge and experience than certifications. Fitness professionals with college degrees in this area often become specialists in one kind of training (i.e., cardiac rehabilitation) or coaching.
While college degrees in fitness are highly recommended, not everyone in the fitness industry has one. There are many fitness professionals who may already have a college degree(s) in another subject or no college degree at all. With some experience already under their belts, these fitness professionals become qualified certified instructors, trainers, or specialty instructors and usually find work.
Please remember that certifications not only provide you with education, but they also offer you some sort of coverage in the event of a lawsuit (in order to have full coverage in this event, you would need to have insurance, either your own or provided by the establishment in which you work). Also, please note that although most certifications overlap, you need separate ones if you would like to, for example, become an instructor and a trainer; and for most specialties, like Yoga, Pilates, Kick Boxing, Aqua Fitness, etc., there are specialty certifications.
For massage therapists, there are many kinds of certifications, degrees, etc. You can inquire about this at your local gym, YMCA, doctor’s office, spa, massage therapist association or wherever you have contact with massage therapists or chiropractors. Also, you should check the laws in the state in which you will work to make sure that you have the right legal credentials in order to practice massage therapy. There are many different kinds of massage therapy and you should first decide what your interests are before delving into this profession.
Lastly, but maybe most importantly, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification is absolutely necessary for all jobs in the fitness industry (and, in fact, for anyone who works at a gym) and should be renewed yearly, or, depending on the establishment, must be practiced regularly. You can learn more about CPR through the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
Every establishment has its own rules about certification requirements. While there are some establishments that hire uncertified instructors, it is rare for them to hire uncertified personal trainers and/or massage therapists. In fact, establishments are becoming more regimented in their certification requirements. So if you already know where you’d like to work as an instructor, trainer, or therapist, you should find out which certification is required in order to work there. You should also speak with people who currently practice the profession in which you’d like to work and ask them about their career paths (this is a good piece of advice for any career!). You will find that people who have been working in the fitness industry for a long time usually don’t mind lending a helping hand to a beginner. Furthermore, they are a great source of practical and realistic information.
Working in the fitness industry can be wonderfully rewarding, but make sure you take your responsibilities seriously: customers are entrusting you with their health! Set a positive example and show them the wonderful benefits of being fit!
