How to Become a Certified Fitness Instructor in Michigan
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan topped the list of states hardest hit by unemployment, with a 14.3 percent jobless rate in January 2010. Changes within the state's economy are forcing people to seek new career paths. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts the need for "fitness workers" to increase 27 percent by 2016 due to an aging population, businesses recognizing the financial benefit of healthy employees, and concerns about childhood obesity. Becoming a certified fitness instructor will distinguish you as a knowledgeable professional and open doors to other opportunities in Michigan's fitness industry.
Instructions
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Drop in on fitness classes to observe different teaching styles and determine the type of class you would like to teach. Some certifying organizations will prepare you to teach across several formats (step, floor aerobics, kickboxing) while others, for example, Zumba and Pilates, only prepare you to teach a specific type of class. HealthClubDirectory.com offers a list of gyms and health clubs near your city.
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Research fitness certifications. Select one that covers the format(s) you want to teach and holds accreditation through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). These national certifications will cover you, even if you move out of Michigan and want to teach in a new state.
Certification is not a requirement to teach in Michigan, but most gyms and health clubs require it for employment. According to Delta College, the average salary for fitness instructors in Michigan was $26,820 in May 2005.
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Order test-taking materials. Reputable certification companies will require a written examination, sometimes with a hands-on component. You will be tested on anatomy, physiology, exercise science, instructional techniques, injury prevention, and ethics. Some certifying companies have lower passing rates than others, so take advantage of textbooks, workbooks, and practice exams. You may come across distance-learning and community college programs that promise to help you "become certified by any company," but it's better to order materials from the certification company you are interested in because their study materials will be specific to their exam.
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Earn certification in adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED). Most certification companies require those seeking certification to be CPR/AED-certified prior to the examination. Even if yours doesn't, you will need this certification to work at most gyms or health clubs in Michigan or obtain liability insurance. Contact your local Red Cross chapter; there are 26 in Michigan, including two in Michigan's upper peninsula.
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Take the exam. Some companies offer computer-based testing at a testing center, while others require you to take a "pencil and paper" exam. Exams are usually held a few times a year in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Lansing, and often require a sitting fee.
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Maintain your certification by taking continuing education courses. Keeping your certification current will ensure you don't have to retake the exam and/or pay extra in late fees. Most certifications require you to take a specified number of continuing education credits in the form of workshops, college courses, or at-home study programs. You can complete most of your credits by attending fitness conferences, like the IDEA Fitness Fusion Conference, one of the largest fitness events in the Midwest. Credits from these types of conferences transfer across states.
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References
Resources
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