Exercise - Free Fitness Library
A new year... a new career?
By Lydia Campbell
You may be inspired by your fitness instructor as you participate in weekly workouts. Perhaps fitness has penetrated your bones and you're thinking about trying it out as a career. A good instructor can make it all look so easy as they stand before you, full of confidence, radiant, lean and healthy looking, apparently enjoying a perfect job; what could be simpler than to teach keep fit and to get paid for it?
Well, on the outside, the fitness world can appear very glamorous, especially as everyone loves to talk about their health and fitness problems once they know you are a professional instructor. It's one business where the majority of the public are nice to you because, by and large, you make them feel good and help them achieve results.
So how do you enter this profession? Well for starters, it's not as simple as renting the local village hall and doing your own thing. These days, the public are much more discerning. Many have either read articles on safe exercise or have used exercise videos and are far more knowledgeable about the business.
Recognised qualifications and on going training are a must for any would be fitness professional. You may take the attitude that your classes are only for fun with a few friends or colleagues and therefore you don't need to be qualified - if that is your attitude, then when I say you're being completely naive and utterly irresponsible, I'm being polite! Think about it, would you be happy to be treated by an unqualified doctor or dentist?
Ok, so we've ascertained you need training, but how do you find a suitable course? The first thing to look for is an RSA validated course, the type you see advertised in health and fitness magazines such as Active Lifestyle. Make lots of enquiries, find out how long the course has been established, if it's a new course who the course director is (and does he or she have a good reputation within the industry). If you have any problems in finding the right course you can always phone the Exercise Association on 071 278 0811 for advice. Decide on your budget and how much you can afford to pay. Courses cost anything from £400 - £700 (although some local authorities run courses at a cheaper rate). Consider the length of the course - don't expect to become qualified overnight. RSA courses are designed to be thorough and are not designed to be taken within 48 hours. Most courses last from 80 - 180 hours and are spread over several weeks.
If you already have a day job, then taking a part-time course might be the best option for you. If you're unemployed or have more time then a 2 week course may be ideal, dependent on your experience. A background in nursing, physical education, dance, physiotherapy or anatomy will be of help if you are taking an intensive course. If you have had a largely sedentary career in an office or the home you may find a long term course will suit you better.
Once you are a certified RSA teacher, you need to be insured to teach. Don't rely on a club or leisure centre to cover you. You can obtain public liability insurance through teaching associations such as The Exercise Association or Fitness Professionals.
So, now you're qualified and you're insured - now you need music. It is illegal to make recordings of your favourite sounds at home which means you need to have a PPL licence or have a source of excellent non copyright music. Join a fitness music service such as Pure Energy on 0709 710 022 or use PPL licence free music such as Muscle Mixes (0980 624 538), Power Productions (0225 783 276) or Body Beats (061 236 4787).
Join the teachers association so that you are kept informed of new developments. This is no industry for shrinking violets - come out of the woodwork and get off to as many conventions and events as you can afford. You will only benefit by networking. Key contacts include The Exercise Association (071 278 0811), Fitness Professionals (081 849 3567), The International Dance & Exercise Association {IDEA} (San Diego, USA 619 535 8979) and FitCamps (081 741 0215).
Once qualified, finding a job can be tough, especially if you live in a large town where there is already lots of competition. You either have to have the determination and business aptitude to set up on your own or you start canvassing clubs and leisure centres for class vacancies. Sending out dozens of CV's may seem a bore, but presenting your CV to the studio manager after participating in a class can often work if you offer your services as a back up teacher, especially during holiday periods. Alternatively you could try and find an opening as an assistant teacher. At my own centre, I often take new teachers as an assistant who will teach a short section/demonstration during my class i.e. high intensity to my low intensity moves; the assistant is then recognised by class goers as a back up teacher. Unfortunately, class openings don't always fall into your lap over night but if you have a real teaching talent you will be able to start a class from scratch in an off peak time. With experience, if and when there's an opening, you will end up with that prime time slot. Most classes grow predominantly by word of mouth so if yours is a good class then your numbers will increase by referral once the word gets out.
If you're working in a club or leisure centre try to keep out of the studio politics. Keep an open mind and your ego in a box. Don't ever say you can teach a specialist class if you can't e.g. don't use covering a stretch class as an opening to simply teach your aerobic class hoping your great technique will get noticed - the only thing that will get noticed by the powers that be is that you didn't know how to teach a stretch class! Be honest, only offer classes that you are trained in. Develop your style, be unique and appropriate for your teaching environment. Whether your stance is street cred or hard body image, create a style that is suitable for you.
You are entering an industry of training modules. After you've grasped the basics and have been teaching for a while, start thinking about specializing and expanding your repertoire. Increase your potential with an additional training module such as kids, over 50's, step, slide, aqua, ante/post natal, personal training, mind body, flex-a-band etc. the possibilities are endless. Instructors with diverse teaching abilities are far more employable, have a longer teaching life and tend to earn more.
So there you have it, the possibility of a new career - simply start off by getting qualified and the world could be your oyster!
Listed are a selection of class training contact numbers:
Kick-Robics International (Kick-Robics) 0121 643 0622
Academy Of Sports Therapy (Sports Management) 0438 717 374
Fit To Perform Ltd (Instructor & Personal Training Trainer) 071
278 5899
Fellowship of Sports Masseurs & Therapists (Sports Massage) 0191
886 3120
Exel Fitness 2000 (RSA, Fitness Leader & Aqua-robics Awards) 0822
614 986
The UK Training College (Sports Management) 081 964 1206
European Extension College (Sports Management) 0202 424 466
Fitness For Industry Ltd (Sports Management) 081 748 7755
Pinks Teacher Training (RSA Exercise to Music) 04554 559 974
Shape Fitness Education (RSA & Gym Instruction) 0276 692 077
Matean Fitness (RSA Exercise to Music) 0553 692 776
Imago Fitness (RSA Exercise to Music) 0229 581 642
Fitness 2000 (Boxercise) 0327 843 755
Aqua Fitness (Aqua Motion) 081 741 0215