Most people who currently occupy professional roles in the UK health and fitness industry will tell you that they got into their current business because they were interested in health, fitness and exercise and were regular gym users or sports practitioners.
If you have an interest or passion for any aspect of health and fitness, you might like to consider turning your interest into a career.
The first step is to think about what you envision yourself doing in your new career. It will probably be something related to whatever currently interests you about fitness. Maybe you just have a general liking of sports and exercise, or perhaps you’re interested in something specific like Pilates or sports massage therapy.
Another thing to consider is whether you’d prefer a role in which you train a single person at a time, or whether you’d be comfortable teaching fitness classes consisting of a large number of people.
There is, unfortunately, no legal requirement that people have any sort of professional qualification in order to work in the UK fitness industry, but without an accredited qualification, no fitness establishment will hire you, as their insurance won’t protect them against injury claims from people injured while under the care of any of their staff members who aren’t properly qualified.
You also won’t be able to get limited liability insurance for any business you want to set up yourself, such as that of a freelance personal trainer, meaning you’ll be personally liable for the cost of any injuries anyone sustains while under your supervision. In worst-case scenarios this can land you in debt for the rest of your life.
Once you’ve thought about all these things and have an idea of what sort of fitness career you’d like to forge for yourself, it’s time to compare the different vocational training providers and find the right qualification to start you out.
Something to be aware of is that there are different levels of qualification in the fitness sector, and that some of the more complex level 3 or 4 courses require you to also have achieved a level 2 qualification.
For example, if you want to be a personal trainer, you’ll need to complete a level 2 gym instructor course before you can take the level 3 personal training course.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have to undergo two periods of training, however, as many providers will let you study two courses in a combined training package, so for example study a level 2 gym and a level 3 gym instructor courses at the same time.
Some roles in the fitness industry can filled by persons with only one qualification at the entry level, such as an aerobics instructor, a position which requires only a level 2 exercise to music qualification.
Once you’ve identified the qualification you’ll need in order to begin your new career, you need to consider the matters of scheduling and funding.
If you have existing work or family commitments, it might not be practical for you to put everything else on hold while you undergo two or more weeks or full-time study at a training centre somewhere.
It is for precisely this reason that training providers allow flexibility with their course scheduling. Most give their aspiring fitness professionals the option of full-time or part-time study. Some are so flexible that they allow all of the course material to be studied online.
Regarding funding, fitness industry training courses can cost anywhere from a few hundred to more than a couple thousand pounds, depending on the specific course you do and the training provider you do it with.
If you’ve got savings and can pay your course fees in one lump sum, that’s great, but many people prefer to apply for a finance package that will let them pay for their training with monthly instalments.
Most training providers offer finance to students, but the terms will be differ with each provider. Some providers will provide 0% finance; others will add interest onto the monthly payments. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of any finance package thoroughly before purchasing.
Any provider will likely require you to undergo a credit check before being accepted for finance, so if you need assistance paying for your course, it helps to have paid off any outstanding credit card debit you’ve accumulated.
If you’ve never paid for anything on credit before, you might not actually have a detectable credit score, in which case you should take out a credit card, use it to buy something relatively inexpensive and pay off the debt amount immediately. Doing this should generate an initial positive credit rating that will make you eligible to receive finance for a fitness industry training course.
Once you’ve completed your training and are a qualified fitness professional, you’ll be eligible to enter the fitness industry and find work. Some newly qualified professionals set themselves up as entirely independent businesses right from the start, instead of working at a fitness establishment or for an existing fitness business.
Most industry experts would recommend waiting until you have a guaranteed means of income before going it alone. This usually means waiting until you’ve got a list of clients who have indicated that they are willing to pay for whatever service you provide for the foreseeable future.
Finally, do not expect success and clients to come automatically just because you have a qualification. The fitness industry is very competitive, and to be successful, you need to work smart as well as hard. Learn as much as you can about how to market yourself and grow your client list using both physical and Web-based marketing methods.
MissLJBeauty
MissLJBeauty
