A personal fitness instructor is an instructor in the field of exercise and fitness, usually specializing, such as professional fitness coaches and aerobics teachers and authors of fitness education books and manuals. An instructor works specifically with their clientele to help them set up and achieve an effective exercise and fitness routine. These routines may be for weight loss or gaining muscle strength, or increasing cardiovascular efficiency. Some instructors are even certified in sports medicine to treat injuries as they occur and assist patients recovering.
What Does a Fitness Instructor Do?
In the United States, there are currently approximately 4.6 million exercise professionals, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), including about two million physical fitness instructors. The majority of exercise professionals are employed by major gyms and fitness clubs, although some exercise professionals work for individual clients. The majority of individuals who enroll in a gym, or join a local sports club, are looking to work with one of the on staff trainers. These trainers are generally well versed in exercise and know the benefits of proper diet, nutrition, and regular exercise, but do not necessarily specialize in exercise. Gyms often provide one on one training, whereas private clients may require more personalized training from a fitness instructor.
Personal training can be provided by any number of sources, including doctors, physical therapists, or other healthcare professionals. Most healthcare providers offer some form of personal training to their patients, as most people seek treatment for a variety of different medical conditions, which require a variety of different skill sets and experience. Personal training can also be provided by individual trainers, health coaches, or fitness instructors. Many private fitness instructors work at gyms or sports clubs and train their own clients, while gyms and sports clubs typically provide personal training services to their entire clientele, such as weight loss, increasing cardiovascular efficiency, or increasing muscle strength. Private fitness instructors tend to be highly specialized and have higher education levels than the average gym instructor, as they are often consulted for specialized situations. This is especially true of personal training, which requires the fitness trainer to be able to effectively assess and treat many different medical conditions and problems.