Gym Instructor Certification
People who love fitness and helping others are great candidates to become gym instructors. Gym instructors can work with individuals or small and large groups, in the capacity of personal trainers or group fitness instructors. With determination and the proper education and accreditation, becoming a gym instructor can lead to a challenging and rewarding career.
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Function
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Gym instructors can either be personal trainers, helping individuals one-on-one to reach fitness goals, or fitness instructors, who typically teach larger groups of people. Fitness instructors can teach anything from yoga to pilates, aerobics to kickboxing. Often, group fitness instructors also have their personal training certification, but it's typically not a necessary credential to instruct group fitness. And certified personal trainers also often teach group fitness classes or run fitness boot camps without any sort of group fitness instructor credentials.
Requirements
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The ability to teach is the number one requirement. The gym instructor's job is to convey instructions and direction so students and clients can exercise safely and effectively. Being a positive, motivating role model is also important for bringing students back again and again.
Personality traits aside, some gym instructors take it a step further and attain accreditation. Aside from providing credentials for a business card, accreditation offers training and education that can help an instructor stand out from the crowd and be treated as a respected authority by students and peers.
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Time Frame
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Many training programs have online and distance learning, so the time frame demands the student and the amount of time he can devote to learning the material. In general, students should plan on devoting two to three months to attain personal trainer certification. Some group fitness instructor trainings take only one to three days and usually consist of live workshops; travel time and lodging expenses must also be factored in to the overall time and cost of certification.
Cost
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Factor in all the monetary costs of reaching your goal. The American Council on Exercise, National Academy of Sports Medicine and Aerobics and Fitness Association of America are three well-respected education and accreditation organizations. Workshop or course costs range from $250 to $800, with variables such as specialization and training workshops adding more to the bill. Remember to also include the costs of marketing, getting business licenses, insurance and any training equipment needed when calculating the overall cost of becoming a gym instructor.
Considerations
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A love of fitness, healthy living and helping people must be part of the equation when choosing to become a fitness instructor. Also, remember to research the cost of liability insurance, and most gyms require instructors to be certified in CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use. Local Red Cross chapters and some fire stations provide these courses. Getting this done before the search for accreditation means one less thing to do down the road.
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References
Resources
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