Making Essential Adjustments for Fitness Industry Growth

Change can be challenging, even when a course correction is necessary for both the greater good of fitness industry growth and our own individual success. We have long viewed ourselves as essential parts of the allied health professional community, so the response from politicians, legislators and even the public during COVID-19 gym shutdowns was bewildering for many of us. However, as we know from our work with clients, recognizing the need to change is an important first step in building a better future for fitness industry growth.

“We are at a defining moment in the industry, and not just for fitness professionals, but [for] employers, the public and the medical community,” says Graham Melstrand, executive vice president of community health and wellness services at the American Council on Exercise and an ACE-certified personal trainer. The shutdown may have been the wake-up call that will help us elevate our status as the highly trained health and wellness professionals that we are—and educate others on the difference between us and the erstwhile influencer with a dangerous workout du jour.

“I think it would be fantastic to have the respect of the public and the medical community; however, we need to gain respect within our own industry first,” says Sara Kooperman, JD, CEO and owner of SCW Fitness Education.

Here, Melstrand, Kooperman and seven other industry experts weigh in on where we are, where we’re going and how we, as individuals, can be a force for positive change for fitness industry growth.

See also: The Essential Role of Fitness and Physical Activity: Hope for the Future

Let’s Be Clear: A Case for Specificity of Language

We know the importance of using clear cues in workout classes. Accurate and specific language helps everyone share an understanding of what’s going on. The same is true outside the confines of the gym.

“We do ourselves a disservice by aligning with the single word fitness,” notes Debbie Bellenger, MA, MBA, CEO and owner of Body by Definition. “The word is really too small for what we do. Fitness professionals are capable of expanding into more than just prescribing exercise programs.”

But before we work out the more nuanced language, we would benefit from delineating between a fully dedicated fitness professional and one who is more of a hobbyist.

What We Can Do: Draw Distinctions

An amalgam of industry sources defines a full-time fitness professional as an individual who may have a college degree (bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate) in exercise science or a related field; holds at least one foundational, nationally recognized fitness certification (and likely has one or more specialty certifications); and has worked full time for at least 3 years in the industry (performing assessments and daily duties with clients, implementing classes or programs, and referring out as necessary, plus many business and administrative tasks).

A hobby fitness professional (sometimes called a hobby instructor) teaches fitness classes or conducts personal training sessions (or does both) part time. These individuals may hold at least one national certification, and they likely possess training focused primarily on a few specific formats, equipment types or techniques. Teaching or training is not their primary source of income, and their daily duties do not include working in a fitness facility with clients or teaching classes continually.

Both of these types of fitness professionals are committed to the industry, but the full-time pros are completely dedicated, making their living by inspiring clients to move better and feel better. This statement is not meant to diminish what part-timers accomplish and provide—but to encourage us all to properly acknowledge those who spend more time and money and put in more hours to our cause for fitness industry growth.

Training Plan: Enhancing Our Education

Organizations like the United States Registry of Exercise Professionals® (USREPS) advocate for fitness professionals to hold NCCA-accredited exercise certification(s), but attitudes are mixed when it comes to specifics, such as who should oversee regulation, which certifications should be obtained or required, and how many credentials a fitness professional really needs.

Lisa Dougherty, founder of the MedFit Education Foundation and MedFit Network, believes the amount of training should be directly related to the types and challenges of one’s clients. “What [should be required is] a fitness-related college degree and/or nationally recognized certification along with continued education to work with those with medical conditions/chronic diseases—which is about 80% of our [client] population,” she says.

Bellenger, however, doesn’t think a college degree is necessary to be an excellent fitness professional. “Even though certification is a minimal demonstration of baseline knowledge for any working fit pro, it’s really not the number of certifications or degrees you have that bring clients to you; it’s the way you make them feel in your presence.”

Robert Sherman, owner of Robert Sherman Fitness, notes that soft skills are an area where even highly trained fit pros may be able to improve. “Getting certifications and training is not the hard part,” he says. “Being able to speak confidently and clearly to convey information and build trust with clients that will empower and motivate them—that is the hard part.”

See also: Becoming a Holistic Wellness Industry

What We Can Do: Push Our Own Limits

Bellenger believes it will take a long time to get all the states to come together and agree on regulation to encourage fitness industry growth and quality. Until then, we can commit to advancing our own education and encourage those in our industry to do the same.

“Several types of certifications exist, from 1-day trainings to 200-hour requirements,” says Bellenger. “The conscientious professional is self-regulating by getting a certification or additional education.”

Be more open-minded about education. “Fitness professionals have every opportunity to become certified, and there are many levels of certifications that individuals can attain. There are also many ways to gain additional knowledge,” says Kooperman. “What is worrisome about the certification industry right now is there is a claim that only certain certifications must be accepted. We need a variety of courses, levels of training and prices [for educational programs] to grow our shrinking industry.”

Educate others about our credentials. “Barbers and cosmetologists have licenses to prove their training and [they gain] credibility by posting their credentials in their workspace,” says Kia Williams, MBA, MS, 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year and CEO of At the Core of It All. She adds, “If the idea is for fitness professionals to elevate, then the industry should regulate.”

“Consumers should look for and should know if their trainer’s certification is current and what they specialize in,” says Elizabeth Lenart, MEd, Director of Fitness at Yale University. Clients should expect certification and should feel empowered to ask their personal trainer or group fitness instructor what type of training they have and if their certification is current. “It comes down to who is qualified to keep people safe during exercise,” says Lenart.

Participate in mentorship. Certification and education may not be enough. Sherman argues that you can’t expect a certification to build a skillset in one day. “Excellent fitness professionals can only come from the integration of experience and knowledge. Ideal candidates should also have strength in customer service, empathy for people, patience and dedication to working with a more experienced trainer to be mentored—as well as learning about the science of fitness,” he says.

Expand your understanding of health and medicine. “Always take opportunities to learn more about physiology and biomechanics. This will complement any format you teach or train in. This also means moving beyond pre-choreography fitness routines to learn the whys of fitness. It will also help you make more money because of the expanded skill set,” says Abbie Appel, owner of Appel Program Solutions and AbbieFit Consulting.

Dougherty takes it a step further. “Some feel we aren’t part of the healthcare continuum, but as fitness professionals, we most certainly are,” she says. “And we can gain the respect of public health agencies by offering fitness professionals education that is approved by them.”

Money Talks: Move From Surviving to Thriving

“Considering [that] USREPS has over 17,000 members, the idea that there is scarcity in fitness talent for hire doesn’t add up,” says Melstrand. “When fit pros [working in facilities] went from furloughed to laid off, they found other options that would allow them to comply with health regulations and still deliver their services in risk-mitigated environments.”

This is when we began to see other live offerings in addition to virtual, including meeting in parks, open spaces, parking lots and church basements. “These became avenues to deliver multiple fitness services to consumers without the health club,” says Melstrand.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, at-home workouts also suddenly became the norm, and many consumers who still wanted that group class experience turned to virtual in the form of streaming live and pre-recorded fitness classes. “Gyms want to return to the pre-pandemic status quo, which includes a vulnerable, single-channel, [in-person], live system of fitness delivery. But many fitness professionals are not willing to come back to that inflexible model for low compensation when other options now exist,” he explains.

What We Can Do: Promote and Demand Security

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021), the education and training typically required for fitness trainers and instructors varies by type of specialty, and employers prefer to hire those with certification. The median annual wage for fitness trainers and instructors was $40,700 in May 2021. But there’s more to the story of fit pros’ compensation.

Significant restrictions (on hours, outside opportunities, etc.), along with low pay, lots of housekeeping duties and a lack of benefits (health care, retirement, etc.) are many of the reasons facilities are finding it difficult to hire high-quality fitness professionals. “It is challenging to begin a career as a [personal trainer or group exercise instructor] and make it a stable choice that provides long-term growth, financial and healthcare security,” says Brian Bettendorf, MBA, Global Director of Education at Stick Mobility.

Emerging from the pandemic with clubs still struggling, it does not look like group fitness instructors or personal trainers will see any sufficient economic improvements anytime soon.

“Group fitness instructors and personal trainers are sadly underpaid,” says Kooperman. “To elevate all instructors and trainers in our industry, clubs, studios and centers must pay their instructors and trainers more.”

Rethink the hourly wage system. During the early ’80s, human resources departments in fitness facilities didn’t know how to pay aerobics instructors, so they simply said “hourly.” This is why group exercise classes and personal training sessions are typically an hour long.

“We are trapped into an hourly wage system which actually serves to devalue us as professionals,” says Sherman. “Instead, we should be paid for our skills and expertise, not our time.” (See “Panel Discussion: How Much Do Fitness Professionals Make?” below.)

Make experience and education more profitable. Kooperman believes that increased recognition and respect should also come along with more pay. “It’s pretty simple. If an instructor is good, and people are coming to class, then they should get paid more than another instructor who is not attracting clients,” she says.

See also: Making Fitness Essential

Let’s Shape a Better Future for Fitness Industry Growth

By examining what has happened in our industry, what is working and where we can go from here, we may not only navigate but reshape the new fitness-and-wellness landscape. Together, we can expand the idea that all fitness professionals deserve to be well educated, elevated in respect, securely employed and well compensated. To be viewed as essential by others, we must treat ourselves and each other as such.