Career Advice on How to Become A Fitness Trainer and Aerobics Instructor |
General Career Information |
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The idea still exists that fitness trainers and aerobics instructors are in shape. The truth is that sometimes they are in shape and sometimes they are not. Ask anyone who has spent some time at a gym or health club about the required level of physical fitness for fitness trainers and aerobics instructors. You may quickly hear that there is no real set standard. Trainers work with people on a one-on-one basis to help them accomplish their fitness goals. These goals may be everything from losing weight to gaining muscle strength and endurance. Trainers are supposed to know how best to work out and how to do without becoming injured. A good trainer will not adopt a “cookie cutter” model, but will instead evaluate a person’s individual fitness levels and adapt accordingly. Aerobics instructors serve to help their students get a cardiovascular workout. Due to the nature of the physical activity, aerobics instructors are likely to be in good cardiovascular condition. |
Career Facts: |
Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors usually work at gyms and health clubs. They work with clients that hire them or pay to attend their class. Some fitness trainers work on a freelance basis and have a client base that they serve. |
Career Opportunities and Job Outlook- Very Good: |
| Americans are becoming increasingly obese and out of shape. As a result, the outlook for fitness trainers and aerobics instructors is quite good. The number of fitness instructors and aerobics trainers is expected to grow by an impressive twenty-nine percent between 2008 and 2018. Much of this growth is due to the fact that the baby boomer population is expected to grow significantly and enter retirement. This is all good news for your job search. |
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A Day in The Life: |
| The workday of an average fitness trainer or aerobics instructor varies considerably depending upon the nature and size of the establishment they are working in. Further, the work environment will be drastically different for a private fitness trainer as compared to a fitness trainer that is working at a gym or health club. What many people may not realize about this career is that it can also be a sales career as well. Fitness trainers can be expected to generate new business and sales. |
Average Salary: |
| On average, a fitness trainer or aerobics instructor can expect to earn about $29,000 per year, with the top ten percent earning about $60,000 per year. The bottom ten percent of fitness trainers and aerobics instructors average about $16,000 per year. |
$16k - $60k |
Career Training and Qualifications: |
| So what else do you need to know for your career planning? Certification is an important aspect of the job for many fitness trainers and aerobic instructors, yet it is not required. For those training or teaching an activity such as yoga or Pilates, additional training is required. Slowly, some employers are requiring that applicants have bachelor’s degrees in a field such as physical education. |
