Career help

B

boydjess

Cathlete
I have been a stay at home mom for about 4 1/2 years now. Prior to this I worked in Risk Management. Which I got into right after high school and worked my way up to a supervisor over claims prior to leaving to stay home with my daughter. I graduated high school but only took a few college courses. So here is my dilema, I hope that I am blessed enough to stay home with my kids until they are both in school full time but if not I am worried that I would have to go back to work doing something I really did not like and in addition to that would have to go back at a entry level position. I am really interested in the health/fitness industry and know I can get certified as a personal trainer, etc. but I am unsure what type of income I would be looking at doing this. I was also wondering if there are any other avenues I could take in this industry in which I would make more money. I feel like now is the time for me to jump on it since I am at home and could take some courses at my own pace without being under pressure. I know this is long and I am babbling but I really want to pursue something within the health/fitness industry and I am clueless on where to begin. I have read in previous post that many of you are certified trainers etc. and I was just hoping some of you could give me some input and direction.

Thanks,
Jessica
 
There are many people on this forum that are very knowledgable about the fitness industry. Aquajock, Francine and the Fitness Goddess come to mind. I know this has been discussed in the past. If you haven't already, I would try a few searches of the site. There has been alot of talk in the past about the different types of certifications available. I remember someone suggesting that the Y is a good place to get your feet wet. I think income from personal training is very variable depending on where you live, experience etc.. In some states anyone can call themselves a personal trainer because it is not a very regulated industry, generally speaking. Good luck!!Hope this helps.
Lisa
 
Hi, Jessica! I've been an ACE-certified group fitness instructor for over six years now, only very part-time (2-4 classes per week historically; 2 classes plus sporadic subbing currently), and I'm acquainted with a couple of fulltime fitness pros. Some things to consider:

In order to get any kind of toehold in the fitness industry, you should be certified through a widely-accepted and respected certifying agency (ACE, NSCA, ACSM, NASM, AFAA); keep in mind too there are a zillion certifications you can get, many of very questionable value. You are usually responsible for all certification fees, including exams, continuing education, and recertifying fees. You also have to always be certified in CPR and increasingly AED (automatic external defibrillation) if you wish to work in a club or fitness training environment.

For personal training, you often have to work with your clients' sometimes higgledy-piggledy schedules, which can be extremely challenging if you have any kind of life outside training. You also often have to consider the prospect of working with "special populations" because the general population is increasingly deconditioned, with myriad health problems associated with deconditionong; AND you have to consider the prospect of overcoming often flagging motivation to keep your clients consistent with their sessions and you keeping consistent with your income!

The income potential is there, but as with any personal-services profession, you have to devote long hard hours to achieve high income. Trainers can make anywhere from $15.00 - $75.00 per session depending on the geographic area and the specialty of their training. Other things to consider are whether you wish to be a sole practitioner, keeping all of your session fees but being solely responsible for your own equipment, environs and liability insurance (not an inconsiderable amount) OR whether you wish to train clients through an already established studio or club system, where you can often become more of an employee than an independent contractor.

Suggestions: go on the ACE website (www.acefitness.org) and the IDEA website (www.ideafit.com) to get more information on becoming a personal trainer. Also visit the Turnstep website's bulletin board for personal trainers (www.turnstep.com; PT / Personal Trainer bulletin board) and post your questions there as well; this is a free bulletin board that does not require registration; it takes awhile for your posts to be loaded on (they go through a moderator, thankfully), and I'm sure you will get a lot of input from seasoned pros.

Good luck!

A-jock
 
RE: Clarification

You ALWAYS have to be CPR certified to maintain your exercise certification; it is AED that more only a requirement of the studio or club system.

A-jock
 
Hi Jessica,

I am not certified & the knowledge I have has all been gained from doing research on the internet. As with MOST subjects, the internet is a great place to gain information.

I am preparing to get certified as a group fitness instructor through ACE (the same certification that Cathe holds). You can access their information through http://www.acefitness.org/ . Another well received certification comes from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), www.nasm.org . I plan to use my certification to teach aerobics & group fitness classes on a part-time basis until I build up enough classes to keep me afloat financially.

Francine has been very helpful leading me in the direction to go in getting started with gyms. She is amazingly open about what she has done to get started & shares information here quite freely. I have met her a couple of times & am really glad to call her friend because she is a genuine person not afraid of other's knowledge. There are some personal trainers that are threatened by the knowledge others share but Francine isn't that way. She looks to the others here to continue her growth as a trainer. I hope that as I grow my career & knowledge as a trainer, I will respond in the way that Francine has.
 
Hi Jessica!
Good for you! I wanted to chime in, wish you luck and also give you my support and guidance if needed. Feel free to email me personally about any questions you may have or any concerns! I'd be happy to assist you whichever way I can!
[email protected]
 
FitnessGodess

Aaaaw!
You are soo sweet and TALENTED too! You just needed that lil push to get you going, you are a natural!

It will always be my pleasure to share my fitness journey and experiences here! I have learned soo much from you and the Cathe crowd here, that it has made me a better person and trainer!
I'm soo appreciative of Cathe(my mentor) and this site! Everything I learn along the way,trials and errors, I will always continue to share!
You're a good friend and you'll be a great instructor!;)
 
I am avidly reading the replies here- Hi Francine!!- because on August 9th, I will be taking the ACE exam for certification as a personal trainer. I'd love to be group certified, and/or a clinical exercise specialist (an ACE cert).

My "dilemma" is that I already have a career, as a dental hygienist, and I enjoy it very much. I work four days a week and make a very good income. It is hard on my body and mind, but not as hard as some other jobs. I support my family on this right now. I just enjoy fitness so very much, and I want to share with others the way Cathe (and others) have shared with me. I am so infinitely grateful for Cathe.

So I hope I do pass the exam (if not, I'll retake it) and open a door for myself soon or in the future. I am about to read the chapter in the manual about legal issues, independent contracting versus being an employee, etc.

Thanks for the links, Aquajock, Deborah, Francine!
 
connie!

Hey girlfriend!
I just posted to you to you wishing you a fun vacation;-)
I wanted to also wish you Luck on your test on the 9th!
Good luck to you, stay relaxed, take your time,this is what you always wanted--it's finally here}( enjoy your experience! You will do well!

PS thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
 
RE: Connie - good luck!

You'll do just fine! Just stick with your study program, and the night before the exam CLOSE THE BOOK, do one of your funnest workouts and then enjoy your family!

You'll do just great!

A-jock
 
Thanks everyone for the responses! I will check out the links you mentioned and see if I can get some more information. Francine I am sending you an e-mail with some other questions I have. Thanks again you all have been really helpful.

Jessica
 
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