Every health or fitness center has a team of professionally trained fitness trainers to guide and advise its clients on proper exercise and fitness training programs. A successful team of fitness instructors will ensure better popularity leading to more profits, and thus more business for the fitness center. Thus, to ensure success, it is necessary that the fitness instructor responsibilities are carried out efficiently.
A fitness instructor needs to handle various responsibilities which include looking after the clients' demands, implementing an individual action plan that will assist in making the clients stay fit and healthy, and ensuring that more clients are enrolled, thus helping in business development. For this he himself needs to present himself as a role model and demonstrate physical fitness and guide the clients on the safe and effective use of various fitness equipment. To get a better idea, here is a list of key responsibilities that need to be handled by a fitness instructor:
The best fitness instructor should be an outgoing and friendly person with excellent interpersonal skills, and should be totally customer oriented. He should be comfortable to work in a team environment and assist in achieving common quality objectives. He should demonstrate high level presentation skills and should appear physically fit. He should have an ability to understand the clients' needs and develop programs to suit their needs. He should keep himself updated with the latest and current developments happening in the health and fitness industry. He should be aware of all the safety rules and regulations and should be good at marketing and promoting the fitness center services and activities to develop more business.
To become a fitness instructor, you need to possess a CPR certification which covers a written and a practical test. This certification course will generally cover details related to correct exercising techniques and methods, developing fitness programs to suit the clients' requirements, human physiology, etc. If you are planning to take an advanced certification, a bachelor's or an associate degree is required. A course in nutrition, first aid, anatomy, etc., would also be beneficial.
Fitness instructors are generally employed in health clubs, fitness centers, sports and recreation centers, hospitals, etc. Fitness instructors generally work to suit the clients' schedule and may even work on weekends and holidays. Some may need to travel and conduct personal training sessions at the clients' residence.
The average annual salary for fitness instructors is $33,000. Entry level instructors would get a salary in the range of $17,000 to $19,000, while those with previous work experience in a similar position would get a salary in the range of $62,000 to $64,000.
Today, everyone is becoming more alert about health and fitness. In fact, some organizations are even conducting exercise classes for increasing the fitness levels of their employees. Some are even keen to take personal training to fight obesity and lead a healthy life. So the career prospects for fitness instructors are really bright.
Thus, to become a complete professional, you must be able to carry out the fitness instructor responsibilities effectively and efficiently.