Fitness professionals offer exercise guidance, nutrition advice, and motivational strategies to improve fitness. They work in gyms, studios, schools, and community centers, and may create videos and written content. Requirements vary by employer and industry, but a solid understanding of physical fitness is necessary.
A fitness professional helps people improve their fitness by offering exercise guidance, nutrition advice, and/or motivational strategies. Personal trainers, sports trainers, yoga practitioners, aerobics instructors, and dance teachers are often referred to as fitness professionals. These professionals are typically employed by gyms, dance studios, yoga studios, schools, and community centers. Although instruction is usually delivered in person, some fitness instructors create videos and/or communicate in writing through books and websites. The requirements to work in this field vary depending on the type of physical activity and the specific employer.
The category of fitness professionals is broad and can include athletic, calisthenics, yoga, dance, and martial arts instructors. A fitness professional generally has a solid understanding of physical fitness when it comes to strength training, flexibility development, and cardiovascular endurance. Some fitness instructors also possess and share nutrition knowledge as it relates to weight loss and muscle building. Your guide may include specific advice on adequate protein intake for muscle building and foods to eat in moderation, such as sugar, oils, and unhealthy fats. Professionals who practice a holistic approach to fitness may also employ motivational techniques that include meditation, affirmations, and strategies to overcome procrastination.
Employers of fitness professionals include large gym franchises, small yoga or dance studios, martial arts schools, public and private schools, and community organizations. Independent personal trainers can also be hired by people with specific fitness goals. Depending on the type of physical activity, a fitness professional may work indoors or outdoors and offer individual or group instruction. Some fitness instructors are also writers who share their strategies through books and websites. Video is also a popular tool used by these professionals to lead strength and flexibility exercises and to teach activity-specific techniques. Some fitness instructors have their own television shows and guide the masses through exercise routines step by step.
The requirements to work as a fitness professional vary across industries and employers. Gyms typically hire certified personal trainers, but a highly-trained professional with extensive fitness or athletic experience may work for a private client without certification. Dance teachers, yoga practitioners, and martial arts instructors generally have years of experience in their respective disciplines and possess extensive knowledge of specific techniques. To work in schools and universities, fitness instructors generally need a degree and related certification. A high quality fitness professional is generally a healthy and fit person who leads by example by exercising regularly and practicing her own methodology.
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