Are any of you in the health/fitness field as a career?
- Thread starter notpaige
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- female fitness
praiseyehoshua
New member
ajwithrow92
New member
@notpaige I am a part-time fitness instructor and my sister is a full-time instructor/physical therapist. There are a few options for you. It really depends on your goals.
1) You could go the fitness certification route. It costs around $300-$500 to get certified for group fitness or personal training through organizations like the American Council of Exercise (ACE) or the National Academy of Sports Fitness (NASM). These will allow you to work in gyms teaching classes or being a personal trainer. You can also pick up smaller, focused, certifications for classes like Zumba, Bootcamp, Body Pump, Aqua Fitness, etc. This is what I am doing.
2) The other option is to get a degree in something fitness related such as sports medicine or physical therapy. This will open up full time options such as working as a physical therapist or as a trainer/therapist in a hospital/rehab setting. This is what my sister is doing. There are other jobs than rehab but these are the most obvious choices.
Many people with certifications work part-time while those with a degree work full-time. There are exceptions of course and it all depends on your dedication and motivation to work full-time.
1) You could go the fitness certification route. It costs around $300-$500 to get certified for group fitness or personal training through organizations like the American Council of Exercise (ACE) or the National Academy of Sports Fitness (NASM). These will allow you to work in gyms teaching classes or being a personal trainer. You can also pick up smaller, focused, certifications for classes like Zumba, Bootcamp, Body Pump, Aqua Fitness, etc. This is what I am doing.
2) The other option is to get a degree in something fitness related such as sports medicine or physical therapy. This will open up full time options such as working as a physical therapist or as a trainer/therapist in a hospital/rehab setting. This is what my sister is doing. There are other jobs than rehab but these are the most obvious choices.
Many people with certifications work part-time while those with a degree work full-time. There are exceptions of course and it all depends on your dedication and motivation to work full-time.
efraim7praise
New member
@notpaige Right now I work in a hospital. Started my first job at 19 at a small doctors office, then work as a unit secretary on an OB floor before going to the ER.
I really like the clinical part of the field. I looked into being a nurse a couple times. I do feel like I would like the critical thinking and the the fact that anything can happen. But, I was split and will be going to school to be a physical therapist.
I love fitness and I think the muscles are interesting. But I also think they are interested medicine wise. It seems like a good middle ground.
I really like the clinical part of the field. I looked into being a nurse a couple times. I do feel like I would like the critical thinking and the the fact that anything can happen. But, I was split and will be going to school to be a physical therapist.
I love fitness and I think the muscles are interesting. But I also think they are interested medicine wise. It seems like a good middle ground.
@notpaige I was a fitness instructor, worked at two gyms, and did personal training (in home and at one of the gyms). I also taught classes at a park. I started because I was (a) really interested in it and loved being active, then (b) got certified in personal training and fitness instructing and found all of the positions and launched my own business.
But... then I really, really started to dislike it and realized it was a nice little break from my other field and a lovely four years or so, and then kept fitness as a hobby/interest for myself, and moved on (or moved back) to what I originally set up to do in life.
So, now I love fitness for me, and I advise friends/family when they ask, but I no longer have any desire to go back!
But... then I really, really started to dislike it and realized it was a nice little break from my other field and a lovely four years or so, and then kept fitness as a hobby/interest for myself, and moved on (or moved back) to what I originally set up to do in life.
So, now I love fitness for me, and I advise friends/family when they ask, but I no longer have any desire to go back!
@notpaige I’ve done it more as a hobby. I taught aqua fitness in my teens/early 20s - my work paid for my certification, I was a lifeguard and our facility was always short on instructors . Spent uni focussed on the psychological side of recreation/sport/leisure. Years after graduating I got my PT for personal reasons (just wanted to learn more). Last year I got certified as an obstacle course race coach....again out of interest. I began offering PT/Health Coaching services to friends and family and at one point ran a boot camp class from my home while on leave from my day job.
In my experience (in Canada) the fitness industry can be pretty easy to get into, but it’s difficult to make much money. Most instructors and trainers do it as a hobby or to pay for school and then move on. Pretty well any jo shmo can spend $500 take a weekend course and get certified as a PT or group fitness instructor. I know because I did it. From those I know who’ve made it a success as their career (I’m defining success here as earning much more then minimum wage or more then selling your soul to a chain gym for commission on sales) have started their own businesses, have learned sales techniques (seriously if you suck at sales you aren’t getting any new clients) and have been continually educating themselves by constantly attending fitness expos, seminars, upgrading their skills and broadening their knowledge and getting certified in other related fields like nutrition science. All of them started in a chain gym and then left to start their own gig.
In my experience (in Canada) the fitness industry can be pretty easy to get into, but it’s difficult to make much money. Most instructors and trainers do it as a hobby or to pay for school and then move on. Pretty well any jo shmo can spend $500 take a weekend course and get certified as a PT or group fitness instructor. I know because I did it. From those I know who’ve made it a success as their career (I’m defining success here as earning much more then minimum wage or more then selling your soul to a chain gym for commission on sales) have started their own businesses, have learned sales techniques (seriously if you suck at sales you aren’t getting any new clients) and have been continually educating themselves by constantly attending fitness expos, seminars, upgrading their skills and broadening their knowledge and getting certified in other related fields like nutrition science. All of them started in a chain gym and then left to start their own gig.
