So you want to be a fitness instructor? If you enjoy exercising and keeping fit and have stayed on top of all the latest fitness trends, you have come to the right place.
First you need to target your market and determine if you want to be a personal trainer, teach groups of people or perhaps a specific area of interest, such as those with medical conditions. If you have a passion for kick boxing, aerobics or another specific area, you might want to place all of your concentration on teaching this to a targeted group of people.
Its also helpful to find a well seasoned instructor who is willing to share with you any tips to help you get started. It’s a good idea to have good people skills since this type of career has a lot to do with communicating and getting along with the public. College course in public speaking can be very helpful as well. Keep in mind that when teaching a group of people you must be able to deliver the instructions in such a way that matches the music being played. Any college courses you can take to help you in this area will be very beneficial.
You’ll also want to make sure that you are physically fit. Anyone wanting to be a personal trainer or a fitness instructor must be in tip-top condition. If your desire is to teach at a school level whether that be elementary, high school or college, a degree in physical fitness will be required. Be sure to sit down with an adviser at the college you choose to attend and go over what courses are required to obtain the level of career you desire. While attending college you could gain a part-time position working at a school as an assistant to the head coach to help you get started in the field.
If you are thinking more along the lines of personal training or working for a large fitness chain, you could obtain a position at one of these companies to help get your feet wet as well as to get your name out there so people begin to get familiar with you. This will help for when you get done with college.
The question any fitness instructor should ask themselves is, “How will I get access to the proper training equipment for my clients?”. Instructors can either send their clients to a gym, or purchase the equipment for use in their own facility. The latter is a hefty investment that should likely be made only if you have a diverse range of clientele with enough profit to spare. This page on exercise bike reviews and other equipment helped me select my first bike.