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How to be a fitness instructor?

ninav1980
ninav1980 Posts: 514 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How does one go about becoming a fitness instructor? Just wondering what kind of certifications (if any) are required before one can teach a class at a gym. I am specically wondering about bootcamp classes and cycling....

Replies

  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    To truly be a good fitness instructor I think you need solid education for the foundation. I went the college route and then worked in the field for a few years, but there are plenty of good classes out there you can look into. Got my certs in NATA and ACE, and was looking at ACSM which a friend that worked at the Olympic training center recommended. As far as what is required to teach, standards vary by location. If you know routines for an aerobic class and are good at motivating people, you can teach it. I did that as a recreation aide, which is how I got into the fitness field for college. I certainly wasn't as knowledgeable as a good trainer needs to be, but I had a background in sports and I studied enough to understand the dynamics of fitness.

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