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Fitness Trainer Schools and Training Programs
If a career that helps you stay in peak shape while promoting healthy lifestyle habits sounds right for you, then fitness trainer schools can help you get started. Fitness trainers work in a variety of physical disciplines to help build their clients' strength, flexibility, endurance and overall well-being. Read on for details on how fitness trainer schools can help you join this growing field.
Types of fitness trainer careers
The world of fitness training has expanded over the last few decades, and fitness trainer schools can prepare you to seek jobs such as these:
- Group exercise instructors typically lead fitness sessions at gyms and workout clubs. These professionals may choreograph exercise sessions to selected music, and they observe students to ensure proper exercise form. Yoga and Pilates instructors, two of the fastest growing fitness trainer careers, fall into this category.
- Personal trainers work in small groups or one-on-one with clients, sometimes in a fitness center environment, often working independently and visiting clients at home. Personal training usually involves a fairly long-term relationship between clients and the trainer, who tracks and records clients' progress toward their fitness goals.
- Fitness directors organize and administrate the programs and activities offered at gyms, health clubs and fitness centers. Management duties include hiring and training of fitness staff; coordination of group exercise programs; and purchasing and monitoring the condition of workout equipment.
Some fitness trainer schools also provide courses in athletic training and rehabilitative physical therapy. Nearly all careers in this field involve working directly with clients, either in a group or individual setting, so some customer service skills can be a big plus.
Education and certification requirements for fitness trainer careers
Certification is often required for fitness workers, according to the BLS, and many training programs are aimed toward certification rather than a formal degree. For example, yoga and Pilates instructors attend training programs with rigorous certification requirements, typically stretching to at least 200 hours of coursework. Other types of fitness trainers may also need specific certifications, depending on their place of employment or specialization. The National Academy of Sports Medicine is one organization that offers a professional physical training certification.
The BLS reports that a growing number of employers are seeking fitness workers who are not only certified but also college graduates. Related studies could include exercise science, physical education, kinesiology or kinesthesiology. The Occupational Information Network estimates that about one quarter of practicing fitness trainers and aerobics instructors have earned at least a bachelor's degree.
Employment and salary figures for fitness trainer careers
The BLS expects opportunities for fitness trainer careers to increase much faster than the national average for all occupations, boasting a projected 29 percent rise in employment between 2008 and 2018, which could result in around 76,800 new positions nationwide. The mean annual wage for fitness trainer careers clocked in at $35,920 in 2010, with the top 10 percent of earners taking home around $63,400. These averages exclude the salaries of coaches, athletic trainers and teachers at fitness trainer schools.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the largest percentage of fitness training careers exist in the amusement and recreation industries, which include country clubs, health spas, resorts, yoga studios, and other destinations for training and relaxation. Hospitals, personal care service providers, and civic and social organizations also employ large numbers of these specialists.
Aspiring fitness trainers can learn more by looking into professional organizations such as those listed below. If a rewarding career helping others sounds like a good fit, fitness trainer schools around the country can help you get moving in the right direction.
Additional resources
National Academy of Sports Medicine: Professional organization offering certifications for personal trainers and other fitness professionals
National Exercise Trainers Association: Non-profit professional organization that provides education and certification for fitness trainers
National Aerobics and Fitness Trainers Association: Professional networking and continuing education organization for fitness industry personnel
Career Colleges of America
- Fitness Trainer
Keiser University Campus
- Daytona Beach
- Fort Lauderdale
- Miami
- Lakeland
- Hollywood
- Port Saint Lucie
- Fort Myers
- Sarasota
- Sports Medicine & Fitness Technology, BS
- Sports Medicine & Fitness Technology, AS
- Dietetics and Nutrition, BS
Stratford Career Institute
- Fitness and Nutrition
Dordt College
- Sioux Center
- Health,Physical Education, and Recreation
Post University
- Waterbury
- B.S. in Sport Management
Vatterott College
- Fairview Heights
- Omaha
- Personal Fitness Trainer
Kaplan University
- Fort Lauderdale
- AAS in Business Administration - Health Club Operations
- BS in Nutrition Science
Carrington College California
- Pleasant Hill
- AS in Fitness Training
- Certificate in Fitness Training
Liberty University
- Lynchburg
- M.S. in Sport Management (Non-Thesis)
- M.S. in Sport Management (Thesis)
Northcentral University
- Prescott Valley
- Sports Management - PhD in Education
- Sports Management - Doctor of Education
- Athletic Coaching - Master of Education
- More
Columbia Southern University
- Orange Beach
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration / Sport Management
Remington College
- Tampa
- Diploma in Personal Fitness Trainer
Globe University/MSB
- Minneapolis
- Middleton
- Master of Science in Health Fitness Management
- AAS in Health Fitness Specialist
- BS in Health Fitness Specialist
Daymar Institute
- Clarksville
- Personal Fitness Training
Carrington College
- Phoenix
- Tucson
- Fitness Training
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