Fitness courses: what to do once you have your certification

Are you considering a career in fitness? The great thing about this industry is its versatility, there really is a style of exercise to suit anyone, of any age. Once you have your certification completed, whether you underwent a personal training course in Geelong or a Pilates course in Newcastle, you might want to know what to do after you get that coveted piece of paper. Read below for some tips to get your started and out there teaching clients as soon as possible.

A major thing that you will need to have organised before you begin to teach is insurance. Although many workplaces will provide insurance if you’re an employee, sometimes the limitations and exclusions can leave you individually out of pocket in certain circumstances. Therefore, many contractors of those who want to have additional peace of mind that they’ll be protected first and foremost (rather than the employer) will purchase additional cover. Annually, the cost is quite reasonable and deductable come tax time.

For many prospective employers, having a specialty or interest area is appealing and makes you stand out more as a candidate. Sometimes earlier on in your career you might find you’re not teaching the type of class you prefer or specialise in, despite your hard earned skills! But keep at it and even though you might be less enthusiastic about helping clients on the floor with cardio settings, you’re gaining valuable communications skills and experience to deal with a wider range of people. The best trainers are relatable and approachable, no matter a person’s skill level.

Therefore, once qualified, you may choose to develop you own syllabus for classes or personal training sessions. Alternatively you might undergo additional training to deliver a pre-existing repertoire such as Les Mills, Zumba or even AntiGravity Yoga. In terms of your own career, it is important to be wary that fitness trends will come and many will go almost as quickly as they saturate the market. Therefore, before committing to additional, often expensive, training and ongoing licensing fees, be sure to see whether the figures will add up, taking into consideration where you will offer classes. However, well run ‘franchise’ type agreements can be quite lucrative, especially if ongoing training and marketing is included in your investment, so always check the fine print!

In 2018, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is predicted to continue its strong performance in terms of client demand. The good thing about this style of exercise is that it can be modified to suit the most professional athlete to the complete beginner – and you will still get results. As a trainer, you’ll need to be on top of form and ensure that bringing your clients to volitional fatigue is not compromising their movements, as this can lead to injury. Body weight training, or variations on a functional fitness type class is also becoming more common. Both of these styles will deliver your clients a decent workout, while improving proprioception, especially as exercises become more complex.