Get Into Physical Work
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday March 29, 1997
There is one career choice where on-the-job training never stops -the fitness industry. From personal training, to gym instruction, to organising exercise programs for the elderly, it is an industry that is booming. AMANDA PHELAN reports.
THEY'RE attractive, fit and healthy. They have the kind of biceps you need to meet one at a time - and, for $20,000 a month, they'll follow you to work, move in with you at home and make you pant and sweat a lot.
These are not fantasies. They're personal trainers and they're just a part of the growing fitness industry.
Trainers at the top end of the market can command a $20,000 fee from wealthy clients willing to pay for a four-week fitness regime that promises to "redirect your life". The Bodyguard program is on offer through Fit Too Travel, a Mosman-based personal trainer service with 100 registered instructors on its books.
But personal training is only one of the many jobs available in the industry, which is experiencing a record boom, according to the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation. And while you have to be fit, you don't have to be an Olympic champion yourself before you start instructing others.
The department's safety and fitness co-ordinator, Colin Robinson, says the number of work opportunities is growing fast. "There's been a big increase in the jobs available and we have more fitness instructors registered with us now than ever before," he says.
So where do you start if you want to teach aerobics, run aqua classes, become a personal trainer or organise exercise programs for the elderly?
Get your basic training first, is the main advice from leading gyms and fitness industry experts. This means taking part in a fitness leader training program, which costs about $500 for a 60-hour course. Information on courses is free from the department.
"The right training is vital," says Greg Hurst, director of the Network for Fitness Professionals, which has a membership of 8,500 qualified instructors nationwide. "A fitness leader course means you can register and get insured for a start, and it gives you a good insight into the industry and what's expected of you."
Hurst says most reputable gyms demand that their instructors are properly trained and registered.
The courses recommended by the department are run by the Network for Fitness Professionals, the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and the Fitness Industry Association. And, if a short-term course is not challenging enough, a number of degree courses are available, including human movement, exercise science, sport science, nutrition and physiotherapy.
It may look like a dream job - to keep fit by working in a physically demanding and often fairly glamorous field - but there can be difficulties.
For starters, there is no award rate and most jobs are in the cities, not in rural areas. Instructors are often employed on a casual basis, with many taking classes at up to six gyms - which means no sick pay or parental leave.
And teaching high-impact aerobics can take a toll on your body over the years, with many instructors burning out by 40.
But smart instructors, such as Wendi Carroll, who brings exercise to thousands of early morning viewers of Aerobics Oz Style (on Ten, weekdays at 6.30 am), say it's important to gain a diverse range of skills.
"I've been in the industry for more than 20 years," says Carroll, 37, who juggles taking gym classes with her television commitments, being a mother, giving lectures on fitness and running corporate training sessions.
"When I started out, I would teach more than 25 high-impact classes a week. Now it's more likely to be five."
She still loves working in the fitness field, though. "I'll be teaching the first walking-frame aerobics classes in 20 years," she grins. "My advice to people starting out is do everything, from working on reception to cleaning the gym - I did. And the more skills you have, the more employable you become."
Despite the pitfalls, the NSW Fitness Centres Association reports "unprecedented growth" in the industry. "It's thriving," says the association's president, Justin Tamsett. "There are loads of employment opportunities."
If you are on a low income and cannot afford the fitness leader courses, don't despair. A new program is available through the Department of Employment, Education and Training which is run through TAFE and works like an apprenticeship.
"Traineeships are an ideal way of entering the workforce and provide both on- and off-the-job training," says the Meadowbank TAFE's director of studies, Jim McLauchlan .
Once you qualify, it's better to look for work in a smaller health club; starting out at one of the leading gyms can be tough. For example, top clubs such as Healthland at Bondi, the Hyde Park Club in the city, Fitbodz at Burwood or Chatswood Fitness will not take instructors unless they are experienced.
"There's no way we'd take someone who has just qualified and put them up in front of a class of 130 people," says the Healthland manager, Janet Leung. "It wouldn't be fair to them or our customers. We've established a 17-year reputation on good-quality aerobics classes, so we only take instructors with a proven track record."
But working in the fitness field can be a fun and healthy career, says Leung. "I never thought I'd end up managing a gym. Ten years ago I was an accountant and I thought I'd become an aerobics instructor to earn some extra money and keep fit."
If a gym believes you have potential, it may take you on as a floor instructor to keep an eye on members as they work out. But at $12 an hour, this pays less than the class instructors, who usually earn about $35 an hour.
Moving up the line, working as a personal trainer is becoming a more popular career choice than an aerobics instructor, probably because you can earn a lot more money.
Other jobs include working with community health programs for the elderly, training kids, performing aerobics on television, Olympic coaching for the really talented, and even training out-of-shape pets.
Leigh Cowan, who owns the Fit Too Travel personal trainer agency, requires all his instructors to be properly qualified and insured. Most earn about $35 an hour. "Our staff are experts with years of experience, rather than some gym jock whose sole qualifications are in pumping iron and showing off his six-pack," he says.
And out-of-condition executives are not the only people to recognise the benefits of training. The Blackmores company, which markets health care products, has set up a gym for its staff, complete with personal trainer and circuit classes.
"As a company committed to natural health care, our gym is a logical extension of our corporate philosophy, encouraging the best of health in our staff," a spokesperson says.
It makes smart business sense too - the company recorded a significant reduction in sick leave the year the gymnasium was introduced.
You don't have to be in the body beautiful set to work in the fitness industry - the National Association for Gentle Exercise is keen to promote programs run by and for older people and says it's important to get over the idea that being trim and healthy is only for the young and able.
"We have one of the fastest-aging populations in the world," says the association's spokeswoman, Colleen Wilson. "There are many opportunities for instructors who want to work with people who are older and less fit."
So one way or another, this may be a good time to exercise your right to work in the fitness industry.
DEVELOP A HEALTHY CURIOSITY
IF you want to work in the fitness industry, a word of caution: do some research before committing yourself to any job offer.
Industry experts warn that the number of health clubs has mushroomed and some cannot cope with the tough competition for membership.
At least 11 gyms shut down or amalgamated last year, according to the president of the NSW Fitness Centres Association, Justin Tamsett. Closure may leave members and staff in the lurch.
Anyone offered work with a health club should check with the existing staff, who usually have a fair idea of the prospects. And it's wisest not to make a long-term commitment until you're satisfied the business is sound.
An official liquidator with the Supreme Court, Martin Green, says the fitness industry will be one of the most financially vulnerable this year because of the high set-up costs and fluctuating memberships. Gyms which close often end up owing money to both members and staff, he says.
"Clubs borrow with the expectation of trading well. But the industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated and there's been a sharp increase in the cost of high-tech equipment."
The NSW Department of Sport and Recreation has 4,380 registered fitness instructors, but there are no laws which force instructors to be properly qualified or insured. A spokesperson says the department is trying to tighten up the system.
© 1997 Sydney Morning Herald