Love sports and fitness? Here are four jobs you might enjoy
Do you love health and fitness? Looking for a career that fits your passions? Read on for four different jobs you might enjoy.
Jobs can often become monotonous and boring, especially if they require skills or practices that aren’t things you enjoy. But imagine having a job that actually paid you to do something you loved; a job that enabled you to stay physically active if you enjoy fitness, for example.
No sitting at a desk all day typing, or at home on Zoom – instead you can physically move and get paid for it! Or, at a minimum, work in an environment where fitness is the focus.
And if your role involve helping others keep fit too, not only will you be active in your life, but can bring a positive change in someone’s life, by making them stronger and healthier every day.
That is one of the major pluses of working in the health and wellness industry. But which role in particular would suit you? There are many different types of job you can try, but there are four that stand out from the rest (and may require an ace practice test to pass).
What are these four jobs? There are:
- Personal trainer
- Athletic trainer
- Dietician
- Massage therapist
In this article we will look at each job and help you work out whether it might be a good fit for you.
1) Personal trainer
Becoming a personal trainer is one of the most popular jobs you can pursue in the health and wellness field. Also known as ‘fitness trainer’, this position requires you to be in shape and active because you have to guide others in their fitness journey.
Personal trainers have a multitude of duties, but what you may do each day will depend on your client. You will have to listen to your client’s goals and help them make a plan on how to achieve that.
For example, one client might want to lose weight, while another may want to gain muscle. Trainers have to make a plan on how to achieve this effectively for each clienty. Personal trainers often work in gyms, and fitness centers.
If you are looking to become a personal trainer, your first step should be to look into courses provided by companies such as Study Active. These will enable you to qualify as a certified personal trainer and seek employment in gyms.
2) Athletic trainer
Athletics trainers usually work with collegiate or professional sports teams. They work with players to help them become the best athlete on and off the field. So not is important that they are trained to prevent, diagnose, and treat injuries.
As an athletic trainer, you would create schedules around the coaches’ practices for players to work out and achieve their physical goals. Some players may be looking to bulk up ready for their next season, while others could choose to cut back and get leaner. It all depends on the player. If a player needs to be taped up, the athletic trainer is most likely the one to do this.
Having this job also requires you to be fit, because if you are leading a team in exercises you should be able to do them too. Certifications are also required to become an athletic trainer of any level. An ace practice test can help you before you take the real examination in hopes to ensure a passing grade.
3) Dietician
Dieticians are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree and pass a dietician exam before officially practicing. It is not uncommon for dieticians to work in the sports field, because while exercise is a big part of a trainer’s or player’s life, diet plays a significant role too.
A dietician can offer consultations with athletes or clients that will help them get the body they want. They ultimately have to work together with the fitness coach if a player was on their team to make a diet that fits each individual.
With this job, you can have your own practice or work under someone else, which offers a degree of flexibility. And while being a dietician doesn’t require you to be physically active in your job, working with a sports team, or professional sports people will ensure you are in a fitness environment.
So if sports or fitness is your passion, and there’s no active role that suits you, you may choose to qualify as a dietician and work in the fitness industry.
4) Massage therapy
Massage therapists have an important role to play in the sport and fitness world, too. They help provide soft tissue and joint relief through massages. As a result, they have the ability to rehabilitate and improve circulation, causing the body to release stress.
A massage therapist can assess a patient’s records of any previous history of injury and make a plan on how best to treat them. They measure the range of motion, and condition of soft tissue to provide the best plan of action for each client.
Like a dietician, if your passion is to work in a sporting-related role, you can choose to specialise in that sector, and focus on treating athletes.
To become a massage therapist you only need an associate’s degree but you do need a certificate to be professionally licensed in your state. There may also be an ace practice test you can take to prepare for this type of test. You must take at least 500 hours of training to complete your certification before becoming a registered massage therapist.
If you are in the UK, you can take a sports massage course. This will give you a Level 3 Sports Massage Diploma, which is an internationally recognised sports massage courses qualification supported by Skills for Health. This will also enable you to access insurance to practice.
Which role is right for you?
If you have a passion for sports and fitness and want to work in that sector but aren’t a professional athlete, these four jobs all have something that may attract you and keep you interested.
It’s always important to work at something that fits your skills and suits your interests, so if you are passionate about health and fitness, you can explore one of these roles. Yes you may need to retrain or acquire a qualification, and perhaps even find an ace practice test, but the effort will be more than worth the rewards of working every day in a job you love.
