An Expanding Industry for Fitness Fans
Is just the thought of working out enough to get you excited? For many Canadians it is. While much of the population has become relatively sedentary, there are always those individuals who seek to better themselves and stay healthy regardless of the rest of the population’s bad habits. Some may do this on a bike, others on a hiking trail, and yet others in the gym. Regardless of one’s current exercise routines, it can always help to have a personal trainer.
Personal trainers are appropriate for nearly anyone with an interest in living a healthy lifestyle or maximizing their physical potential. This is part of the reason that labour statistics predict a 28% shortage of personal trainers this year. The industry itself is even more expansive, as it is expected to grow approximately 27% over the next few years. Many athletes have sought to increase their overall strength and agility thanks to personal trainers (at the urging of their coach or coaches), which also accounts for part of this exceptional demand. Finally, many individuals are becoming more conscious about the monumental struggle against obesity in Western countries, increasing their desire to make a change for the better.
“The total economic cost of being overweight or obese in the USA and Canada alone was $300 billion in 2010!”, says Andre Noel Potvin, author of the Great Exercise Handbook series and founder and principal of INFOFIT.
Becoming a personal trainer is actually a logical next step for many. All it takes is a passion for fitness, the desire to help others succeed, and the right training and certifications. There are several different certifications, whether you choose the BCRPA, ACE, ACSM, or NSCA exams. These acronyms may seem a bit overwhelming at first; fortunately a number of fitness training schools like INFOFIT exist to help anyone interested in a personal training career.
Schools like INFOFIT cater to many different learning styles, whether a potential trainer is interested in studying at their own pace at home or experiencing full-time, in-class instruction. Thanks to modern information technology, there are even free online health sources now that may deepen a prospective trainer’s knowledge base, such as the likes of WebMD . There is a wealth of knowledge just waiting to be discovered in many areas of nutrition and fitness, which adds additional excitement to personal trainers’ daily schedules as they uncover further information about the human body both for the sake of themselves and their clients.
“Their bodies are so acidic they’re becoming osteoporotic before they’re even 40. So learn how to eat an alkaline diet. Go look around; there are alkaline diet books.”, says Potvin.
For many, the opportunity to turn personal fitness and physical activity into a career is rather promising. Due a higher than normal unemployment rate, many individuals are looking for new careers, and what better way to do this than converting a hobby into a successful occupation? Courses offered at many of these schools are open to those with interest in either physical training theory, practical application, or both, and as mentioned earlier, all learning styles are accounted for by the very nature of this type of education.
Before seriously considering this career track, it should be noted that “personal” training’s name is quite indicative of the one-to-one nature inherent in the process. Anyone who is truly interested in the field would do well to perform an honest assessment of their social abilities and temperament. Personal training requires a deep connection with clients that may discourage some, yet increase interest in others. Clients can range from a generally fit pre-teen looking to prepare for the hockey season or an elderly individual accustomed to very little in the way of physical activity. This range provides a considerable amount of variety, which can make the trainer’s role both challenging and rewarding.
In conclusion, the personal training industry is one of bustling activity and rising prospects both in this and upcoming years. There is an entire swathe of certifications to choose from if one is aiming to become a registered professional in the field, and the variety of prospective clients is nearly staggering at first glance. Personal training schools can help anyone with an interest in such an occupation achieve their career goals, which, in truth, is a very welcome prospect to many in reference to the current economic environment.
Andre Noel Potvin – President of INFOFIT Educators School for Fitness Professionals . He is also an International Speaker, Author of the Great Exercise Handbook series (which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide) and a former Exercise Physiology Instructor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. If you’d like more information about this topic, please email him at andrenoelpotvin@infofit.ca
