The health and fitness industry is booming, and it’s fair to assume that it will continue to do so for many years to come. As a result, if you have been considering a career change, then perhaps one of the many professions within this diverse, fascinating, and growing sector would work well for you.
In the piece below, we’ve identified seven of the most popular health and fitness careers, so why not read on to see which one might appeal to you?
#1 – Personal trainer
Realistically, becoming a personal trainer had to be the first fitness career option we discussed, as it’s such a natural progression. You can build on your own personal experience with fitness by learning how to become a personal trainer and then helping others along their own fitness journeys. An incredibly rewarding career choice that allows for a degree of flexibility in working patterns, working as a personal trainer is a great choice for “people people” who want to inspire others to reach their goals.
If you’re not the greatest at in person training but you have a knack with making fitness programs, tracking numbers and are more of a science/data freak then online personal training may be the approach for you. My company, Posh Fitness, has been getting more and more interest for this service. It’s great for people that can’t afford in person training but want an expert to consult with and track their health behaviors. It may be a good add on in addition to being a personal trainer.
#2 – Physical therapist
If you choose to train as a physical therapist, your time will be spent helping people to live more comfortable lives. Physical therapists’ work involves rehabilitating, the management of ongoing health or musculoskeletal conditions, and helping patients to use mobility equipment – such as walkers or crutches – effectively for their individual needs. Once qualified, you will have the option of working for a hospital or established medical practice, or even open your own clinic in time.
#3 – Nutritionist
Nutritionists work with clients to understand their health needs and then help to formulate a diet that can improve their health or assist with achieving certain fitness-related goals. Most nutritionists tend to specialize in a specific subject area, such as sports nutrition or holistic nutrition, working either from a clinic or by visiting patients in their own homes. If you have a knack for problem-solving and are interested in the role that food has to play in physical and mental health, then nutrition could be the right field for you.
#4 – Massage therapist
Massage has an incredibly important role to play when it comes to health, helping to ease pain, encourage relaxation, treat injuries, and generally promote health and wellness. There are several different types of massage you could train to do: deep tissue massage can help to manage injuries, Swedish massage can help to relieve muscle knots, while hot stone massage can improve blood flow. Many massage therapists qualify in one specialization initially and then add to their skills as they progress, so this career choice also offers great opportunities for continued development.
#5 – Fitness instructor
Fitness instructors are responsible for leading classes of people through a chosen activity. Aerobics is perhaps the most well-known type of class that is led by instructors, but yoga, spinning, and dance-based classes such as Zumba can also be very popular. As a result, choosing to become a fitness instructor offers a lot of different options as to what you can qualify to instruct, which is great if you’d like to be able to tailor your work to your own specializations and interests.
#6 – Gym Manager/Director
Gym managers tend to be highly organized people who wish to ensure that every visitor to their establishment has the best possible experience during their time there. If you decide to pursue such a career, then your everyday duties will involve assuming responsibility for the management of the gym – including checking machines and arranging repairs – as well as staff management and customer service. An undeniably busy job, but one that can be hugely enjoyable too.
#7 – Instagram influencer
Ten years ago, the idea of someone earning a living as an “Instagram influencer” would have been highly improbable – but there’s no denying it’s a viable career these days. Fitness is an incredibly popular subject on Instagram (for example, the #fitness hashtag has – at the time of writing – been used over 300,000,000 times) , so new influencers should have no issue finding an interested audience. While far from a conventional career or a guaranteed income, influencing is a part of the modern fabric of life, and can be a viable career for anyone who enjoys sharing images of their own fitness pursuits, engaging with the online community, and working with brands to promote relevant products.
If you have been looking for a change of direction in your career, and have a pre-existing passion for fitness and well-being, then choosing one of the above careers in the prolific health and fitness industry may be the perfect professional path for you.
