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article may not be reproduced or So, you have decided to teach fitness. Good for you! Teaching others about leading a healthy lifestyle and motivating them to achieve their goals can be one of the most rewarding challenges you undertake. Whether you intend on making fitness your full time career, or just a part-time job, there are several steps you will need to take to ensure your success, as well as the success of your students! Step 1: Experiment and Experience Take every type of class you can find. Step, hi/lo, kickboxing, yoga, tai chi, body pump, water aerobics, body sculpting, pilates, core conditioning, you name it! Try them all and see what format excites you, as well as the class participants. Take notes! How did the instructor motivate the class? How did they cue the movements? What type of music did they use? What did you enjoy most and least about the class and why? Your answers to these questions will help you determine what type of classes you are interested in teaching, and what type of instructor you think is the most motivating and effective. Step 2: Assess and Train What is your personal fitness level? Do you have the aerobic capacity, endurance and strength to not only participate in a class, but to cue it the entire way through? Are you comfortable with your own physical appearance? Do you feel you will be a positive role model for your students? You don't need to look like Cory Everson or have buns of steel to be an effective instructor, but you will need to be confident in your own personal ability to perform the task at hand. Now is the time to start your own training program to prepare yourself to be a competent instructor. Step 3: Get Certified - Twice! First, even if your club has it's own certification program in order to be marketable everywhere you are going to have to get certified by a national fitness association. And though you may have decided you are only going to teach pilates (for example) you will still need to have a general certification that covers the basics of anatomy, exercise physiology and kinesiology. Many specialty certifications require an ACE, AFAA or other basic certification as a prerequisite. Secondly, it is required by most certifications that you have current training in either Adult CPR or BLS for Healthcare Providers. You can find courses through your local Red Cross, American Heart Association, or YMCA. Often health clubs will host the training on an ongoing basis for their instructors. Talk to other instructors and find out which certifications they have, or felt were the most informative. You might want to check out this article for some ideas as well Certification: How to Spot the Real Thing. ACE also has an article on their site (so it may be a bit biased!) titled "Choosing a Quality Fitness Certification". Once you choose your certifying agency, explore the training and testing options available. Many offer testing only, or one, two and three day training and review sessions. Training and review courses can be invaluable to new instructors. You are given the opportunity to ask questions and have complex concepts explained by fitness professionals. Choose wisely, and invest as much time and money as you can in training. You will still need to spend a great deal of time studying on your own (most people study for months) in addition to taking these courses. There are also companies whose sole purpose is to provide exam preparation training and support for certifying agencies. Exercise Etc. Inc. is an example of one who helps prepare you for the ACE exams. Here are links to some of the prominent,
nationally recognized certifying
associations. A AAI
Aquatic Alliance International Step 4: Hit The Books In addition to studying your certification manual, start reading up on fitness related topics and the fitness industry in general. Learn all you can! As an instructor, your students will consider you a fitness guru and will ask all types of questions pertaining to anatomy, exercise physiology, weight management and injuries. While you can't be expected to be an expert in every aspect of fitness, you need to know as much as possible. Take some classes if you can, and don't forget to include public speaking and motivational techniques to prepare yourself to teach large groups. Here are two great articles about the fitness industry. One is entitled "The Fitness Industry: An Extraordinary Career Path" and is posted on the ACE website. Another article of interest is entitled Making a Healthy Living. Shape Up Your Future with a Career in Fitness Step 5: Choose the Right Move Many educational and fitness organizations offer classes on cueing and choreography design and some include practical training and techniques. There are also sites on the web that have free choreography available. Take advantage of these tried and tested combinations and use them to design your first class. It will take the pressure off of you to come up with brand new choreography, and will give you more time to concentrate on preparing to teach. Alexey's
StepCenter Step patterns galore, including animations. Amy Bomar has written a short overview of fitness formats entitled "Fitness Class Designs and Descriptions". Step 6: It's Got a Good Beat and You Can Dance To It Choosing the proper music for your class is important. The right music will keep you working at the correct intensity range, and the wrong can make your class unmotivated at best, and injure them at worst. Choose music that is designed specifically for fitness and that has the correct tempo and phrasing for the type of class you will be teaching. You can check here for a listing of music companies who specialize in aerobic music. Here are some recommended tempos for various class formats:
Reminder: Your warmup should be in the 130 - 140 bpm range, and your cool down in the 120 -128 bpm range. Step 7: Did I Say Practice? Practice, practice, practice...and when you think you've got it, practice some more!! Practicing can not be emphasized enough. You will feel more confident and at ease if you take plenty of time to perfect your cueing, combination breakdowns and choreography. Spend time practicing on your own, and then gather friends and family into small groups and practice instructing. If you have the opportunity, find a seasoned instructor willing to be your mentor and provide guidance. Team teach the warm up of one of your mentor's classes, and gradually increase the amount of class time you teach. Breaking yourself in slowly will reduce your nervousness and boost your confidence. Step 8: Join, Subscribe and Attend As a fitness instructor, it is your responsibility to keep up on current research and information regarding the constantly changing fitness industry. Join fitness related organizations, subscribe to magazines and online newsletters, and attend aerobic conventions and courses. Your certification will require that you receive a certain number of CEC (continuing education credits) or an annual or biannual basis to maintain certification. Most of these organizations provide you with great opportunities to network with your fellow instructors. There are a few associations you may consider joining. Click here for a list of current dues and membership benefits. ENJOY! Enjoy your journey into the fitness profession! Take the time to learn all you can initially and then never stop learning. One of the best parts about being in the fitness industry is that things change quickly, and there is always something new and exciting in store. Keep your skills and knowledge current, and strive to always be your best. Laura Harper is an AFAA certified aerobic instructor, ACE certified Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant, Healthy Moms certified Perinatal Fitness Instructor and has taken YogaFit teacher training. She has been teaching fitness for over 5 years and participating for the last 15 years. Back to Just Starting Out - by Laura Harper - TeachFitness Editor |
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denotes some of the most highly regarded certifications.