Ranjan K Baruah
All of us dream of good health. Be it a man or woman, every one prefers to be fit. But in the busy schedule and rapid urbanization many do not get scope for doing exercise to keep them fit, as most are busy in their daily work. The pandemic has also bought many new questions in front of us. As fitness is important and we need to get good health, fitness trainers or instructors play an important role. There is growing demand for the fitness instructors and hence there has been growth and demand in the field of fitness. Fitness training is one of the fastest growing careers in the health and fitness industry today. Today, fitness has become a flourishing business, with more and more health centres coming up. Careers in the fitness industry include that of athletic trainer, physical therapist, fitness instructor/trainer, etc.
Young people who are passionate for fitness or games and sports can take it up as a career option. Many of the sports persons in the north east do not get enough support financially after a certain period and this can be one of the options for them who can be fitness instructor or trainer for others. Fitness Trainers are known by different names- aerobics instructor, gym instructor, personal trainers and so on. A fitness instructor’s main job is to train people in the various aspects of physical fitness and maintain health by staying fit. Additionally they can give advice on nutrition.
Fitness trainer works one-on-one in case of personal training, works for a group of people in fitness centers, health clubs or gyms etc. These days’ people are in quest of personal trainers to help them learn how to exercise, lose weight, sustain all round fitness and adopt an improved lifestyle.
One can start without a formal degree but as there is demand it is always good to have formal degrees or diplomas and exposure to become successful in this field. The options for pursuing professional courses are many. One can opt for a certificate/diploma course in sports science/yoga/fitness to become a fitness instructor. Some of the prominent ones are institutions under Sports Authority of India (SAI), Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences, Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education, Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports, etc. A number of institutes and university offer undergraduate and postgraduate level i.e. Bachelors in Physical Education (B P Ed.) and Masters in Physical Education (M P Ed.).
There are various options of employment after getting formal degrees or other training. Most of the people join some established organisation. But there are always scopes for new people if they have some of the other skills like communication skills, management skills, writing skills, etc. Fitness trainers are generally employed by hotels, health clubs, gyms, fitness centres, spas, tourist resorts, housing societies and large organizations.
Trainers with good writing skills or speaking may join various media houses both in print or electronic or even start their own channel which can be broadcasted through various media. Some may join corporate as corporate trainers as most are focusing for good health and fitness. There are scopes for the young people of the state as most are physically fit and strong. Mushrooming of gyms and fitness centres bring more scopes for the people who are trained fitness instructors or experienced instructors.
(Ranjan K Baruah is a career mentor and skill trainer and can be reached at bkranjan@gmail.com)