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Education Plus
Fitness instructors: healthy job growth
C. LAKSHMI KUMAR
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With increased awareness about fitness, the career prospects and pay packets for well-trained fitness instructors are on a par with IT professionals.
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The programme includes two days of first aid and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation training by St. John’s Ambulance.
Photo: S. R. Raghunathan
mind and body: The role of a fitness instructor is vital in enhancing an individual’s health condition and keeping him motivated.
Exciting career options spring up with time. However, a profession that comes with an entry-level pay cheque of Rs. 1,20,000 and more per annum calls for IT or managerial skills, right? Sorry, the times have changed. A career in the fitness industry, which improves productivity at work among staff of the corporates and IT firms, assures certified fitness trainers anything between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 75,000 a month.
International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), operating from California, U.S., has been certifying trainers since the 1980s. It is now considered the leader among all such institutions. Fredrick Hatfield, strength coach of the U.S. Team for the past six Olympics, is the co-founder and president of the institution.
Says Dilip Heble of Gayo Fitness, Mumbai, the course director for ISSA programmes in India and South Asia: “It all began as an online programme. We brought ISSA certification to India in 2002. The programme is conducted in Chennai for 30 days, seven days a week. The theory part will be for 20 days and the rest, practical. The classes begin at 10 a.m. and go on till 6 p.m. The programme includes two days of first aid and CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) training by St. John’s Ambulance. Every physique trainer should know how to react during emergency at the gym. It also includes a day for performance nutrition training.”
K.P. Jayakumar, regional course director, South India and Sri Lanka, says, “The course fee is Rs. 35,000 per head. It is an online open book examination. One can reappear for the examination without any extra fee if he/she fails in the first attempt. Age and gender are no bar as fitness belongs to everybody. I recently trained a school teacher from Shillong, who is in her fifties. This course has immense career potential for women too. A respectable performance in Plus-Two examination with a good grasp and command over English language is essential to enrol.”
ISSA certification begins with ‘CFT’ or Certified Fitness Trainer programme. The curriculum explains over half a dozen types of fitness, trains students to write exercise and diet programmes for fat loss, muscle building, sports performance, pregnant women, and people with health complications. There are several programmes that could be taken up after completing CFT. It includes certification for fitness therapists, performance nutrition and sports conditioning. Certified trainers abroad charge between $50 and $200 per hour. Another student from Coimbatore, C.K. Shankar, is all set to open a gym with weights exclusively for children.
Says Mr. Jayakumar, “Corporates have in-house gyms and hire trainers to take care of their employees. They have realised that better health of their staff improves productivity. A career in fitness industry is lucrative and respected too.”
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