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It’s a new year and a new decade and both these milestones bring an opportunity to reflect on our personal and professional goals, ambitions and aspirations. One of the most popular things that finds its way on to lists is finding a new job and in many cases, changing careers and doing something completely new.
If you've ever considered switching careers and joining the fitness industry, here are a few of the most popular routes that you could take.
Tweet ThisIn terms of a viable option for a career change, you should look no further than the fitness industry. There are so many roles and jobs available and for many, many people, no two days are ever the same. The figures back up this up as well. In the UK alone, it’s estimated that the fitness industry is worth in excess of £5bn and over 10 million people are a member of a gym, that equates to about 15% of the population. Considering all that, the only word that should spring to mind is ‘opportunity’.
If you’ve ever considered switching careers and joining the fitness industry, here are a few of the most popular routes that you could take. One of the many beauties of this line of work is that you don’t ever have to pen yourself in. That’s not to say you can’t specialise and only focus on one thing, but just because you’re a yoga teacher, doesn’t mean you can’t upskill into another discipline like personal training or sports massage, for example. It’s incredibly flexible that way and the opportunities are truly unlimited.
Personal trainer
Many would describe the role of a personal trainer as being an essential one. They really are the fitness elite and a cornerstone of the industry. If you’ve ever spent five minutes in a gym then you’ll have seen this for yourself. Day in, day out they’re helping clients set and smash their goals, provide expert advice for both exercise and nutrition, act as a confidant, motivator and so much more.
Your journey starts with personal trainer courses and if you’re brand new to fitness you’ll first need to become a gym instructor (an entry-level qualification) before you can progress to personal training and become a fully-fledged PT.
You’ll learn the ropes, master how to plan sessions, manage your business and be able to tackle nutrition and weight management. If you have ambitions of working in a leading gym or even opening up your own place, this is a role for you. If you still need a bit more inspiration about what’s possible, have a look at what some of the best personal trainers have to say about the success they’ve been able to make for themselves.
Pilates and yoga
We’ve grouped these together and while both Pilates and yoga share many similarities in terms of the exercises performed in class and the health benefits achieved there are a few subtle differences.
Often, people come to Pilates for a more grounded exercise experience and to develop flexibility, improve core strength and fix postural problems. While you can get these benefits from yoga, many come to the practice for a more holistic and at times spiritual experience (the latter by no means being mandatory).
It’s a matter of fact that many aspiring fitness professionals choose to become both a Pilates instructor and a yoga teacher as it greatly enhances your client base.
Sports massage
It’s no secret that as a society we spend far too much time sat down and not moving, and this has paved the way for widespread dysfunction, inflammation, tension, and injury. Sports massage is the perfect remedy for what ails us. It’s not just reserved for members of the general public either, amateur, semi-pro and professional sportspeople and teams are always in need of the services of a qualified massage therapist.
To give you a bit of background, this form of manual therapy involves working with soft tissue (skin, muscles, etc) with a view to limit the risk of injury, reduce inflammation and support recovery. Common conditions like the dreaded tennis elbow, runner’s knee, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, and many more can all be dealt with.
Getting qualified is just a matter of choosing the right sports massage courses and getting hands-on with practical techniques and developing your knowledge.
We hope that’s provided a bit of inspiration if you’re considering a career change in 2020. Fitness really is one of the most vibrant, exciting and opportunity-filled industries on the planet, so isn’t it time you made your move?
