chapter
Chapter
13
13 Careers in Health and
Fitness
Careers in Health
and Fitness
Jeremy Howell and Sandra Minor Bulmer
Figure 13.1
Professions in Health and Fitness
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Group exercise instructor
Fitness instructor
Health and fitness counselor
Personal trainer
Health and fitness director
Specialist positions
– Certified health educator
– Clinical exercise physiologist
– Registered dietitian
• Others
Goal of Health and Fitness Professions
To improve a person’s physical functioning
and physical health
Figure 13.2
Expanding Scope of Health and
Fitness Profession
Scope of work is expanding to include a
multifaceted view of health and fitness,
including physical, intellectual, emotional,
social, and spiritual dimensions.
Health and Fitness Settings
Worksite settings
• Early programs
– Narrow focus (physical fitness, nutrition, weight control, stress
management, and smoking cessation)
– Only for employees
• 1990s–present
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Additional services
Healthy lifestyle approach
Ergonomic workstations
Employee assistance programs
Elaborate on-site fitness facilities
Outsourced fitness programs (even those offered on-site)
Open to all people covered by company health insurance
(families, retirees, etc.)
Employee Health and Fitness
Programs
Employers have found that health and
fitness programs reduce health care
costs, increase productivity and morale,
decrease absenteeism, and improve their
corporate image.
Health Care Costs
Bungum and colleagues (2003) found that
those who had healthier body weights,
calculated by body mass index (BMI),
reported fewer absent work days and
decreased health care costs.
Health and Fitness Settings
• Commercial settings
– Sales-based facilities
– Retention-based facilities
– For-profit businesses compete for customers, which
encourages innovative programming.
• Clinical settings
– Work in partnership with both medically based professionals
and clients with diagnosed medical conditions
– Goal is often to keep the subscribers of their health insurance
partners and programs healthy and avoid expensive medical
procedures in the future. Increasingly, many of these facilities
also offer memberships to the public similar to those offered by
commercial clubs.
(continued)
Health and Fitness Settings
(continued)
• Community settings
– Target specific groups to fill specific needs
– Often are nonprofit organizations (YMCA, city parks
and recreation programs)
– Include health departments and local and national
agencies (American Heart Association, American
Diabetes Association)
– Have more limited funding
– Provide health and wellness opportunities for as
many as they can service
Figure 13.3
Group Exercise Instructor
• Leads aerobic exercise classes, outdoor activities,
aquatic fitness classes, exercise classes for
specific populations (older adults, pregnant
women, children)
• Degree in kinesiology or another health- and
fitness-related discipline recommended
• Current exercise trends
– Pilates
– Yoga and tai chi
• ACSM exercise leader
• ACE group fitness instructor
• Needs to be knowledgeable and dynamic, have
excellent leadership skills, and enjoy working with
people in a group setting
Fitness Instructor
• Works with apparently healthy adults
• Conducts fitness assessments, designs
individualized exercise programs
• Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology or another healthand fitness-related discipline recommended
• Youth programs are growing; they cater to the
unique needs of children, focusing on play while
emphasizing a level of movement and activity that
allows for conditioning, caloric expenditure, and
skill development.
• Needs to be able to excite people to become and
stay physically active.
Health and Fitness Counselor
• Replaces position of fitness instructor
• Prescribes exercise programs
• Works with clients on behavior change,
stress management, relaxation, time
management, smoking cessation, weight
management
(continued)
Health and Fitness Counselor
(continued)
• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in kinesiology or
another health- and fitness-related discipline
• ACSM health/fitness instructor
• ACE lifestyle and weight management consultant
• Leads clients to make appropriate decisions
• Needs to be organized, understand the principles of
behavior change, have excellent communication
skills, and be effective in marketing and promoting
programs and services.
Personal Trainer
• Weight management, stress management,
physical fitness, sport conditioning
• Current trend: specializing in working with
special populations
• Works independently or is employed at a
facility
• Business savvy
• “Counselor”
• Aesthetic or performance objectives
(continued)
Personal Trainer (continued)
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in kinesiology
or another health- and fitness-related
discipline
• ACSM health/fitness instructor
• Extensive experience
• Needs to be able to continually present new
and exciting ways to keep clients on track,
interested, motivated, and excited about
making changes and maintaining new health
behaviors as part of their lifestyle.
Specialist Positions
• Sport coach, athletic trainer, health educator,
clinical exercise physiologist, physical therapist,
registered dietitian (some, such as the strength
coach, are covered in chapter 14)
• Graduate-level studies; bachelor’s degree in
kinesiology or another health- and fitness-related
discipline
• Many require certifications, licensure
• Client base with medical conditions: registered
dietitian and ACSM exercise specialist
Health and Fitness Director
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Manages facility’s services and programs
May supervise team of managers
Hires, trains, and provides support for staff
Does business planning, establishes
budgets and renovations, selects
equipment, designs and markets programs,
forecasts trends
(continued)
Health and Fitness Director
(continued)
• Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology
• May require graduate degree
• Experience as health and fitness counselor or
personal trainer
• Broad, interdisciplinary education
• ACSM health or fitness director
• Needs to be a visionary who keeps current with the
field of health and fitness and a mentor who
supports staff members in moving toward
individual goals and aspirations.
Marketplace Trends and
Opportunities
• Multidimensional model of wellness
• Health care reform
• Demographics
Multidimensional Model of Wellness
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Physical
Intellectual
Emotional
Social
Spiritual
Health and fitness professionals are
increasingly being called on to integrate
exercise and physical fitness into a broader
definition of health.
Figure 13.4
Health Care Reform
• New model
– All subscribers pay fee; provider must take care of
needs of all subscribers within budget
– Preventive services
Figure 13.5
Physical Activity and Health Care Costs
Physical activity is being viewed increasingly
as an integral component of the nation’s
health care delivery system.
Demographics
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Aging of American society
Increasingly diverse nation
Health care costs
Medicare costs
Implications for health and fitness
professionals
Figure 13.6
Certification and Continuing
Education
• Minimum criteria must be met to be hired
and maintain your position in the health and
fitness professions.
• Several certification organizations can
assist with this process:
– American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
– National Strength and Conditioning Association
(NSCA)
– National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
– Cooper Institute (CI)
– American Council on Exercise (ACE)
Advice for Health and Fitness
Students
• Earn a combined degree in kinesiology plus
another discipline (health, psychology).
• Seek practical experience through
practicum opportunities and internships.
• Attend workshops and obtain certifications
through NSCA, ACSM, ACE, CI.
• Stay current: Read health and fitness
journals and industry publications.
• Maximize your marketability with your
choice of elective courses.
Health and Fitness
The world of health and fitness is ever
changing, making this profession dynamic
and exciting. Pay attention to the trends and
tailor your degree to meet your individual
career goals.