Fitness instructor
Fitness instructors organise exercise programmes to improve people's health and fitness.
Also known as: Gym instructor, group training instructor
- Starter salary£17,000 a year
- Experienced£27,000 a year
- Typical hours35 to 37 a week
What you'll do
As a fitness instructor you could:
- assess people's fitness and create personal exercise programmes
- demonstrate activities, exercise machines and weights
- help people exercise safely and give advice on having a healthy lifestyle
- lead group exercise classes
- update client records
- follow health and safety guidelines and maintain equipment
Working environment
You could work in the community, at a school, at a health centre or in a park.
Your working environment may be physically demanding.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- a desire to help people
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to teach and motivate people
- customer service skills
- physical fitness and endurance
- physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- sensitivity and understanding
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a fitness instructor
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- specialist courses run by private training organisations
- the armed forces
College
You can do a recognised qualification in gym instructing or fitness instructing.
Entry requirements
There are no set entry requirements for this route.
Apprenticeship
You could do a Leisure Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, or a Community Activator Coach Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, to give you some of the skills needed for this role.
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
Work
You could work as a leisure centre assistant and do part-time fitness qualifications on the job, which would allow you to apply for jobs as an instructor.
Other routes
You can do qualifications through private training companies who offer specialist courses like:
- fitness instruction
- group based training
- gym instructing
You could train in a similar role as a physical training instructor in the armed forces.
You can find out more from the:
- Royal Air Force
- Royal Navy
- Army
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- have insurance
- have a first aid certificate
- pass enhanced background checks
You'll usually need public indemnity and professional liability insurance, if you're self-employed.
Career path and progression
You could:
- take further training to become a personal trainer
- take a course so you can teach extra activities
- become a senior instructor or manager
- start your own fitness club
Career tips
It's useful to have a basic level of fitness and to know about how to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity for professional recognition and development.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleLeisure centre assistant
- Job rolePersonal trainer
- Job rolePE teacher
- Job roleOutdoor activities instructor
- Job roleHealth trainer
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