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A high school diploma or GED is necessary to become a fitness instructor. Also, you must be above the age of 18. I will obtain a degree before pursing any certification. While in high school, I will keep a good GPA and record, as well as participating in activities. I will join a sports team to establish a baseline level of fitness and understanding of what is needed to be on a team.

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Complete courses for chosen certificate program

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Complete courses for chosen certificate program

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To become a fitness instructor, I will need to get a certification. I will need to complete courses before I am able to complete my registration. I will need to take courses related to kinesiology and exercise science. I will also need a diploma in personal training, which is a qualification that shows I have above general knowledge about the practice of personal training. This qualification will prepare me to obtain my certification and will be a good baseline education.

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Complete courses for chosen certificate program

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Becoming CPR certified is not required at all gyms, but it is required for a certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. This can help to prevent medical emergencies, and can help build my resume at a gym. In addition, to be certified by the NASM I will need to be AED certified. This could also come in handy if a medical emergency occurs, especially because in my field people who may not usually work out may exercise too intensely, which can have risks. I will need to make sure to keep up to date with these certifications throughout my career.

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Take certification exam and earn fitness instructor certification

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Take certification exam and earn fitness instructor certification

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I will need a certification to become a fitness instructor, but there are many different certifications to chose from. It will need to be from a recognized and established organization. The certifications differ on most recognized, most affordable to obtain, and best for career development. I will get my certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine because of their name is known and will bring credibility to my practice. I will have to take an exam to obtain this certification.

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I will then shadow instructors to learn more about being a fitness instructors and specific techniques. The amount of time I shadow for depends on what gym or organization I am shadowing- it can be a few days or a few weeks. I will begin by simply observing instructors classes and understanding their methods and plans. Then, gradually, I will begin to help instruct in class in small chunks at a time. This will give me some baseline hands on experience and help me learn tips from those who have been in the field for a long time.

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Before I start teaching my own classes, I will tech a few demo classes. These demo classes will be taught to my family members and friends- clients who are not paying. The goal is for my support group to offer me feedback on my courses. They can tell me what they like, what could be discouraging, or too hard. They can also inform me if I am explaining everything correctly, especially to beginner level people. This will help me get the hang of my own style of classes and will work out the learning curve in a low stakes environment.

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Next I will create an instructor portfolio. This will try to appeal to new clients. It will list my qualifications, my personality, and what types of classes and services I offer. This will essentially be an ad to new clients. As I progress through my career I will continue to update this, adding more experience and achievements. Eventually, I will also be able to add testimonials from clients that enjoy my programs.

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After achieving all the qualifications I will begin teaching for an organization. I will stay with them for a while to build up my qualifications and experience. I hope to work for in corporate setting, as those types of jobs have higher income and a more typical schedule. Sometimes companies will hire fitness instructors and provide a gym for their employees so they are encouraged to live a healthier life to avoid future medical problems. This job will also be a bit more low stakes that training at a private gym, as my clients may be people who usually do not work out and are not training for intense goals.

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I will need to update my NASM certification every two years. This will help me to stay up to date with information about exercise, especially being that as time goes on, more research is completed regarding exercise. I will have to pay a fee to keep my certifications up to date. I will also need to stay up to date with my work's changing policies and programs. I will need to renew my CPR and AED certification as well. This will also need to be completed every 2 years.

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Attend workshops and update certification

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Take courses specializing in certain types of exercise

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Take courses specializing in certain types of exercise

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Next I will take more courses that specialize in certain types of exercise. This will help to expand my resume. I will chose to become certified in yoga, as it can be helpful in my corporate setting for flexibility and stress relief due to work and outside issues. I will need to complete 200 hours of training to obtain this certification, but it will be worth it to have a more diverse portfolio. As a result, I may be able to potentially get a raise as I have more to offer the company.

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Eventually, I aspire to open a fitness instructing studio with others in the field. I will have a lot of experience with the instructing field at this point, so I will need to put in some extra work into learning the business side of things. I will save a lot of money over time and bring together some other instructors to begin a new company, no longer in a corporate setting. It will take a lot of extra work and time to make this happen and will be challenging, but I will have a lot of experience to help me out. This will allow for a fresh aspect of work, a higher up and higher paying position, and to continue to stay ambitious and competitive in the field.

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After I establish my new instructing studio, I will need to train new instructors. They will shadow me, just as I did in the beginning of my career. I will have to demonstrate how to do exercise correctly, and how to effectively communicate them with new people. I will have to manage a group of people and offer feedback to them while maintaining my own clients and certifications. This will help build my credibility, as I am now training new instructors in the field.