If you enjoy working with people, you may succeed in a career in the fitness or health industry. The types of positions available in these fields differ immensely, require diverse amounts of higher education and pay widely varied salaries. Talk to a career counselor or contact your local college, university or adult education center for more information on specific careers and their requirements.
Fitness Careers
If you are interested in helping people improve their fitness levels by teaching them how to perform various types of cardiovascular and strength-training exercises, consider a career as a fitness worker. Depending on the type of work you prefer, you might excel as a personal trainer, a fitness class instructor, the owner or director of a fitness center or an athletic coach. Fitness workers may work at health clubs, hospitals, schools and universities and in the homes of private clients.
Health Careers
If you want to work in health care, you have a nearly unlimited number of opportunities to choose from. Some possibilities include working as a medical technician, becoming a dentist or doctor, studying nursing, counseling those with mental health issues or practicing in the alternative or complementary health fields. Veterinarians, art therapists, nutritionists and medical researchers also make up this field. The salaries and job descriptions of each of these careers vary widely.
Training
Some fitness and health jobs only require on-the-job training. You may be able to teach group fitness classes after taking several of these classes yourself, for example. Many pharmacies train their own pharmacy assistants. You can often coach a youth athletic team simply by volunteering for the job. Other careers, including certified nurses' aide and dental assistant, require a certification program. This may take anywhere from several weeks to a year or more. If you would like to work as a doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist or other medical professional, you will have to go to school for several years.
Job Outlook
Since Americans are becoming more aware of the importance of health and fitness, the job outlook for many related careers is very good. In some cases, this means the educational requirements are becoming more stringent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics explains, for example, that due to the rising interest in yoga and Pilates classes, more health centers and private employers are requiring certification from potential class instructors.
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