bryan college logo
Request Info
Apply Now

Careers as a Health Fitness Trainer: All You Need to Know!

image of a trainer training their client
Laura Berry

Do you have a passion for personal health and wellness? If so, you may want to consider a career as a full or part-time health fitness trainer. This industry is expanding fast, seeing growth up to 4% each year. As more Toronto residents continue to place an emphasis on physical wellness, the need for trainers increases. 

If you’re torn on careers, but have been considering the role of a health fitness trainer, then keep reading. Below, we go over everything you need to know about this career path, including which jobs will be available to you, outcomes, and more. 

What is a Health Fitness Trainer? 

A health fitness trainer is someone who provides exercise training and instruction to an individual or to a group of people. 

During a typical day, health fitness trainers are responsible for knowing how to perform different exercises all the while keeping the client’s mobility and capabilities in mind. As such, a health fitness trainer should be able to easily tailor any exercise regime to accommodate the individual they are working with or a group. 

In addition to these responsibilities, a health fitness trainer is also responsible for leading class exercise groups, helping them outline their health goals, and monitoring a client’s progress toward their fitness goals. 

If you’re on the hunt for fitness trainer jobs, here’s a snippet of what you can expect during your day-to-day: 

  • Assessing each client’s physical needs and goals
  • Possessing the knowledge of and the ability to perform CPR, as required
  • Leading exercise training groups
  • Explaining how to safely use gym equipment 
  • Creating exercise alternatives, as required

While this is not an exhaustive list, they are just some of the basic tasks you’ll perform as a health fitness trainer in Toronto, Canada. 

What’s the Difference Between a Health Fitness Trainer and a Personal Trainer? 

From a job responsibility standpoint, there is no big difference between a health fitness trainer and a personal trainer. They both work with people to help them achieve their physical goals and do so through a deep knowledge of health and wellness. 

Where they differ is who they work with and where. As the name suggests, personal trainers work with one person at a time. Furthermore, personal trainers can be hired to work at a local gym, rehabilitation facility, and even on a contractual basis that requires travel to and from a client’s home. 

A health fitness trainer, on the other hand, is able to work with an individual client as well as performing and running an exercise group tailored to a specific group of people.

Like personal trainers, they may work at gyms, rehab centers, and fitness centers. However, their training also allows them to break into other careers, such as health coaches, lifeguards, consultants, and gym instructors. 

How to Become a Health Fitness Trainer in Canada (With Steps)

If you’re considering becoming a health fitness trainer, look no further than Bryan College’s Health Fitness Trainer Program. Though a certification is not required to begin working in this field, it allows you to stand out to employers.

With a health fitness training certification, you’ll not only look more appealing to employers, but you’ll also be giving them peace of mind regarding liability. Many of these facilities looking to hire health fitness leaders want them to be insured, but that also extends to knowing how to perform exercises safely so that clients don’t pursue legal action. By offering employers this peace of mind, your application is more likely to get attention. 

Though it is true that you do not need a certification to get started becoming a health fitness trainer in Canada, it doesn’t hurt. If you choose to take a different route, you’ll want to have your high school diploma or equivalent and then enroll in some sort of first aid certification, including AED and CPR. Once you do, you can begin applying for health fitness trainer jobs. 

So, why then, you may be asking, why should you seek certification to begin working? 

The truth is that even though this industry is largely unregulated, most gyms, individual paying clients, and fitness centers will prefer hiring someone who is certified. Think about it: if you’re getting your hair done, wouldn’t you prefer to go with someone who underwent the proper training? This concept applies to the benefits of pursuing your health fitness trainer certificate.

Courses Needed to Become a Health Fitness Trainer 

During your enrollment period, you’ll cover important topics such as resistance training, kinesiology, client motivation, exercise selection, nutrition, and more. 

Regarding the outcomes of this program, you’ll be prepared to take the NASM certification exam, which is the test you’ll take to earn your certification in this field. This 100-question exam covers everything from dietary recommendations, motor development, assessments, exercise regression, warm-up techniques, and more. 

Begin Your Rewarding Career as a Health Fitness Trainer With Bryan College Today!

Working as a health fitness trainer comes with many rewards, with one of the biggest being that you can help others get healthy and achieve their fitness goals. Health plays such an important factor in our lives, so being able to help someone improve their day-to-day is what makes the role of a health and fitness trainer one of the most rewarding careers out there. 

At Bryan College, we’re here to help that journey begin. Our coursework allows you to prepare for the NASM certification exam and begin working in the field, armed with all the knowledge you need to succeed in less than a year. 

Call us today at 1-888-641-6300 to speak to a member of our enrollment team or request info online. This is only the beginning of where your journey will take you. 

Request information

By submitting this form, I agree that Bryan College may contact me regarding educational services via email, telephone, text message, or automated technology at the email address and phone numbers provided. I understand this consent is not required to enroll. For more information, please call: 1-888-641-6300.
bryan college logo

Registration:

Registered as a career college under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005.

Member of OCPMTC

Ontario Council of Private Massage Therapy Colleges

Copyright © 2024 | Bryan College | 1200 Lawrence Ave. West , North York, ON M6A 1E3
Request Info
1-888-641-6300
phone-handsetcrossmenupointer-up