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Career Path for Group Fitness Instructors

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How to Become a Better Negotiator

Learning how to negotiate is a necessary business skill. Whether you’re dealing with opening a new business, developing a client contract or asking for a raise,
your ability as a negotiator can have a significant impact on the outcome. Eldonna Lewis Fernandez, author of Think Like a Negotiator, offers the following tips to up your negotiation game:

“What’s the Best Piece of Fitness Industry Advice You’ve Ever Received?”

The best fitness advice that I have received is: Don’t be afraid to be creative. I was nearing the end of my education in the fitness field. The advice was just what I needed before returning to my hometown to start training a full client list. I was at a “hands-on” retreat to get practical experi- ence in training.

Nutrition Coaching Primer
Nutrition Coaching: A Primer for Health and Fitness Professionals

Fitness professionals should discuss nutrition with their clients. 


Historically, many fitness pros have either avoided nutrition
discussions for fear of straying outside their scope of practice or gone
overboard by exceeding their scope of practice—recommending nutritional
supplements or individualized meal plans. 


There is a better way: Staying within scope of practice while adopting a
coaching philosophy that uses proven methods of behavior change. 


Propel Your Business Toward Greater Success

Industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs know that education is the cornerstone of a booming business. Don’t miss IDEA World Fitness Convention™, the must-attend event that will provide you with the knowledge you need to advance your career.

Online Training: Programming for Profit

The second installment of this series on online training focuses on the different types of programs—and pricing strategies—successful entrepreneurs have used to build a solid Internet-based business.

“How do you stay motivated as a personal trainer?”

About 6 years into my career, I suffered from trainer burnout. I lost all enthusiasm and passion for training, and going to work became a huge chore. Instead of focusing on my clients, I was watching the clock, recycling everyone’s exercise programs and finding every excuse to cancel my clients’ sessions. Crazily enough I still had a great clientele, and I was making good money. The worst part about it was that I was comfortable. It’s a horrible position to be in.

Coping With Instructor Burnout

The new year likely brought with it a crush of new class participants. But then along came spring, and the inevitable happened: As the snow melted, so did resolutions; visits became less frequent as members began suffering from a classic case of burnout. In fact, many fitness professionals also experience burnout. What can you do to stay inspired??
?

Meeting Clients Where They Are

Jessica Matthews, MS, E-RYT, wears many hats in the fitness industry, most notably through her work as an ACE expert, a media spokesperson and a fitness blogger. She also serves as an assistant professor of exercise science at Miramar College in San Diego, where she teaches courses within the department of exercise science, health and nutrition. In addition to holding ACE Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Health Coach certifications, Matthews is an experienced yoga teacher, registered through Yoga Alliance.

Corporate Fitness Wellness Programs to Experience Growth

Have you thought about throwing your hat into the corporate wellness ring? Perhaps now is the right time to get involved.

According to the research company IBISWorld, the U.S. gross domestic
product is expected to rise 3.9% per year over the next few years. That means corporations could be allocating extra funding toward health and wellness program- ming, suggests the research organization. IBISWorld believes that, as a result, the corporate fitness and wellness industry will see marked financial growth. Here’s
a rundown of the findings:

GROOMing Habits, Part One

Unless you’re extremely fortunate, quality instructors are not knocking down your door begging for work. Instead, you likely find yourself cycling through recently certified fitness pros who have little or no experience. They come, they go and you start over. The amount of time and attention you invest in staffing can take your eyes off the bigger picture, which is to help people get fit and healthy.

Nine Traits That Top Trainers Look For in Managers

As an owner or a manager, could you be putting off talented trainers without knowing it? We asked some top fitness pros what they look for when seeking employment. What they have to say may help you become the type of manager that the best-quality trainers yearn to work for.

Inspired Business, Part Five: Staff Buy-In

At an inspired fitness facility, people are encouraged and motivated to generate a “positive vibration.” This business model makes members feel special, and it motivates people not only to join your facility but also to thrive in your fitness community. What happens when your employees are treated as well as your members?

Lessons From the Trenches, Part One: The Leader Within

Many fitness professionals aspire to take their careers to the next level. Whether the goal is to become a better personal trainer or coach or to become the chief operating officer of a large fitness chain, great leadership is the underlying theme.

How to Cope With Change

Change is inevitable. Organizations restructure, fitness facility ownership turns over and managers come and go. Although change can be positive, for many people the mere thought of it breeds anxiety and fear. During times of job stress, productivity declines; in addition, the rumor mill ramps up, morale may deteriorate and valued employees may look for other opportunities. As a manager, you are responsible for guiding employees through these potentially difficult times.

Educate Yourself, Elevate Your Business

SEducation is a cornerstone of a profitable business. Whether you’d like to update your coaching skills, learn new ways to manage staff or learn how to work smarter and not harder, the 2015 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute has everything you need to build a better business.

Lifestyle Medicine: An Emerging Medical Specialty

Fitness and wellness professionals know the importance of building a strong referral program with allied health professionals, such as physicians, but making connections is not always easy. Personal trainers, for example, have worked hard to gain trust from the medical community.

How to Choose a Retirement Planner

Working with a financial planner can help you make sense of the retirement plans that apply to you and help you identify the best solutions for your needs, says Taylor Schulte, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and founder of Define Financial in San Diego. “

Because it’s not easy for a couch potato to jump right into a 5-day-a-week workout plan, a good trainer might start with 1 or 2 days and slowly add more as the client begins to make exercise a regular habit,” he says. “The same idea can be applied to your retirement plan.

Retirement Planning for Personal Trainers

The benefit of being a personal trainer with a healthy lifestyle is that you can probably expect to enjoy a long, active life. While it can be possible to teach group fitness classes or train clients well into your 70s, it’s important to make a decision now: Do you want to have to work that long, or would you rather have the choice to work simply because you enjoy helping others? Do you know the age at which you would like to retire? Are you on track to accumulate the money you will need to support your retirement?