Just starting out in the Fitness Instruction world? Are you a long-time student eager to find out what it’s like on the other side, becoming a teacher yourself and helping people overcome the challenges you have?

I’ve been a teacher of fitness for over 15 years and I want to help folks like you find the easiest, smartest, and most cost-effective way to build a full-time career, side-hustle, or business in this industry.

I learned it the long (and hard) way, but you don’t have to!

So today I’m sharing my thoughts on what you’ve probably wondered about…to be or not to be a Fitness Instructor?

Why You Should Become a Fitness Instructor

1. You like “getting paid to work out.”

   I hear this all the time from friends and students: “Wow! You get paid to work out!”

   And it’s true. As a professional instructor working at a gym, you get free membership in addition to being paid for every class you teach. If you, as I do, already value working out regularly to stay healthy, fit and strong as we age, why not earn some money while you’re at it?

   Now, of course, if all you care about is your own workout, you probably won’t be able to build a successful, long-term career in fitness. So, I would think of this as a (great) added benefit to the job.

2. You like being able to set your own schedule.

   This is one of my favorite things about my job. I have the power to select which classes to teach, which allows me to travel quite a bit every year. At my gym, a large majority of my fellow Group Fitness Instructors actually have full-time jobs, so this is proof of the flexibility of their fitness work schedule!

   I like to remind those starting out in this industry that you don’t have to commit to teaching fitness full-time right from the start, and that you could even take it on if you are already retired or semi-retired. It’s a great option for stay-at-home parents looking for a bit of extra income (and an out-of-home activity) too.

   The flip side to this is the fact that many people like to work out pretty early in the day. So if you do sign up to teach that 5:30am spin class, BE READY!

3. You enjoy a bit of “celebrity status.”

   This is a fun, feel-good reason to become a fitness instructor. Once you put that mic on and get on the “stage,” you really start to feel like it’s “showtime”! It’s very exciting to look out on a sea of faces eager to learn from you and who are entrusting their health and wellness in you for half an hour, an hour, or however long your session is.

   I love my “fans” who come up to me after class and ask for advice, telling me what they had fun with during class—even asking me where I got my “outfit” for the day :-) As a fitness instructor and a role model to my students, I am extra-aware of how I present myself (dress well and professionally) and how I put into practice my own teachings (I get questions on what I eat for breakfast too!).

4. You have a personal passion for teaching.

   Long before I ever started my journey as a fitness student and teacher, I was a school teacher and later a culinary educator. I just love helping people learn and grow.

   As a fitness instructor, I hone my skills in developing exercise sequences, curating music playlists, verbally cueing and physically demonstrating movements, and providing personalized coaching. Above all, it is so fulfilling for me to see my fitness students getting stronger, losing weight, shaping their own bodies, and becoming happier in the process.

   If this sounds motivating to you, you should definitely consider building a teaching career in fitness.

5. You’re a life-long learner.

   Part of being a great teacher is being a great student yourself. Even with my busy teaching schedule, I make sure I’m keeping my own knowledge of each format I teach and instructional techniques up to date with a wide variety of continued education. I’m constantly learning new practices and undergoing rigorous certification tests for different programs such as those offered by Les Mills.

   If you love learning new things (and perhaps get bored easily, like me), fitness instruction will definitely challenge your brain as well as your body.

Why You Should NOT Become a Fitness Instructor

1. You get bored too easily.

   As I’ve mentioned, teaching fitness can be something to look into if, like me, you are the type of person who “gets bored easily.” Learning new formats and updates to existing ones, managing your work schedule, and engaging with students can keep you plenty busy!

   However, you will still have to invest time and effort into doing some things over and over, such as rehearsing your sequences and cueing, so you can can refine as you practice and improve in the process. Remember that it’s in your control to make it fun for yourself! I find that changing up my music playlists regularly is a great way to keep things fresh and engaging in my classes.

2. You just want the workout (and none of the prep or interaction).

   If you’re only counting class time and a bit of a commute (or a lot, depending on where you teach) when calculating your time investment for teaching fitness, there’s a few more things you need to keep in mind.

   In addition to actually learning each format if you’re new to it, as an instructor you are responsible for putting your own time into designing your class sequencing (refreshing them about every 3 months), practicing your own choreography, curating your music, and perfecting your cueing.

   Your interaction with students (and your co-workers, for that matter) is also often not limited to the official class time. Even though I’m not required to, I make it a point to set aside (unpaid) time before and after my sessions to check in with my students, sometimes even via email, so I can answer any questions they might have and be as helpful as possible.

3. You don’t want (or can’t afford) to invest money in your career.

   Speaking of investments outside class time, to teach fitness (and teach it well) you need to be ready to invest some money as well.

   Now there are smarter ways to go about spending your money, but in general, you can’t expect to spend $0. At the minimum, you will need to be certified to teach a specific format (e.g., yoga, pilates, Les Mills), and your dollar investment will vary depending on where and how you take the certification program(s). Be aware that not all certification programs are created equal (or legitimate)—feel free to contact me if you are unsure about one, I’d be happy to help you assess it! (You can also read all about how to assess teacher training certification programs in this post.) You may also have to pay recurring fees in order to keep your certifications valid, not to mention more money and time investments to actually complete components such as exams and demos for each program.

   There are certainly plenty of lower-cost and free resources out there that you can and should avail of (e.g., online research, library books, community college classes), but you should be prepared to spend some money to make money in this line of work.

4. You can’t imagine working overtime or on weekends and holidays.

   Guess what? As a fitness instructor, I’ve worked overtime and on weekends and holidays (including Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day). Reverse what you’ve learned from a regular 9-5 full-time job: the days and times you would take off are likely to be the days and times that people want to work out—and need you to teach.

   Now this might vary among gyms and studios, but in my experience, I have not received any special “double pay”/“holiday pay” or overtime pay for those teaching times. Be ready to encounter these working situations if you want to work in the fitness industry!

5. You can’t handle criticism well.

   Just as your students can adore you and treat you like a celebrity guru, you can also receive complaints and other negative feedback from time to time. It’s all part of the job. Of course, you want to be open-minded and thoughtfully consider the feedback you receive, as this is how you can identify what to improve on. And then there are going to be people you just can’t please (you will learn how to figure this out as well). As with any other profession, you have a job to do, you try to do it as best you can, and you can’t please everybody.

   Developing diplomatic skills and managing both praise and criticism well are crucial in teaching fitness!

Now that you’ve had an overview of the reasons why you should (or shouldn’t) become a fitness instructor, how do you feel?

Are you even more excited about the possibility of launching your fitness teaching career and can’t wait to get started?

Did you discover some questions that you still need to ask yourself (and answer) before you dive in?

I’d love to know where you are in this journey and if I can help you further. Please let me know what you think about this post in the Comments below or ask me a question directly through my Contact page!