You have reached this page, I assume that you are interested in becoming a fitness trainer, either for career change or reemployment. Before we go further to answer the queries you may have, let’s have an overview of the market as there are many categories of fitness workouts for different populations based on their needs and wants. And of course, whichever interests you shall be the category that you become the fitness trainer.
Some people may just know that they want to be a fitness trainer because they have heard that fitness trainers make decent livings, or have flexible working hours, or be your own boss. However, these should not be the only reasons that drive you here. You should have developed a desire of what you want to be and who you want to be from the career perspective. For example, you are visioning yourself to stand in front of a group leading them to perform workouts. Energy is high, commitment is high, music is high, and passersby are throwing in admiring looks. If you like what I just described, Group Fitness Instructor is definitely your choice. May be some of you may feel that you are not so good with music, then your path shall be focusing on formats such as High-Intensity-Interval-Training (Tabata, EMOM, AMRAP & etc) instead of Dance fitness (Zumba, Piloxing & etc). On the other hand, if you have a more reserved character and see yourself guiding a corporate individual or a professional in private sessions, Personal Trainer should be your choice. Away from rowdy environment and crowdy participants, you can dedicate yourself fully to individuals and help them improve their fitness and health goals more effectively.
You have probably decided whether you want to be a Group Fitness Instructor or a Personal Trainer. However, you need to put in more time to research for which course or program you want to register yourself in. If you search through any search engines or social medias, you can probably find hundreds of pages promoting courses or programs offered by different organizations and schools. Before you make your selection, please take note of the following facts:
- Many agencies’ workout programs in Singapore, such as Health Promotion Board, require their trainers to be trained in Exercise Science and be registered with the National Registry of Exercise Professionals (NREP). You will need to fulfill this requirement before you may register into this registry. If your trainer certificate does not cover these topics, you will need to fulfill this requirement by taking additional course that does. The exercise topics required are:
- Human anatomy
- Biomechanics
- Exercise physiology
- Exercise safety
- Principles of training
- Health Promotion Board and Active SG collectively offer the most career opportunities for fitness trainers. If you see workout sessions being conducted in the national parks, community centers or malls, you will mostly likely realize that these are either organized by Health Promotion Board or Active SG.
Based on these facts, being trained in Exercise Science is unavoidable. You would rather select the right course or program to begin with than find out later that the course is not sufficient to be registered with National Registry of Exercise Professionals (NREP).
Some trainer certificates by nature offer trainings only in technical skills, such as Yoga Trainer. If you wish to be engaged in programs offered by Health Promotion Board as a trainer, you will need to obtain a Yoga Trainer certificate and a study in Exercise Science.
These are some general information and considerations in your journey as a Fitness Trainer. If you have inquiries, you are welcomed to Contact Us.