Fitness Careers That Don’t Require a Degree | How to Work in the Fitness Industry [ UPDATED ]

Fitness Careers That Don’t Require a Degree | How to Work in the Fitness Industry [ UPDATED ]

health and fitness career ideas

We can all agree personal fitness is great, and there’s no feeling comparable to that post-workout endorphin rush. The fitness industry is booming, and, with so many people passionate about health and exercise, it’s no wonder there’s a growing interest in fitness careers.

Health and fitness careers are extremely popular, especially for those with a background that includes athletics. Check out this list of fitness careers that let you follow your dreams.

Benefits of Fitness Careers and Certifications

You can make a great living by helping others reach their fitness, nutrition, or health goals, and improve your clients’ happiness and overall well-being. With a fitness career, you have the power to decide who you would like to serve, and you also have the ability to expand your career and industry knowledge whenever you feel ready to do so. 

Personal Fitness Training

Becoming a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer can be one of the most inspirational and rewarding fitness careers. As a Personal Fitness Trainer, you can guide your client through a fitness plan that is tailored to their goals and current physical health. With a career in personal training, trainers can pursue a few different opportunities, including working with clients at a gym, health club, fitness center, spa, or resort.

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As a Certified personal trainer, you can choose to train and coach your clients indoors or outside, or you can operate your own facility. Adding online training to complement in-person training can be a great combination of personal training services for clients who want to work out on days you’re unable to train them in person.

Your Personal Trainer Certification is just the beginning. Your initial certification is just the launching point for your fitness career. You should continue to increase your knowledge based on what you would like to specialize in.

Nutrition Coaching

A Certified Nutrition Coach helps people better understand nutrition, make better food choices and develop a better relationship with food. Coaching and nutrition is a vast field, so professionals have a myriad of niches to choose from which helps coaches market their services to a specific type of clientele and gives potential customers confidence that you have the expertise to help with their unique nutritional needs and challenges. Jumping into your fitness career with a nutrition certification can go a long way toward gaining the trust of potential clients. Nutrition credentials, which are provided by professional associations like NESTA, require expertise and demonstration of high work standards.

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NESTA offers a few different nutrition certifications depending on your desired focus. The Fitness Nutrition Coach course is geared toward working with the average client who is looking to improve their overall nutrition and relationship to food. The Sports Nutrition Specialist course is designed for sports trainers and coaches who are interested in how nutrition can increase sports performance, reduce recovery time, and enhancing the overall well-being of highly active clients and athletes.

Group Exercise Instructor

Another fun fitness career option is leading fitness classes as a Certified Group Exercise Instructor. A Group Exercise Instructor is responsible for leading a group through various choreographed classes. They typically range from 30-90 minutes. This fitness career is perfect for an individual who is interested in guiding a group through the fundamentals of fitness. A fitness instructor is typically someone who is fit, healthy and energetic, as they will be leading a group through a class and expected to participate physically, not just guiding them verbally.

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Sport Yoga Instructor

Fitness training and coaching are highly competitive professions. Whether you are new to the industry or a veteran, clients are always looking for the most effective and innovative programs from you. This little bit of pressure keeps you on your toes and pushes you to provide the most creative and beneficial programs for your clients. Sport Yoga, because of its innumerable benefits, is becoming an integral part of training programs.

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A Sport Yoga instructor is similar to a Group Exercise Instructor in that they typically teach a small-to-large group of clients through physical activity. The only difference is that yoga is more about focusing on posture, breathing exercises, meditation, and balance activities. It’s a more gentle, relaxing activity, versus group fitness classes that are typically more high-energy. A fitness career as a Sport Yoga Instructor

Lifestyle & Weight Management Specialist

Obesity, overeating, pain because of body image, emotional challenges with food, digestive ailments, fatigue, and nutrition-linked metabolic disorders are with us more than ever. As a Lifestyle & Weight Management Specialist, you bridge the gap and make a difference for clients who struggle with these issues.

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Most people who struggle with weight loss are experiencing difficulties because they haven’t made all the changes necessary in order to see their desired results. During a consultation, a Certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialists can determine the behavior of the client and whether they are accepting the change or having difficulties making lifestyle changes. Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialists will also help their clients identify their biggest obstacles and help them create realistic, achievable goals. 

Wellness Coaching

Wellness is a state of being, which is different for each individual. Wellness is achieved as each person reaches a healthy balance between physical, emotional, spiritual, vocational, intellectual, social and environmental wellness health. Wellness Coaching will be different for each individual as they work to achieve the highest level of wellness that is possible for them in each of these areas. 

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Wellness is a rapidly evolving and expanding global industry and ss a Certified Wellness Coach, you can choose from a long list of highly rewarding and lucrative careers.

Starting  Your Health and Fitness Career

There is always something exciting about earning a new training or coaching certification and applying that new knowledge of how you train your clients. This also helps you hit the reset button.

NESTA and Spencer Institute coaching programs are open to anyone with a desire to learn and help others. There are no prerequisites.

That’s it for now.

Take action!

NESTA | Spencer Institute

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