If you are looking for a job that is not office based and changes daily, then a career as a gym instructor will be a rewarding one; meeting hundreds of people and motivating them to achieve their health and fitness goals. The role of a gym instructor is a varied and rewarding one. Gym instructors, also known as fitness instructors, work in private health clubs, gyms, fitness centres and leisure centres.
A day in the life of gym instructor
Your working week will be divided up into different shifts in the gym so perhaps today you have had a lay-in and you are doing the 10am – 6pm shift. You will have a number of bookings in the diary that may include inductions to the gym where you are simply showing someone how everything works and giving them some time on each machine to get the hang of it. But before you do that, you might be expected to complete a readiness for exercise questionnaire (PAR-Q) with a member and take their blood pressure to ensure it is safe for them to do any exercise today. Additionally, in some gyms you might even do an initial 'body stat' / body fat composition test too which will give your clients a starting point as to areas they might need to improve upon in terms of weight loss.
You might also be expected to write exercise programmes for various people with very different health and fitness needs. Some people will want to lose weight and tone up, whilst others may be looking to add muscle where others might be in training for a particular sporting event. You have to make sure that each programme is written differently to suit the person it is intended for.
Other times, you might simply be walking around the gym floor getting to know your members and asking them about their goals and making suggestions based on all the knowledge you have recently acquired or cleaning and maintaining the equipment so that it is all in good working order.
Gym Instructor and GP referral
Sometimes, a member of the public might come in who has been referred by their doctor. Depending on what the reason is, you might need to consult with your gym manager about how to deal with this person in the best way. Later, when you are more experienced, you can attend GP referral courses as part of your CPD.
Like I said, every day is different when you have a job as a gym instructor.
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