Fitness Trainer or Aerobics Instructor
Other Titles
Aerobics Instructor, Fitness Coordinator, Fitness Director, Fitness Instructor, Fitness Specialist, Fitness Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors offer coaching and instruction related to physical fitness activities. They may instruct individuals as well as groups. In this role, they work with different people to help them achieve better physical fitness and health through various exercises. Their job is to establish an exercise routine for them and help them focus on the right exercises. They evaluate the individual and unique needs of every person enrolled for fitness exercises. Based on this assessment, they help create customized training programmes for each person. A part of their job is to track the progress of the trainees and make adjustments to their training, if necessary.
Offer alternatives during classes to accommodate different levels of fitness.
Plan routines, choose appropriate music, and choose different movements for each set of muscles, depending on participants' capabilities and limitations.
Evaluate individuals' abilities, needs, and physical conditions, and develop suitable training programs to meet any special requirements.
Observe participants and inform them of corrective measures necessary for skill improvement.
Monitor participants' progress and adapt programs as needed.
Teach proper breathing techniques used during physical exertion.
Instruct participants in maintaining exertion levels to maximize benefits from exercise routines.
Teach and demonstrate use of gymnastic and training equipment, such as trampolines and weights.
Explain and enforce safety rules and regulations governing sports, recreational activities, and the use of exercise equipment.
Provide students with information and resources regarding nutrition, weight control, and lifestyle issues.
Conduct therapeutic, recreational, or athletic activities.
Administer emergency first aid, wrap injuries, treat minor chronic disabilities, or refer injured persons to physicians.
Maintain fitness equipment.
Advise clients about proper clothing and shoes.
Teach individual and team sports to participants through instruction and demonstration, using knowledge of sports techniques and of participants' physical capabilities.
Plan physical education programs to promote development of participants' physical attributes and social skills.
Maintain equipment inventories, and select, store, or issue equipment as needed.
Promote health clubs through membership sales, and record member information.
Instructing→ Teaching others how to do something.
Service Orientation→ Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness→ Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking→ Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening→ Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring→ Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination→ Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking→ Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making→ Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management→ Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Performing General Physical Activities→ Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge→ Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships→ Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public→ Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Handling and Moving Objects→ Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Thinking Creatively→ Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Assisting and Caring for Others→ Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Getting Information→ Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Training and Teaching Others→ Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Coaching and Developing Others→ Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work→ Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems→ Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Developing Objectives and Strategies→ Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
Teach exercise or fitness techniques.
Develop educational or training programs.
Evaluate capabilities or training needs.
Demonstrate activity techniques or equipment use.
Enforce rules or regulations.
Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
Teach health or hygiene practices.
Organize recreational activities or events.
Administer first aid.
Perform basic equipment maintenance.
Distribute resources to patrons or employees.
Maintain supply or equipment inventories.
Maintain client information or service records.
Promote products, services, or programs.
Sell products or services.
Provide medical or cosmetic advice for clients.
Administer therapeutic massages.
Gross Body Coordination→ The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
Stamina→ The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Trunk Strength→ The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Extent Flexibility→ The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Oral Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity→ The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Dynamic Strength→ The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time.
This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
Multilimb Coordination→ The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Oral Comprehension→ The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Static Strength→ The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Far Vision→ The ability to see details at a distance.
Problem Sensitivity→ The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Speech Recognition→ The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Deductive Reasoning→ The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Dynamic Flexibility→ The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Gross Body Equilibrium→ The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Inductive Reasoning→ The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering→ The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g. , patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Manual Dexterity→ The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision→ The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Originality→ The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Selective Attention→ The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Customer and Personal Service→ Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training→ Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Psychology→ Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Language→ Knowledge of the structure and content of a language - English, French, Swahili et cetera - including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Accounting software -- e.g., Intuit QuickBooks; MYOB BusinessEssentials; Sage 50 Accounting; Sage Simply Accounting
Calendar and scheduling software -- Appointment scheduling software; Contemporary Web Plus Appointment-Plus
Database user interface and query software -- BioEx Systems Exercise Expert; DietMaster Systems DietMaster; ICTraining
Desktop publishing software -- Visual Health Information The Trainer's Exercise Toolbox
Electronic mail software -- Email software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software -- e.g., EZFacility Trainer Management System
Internet browser software -- Web browser software
Medical software -- e.g., BioEx Systems Nutrition Maker Plus
Office suite software -- e.g., Microsoft Office
Presentation software -- e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint
Project management software -- e.g., BioEx Systems Fitness Maker; Online River Software Personal Trainer Pro
Spreadsheet software -- e.g., Microsoft Excel
Word processing software -- e.g., Microsoft Word
Automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles→ Automated external defibrillators AED
Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapy→ Balance boards; Balance disks
Cross trainers→ Elliptical trainers
Emergency medical services first aid kits→ Emergency first aid equipment
Exercise balls→ Medicine balls; Weighted exercise balls
Exercise trampolines→ Fitness trampolines
Fitness weights→ Fitness jog belts; Free weights; Water ankle weights; Weighted swim vests
Jump ropes
Lower body resistance machines→ Lower body weight machines
Medical tape measures
Mercury blood pressure units→ Manual blood pressure cuffs
Microphones
MP3 players or recorders→ MP3 players
Notebook computers→ Laptop computers
Pedometers
Personal computers
Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers→ Personal digital assistants PDA
Pilates machines→ Pilates training equipment
Portable stereo systems→ Multi-speaker stereo systems
Resistance bands→ Exercise bands
Resistance tubes→ Exercise tubing
Rowing machines
Skinfold calipers→ Body fat measurement calipers
Stair climbers
Stationary bicycles→ Stationary exercise bicycles
Step aerobic equipment→ Exercise steps
Treadmills→ Physical conditioning treadmill exercisers
Upper body resistance machines→ Upper body weight machines
Social→ Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic→ Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Enterprising→ Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Dependability→ Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Self Control→ Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Concern for Others→ Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Integrity→ Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation→ Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Independence→ Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Social Orientation→ Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility→ Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attention to Detail→ Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Leadership→ Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Innovation→ Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Initiative→ Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence→ Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Achievement/Effort→ Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Stress Tolerance→ Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Analytical Thinking→ Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Relationships→ Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement→ Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence→ Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.