Career in corporate fitness?

[abercrombie3f]

Anyone know anything about this field and how to get in it??

[Neely]

As in what specifically? Fitness Program Management in a corporate setting? Fitness Mgr/Trainer/Advisor/etc in a corporate gym?....

[abercrombie3f]

I've just read a bit about it--I think a lot of it has to do w/ consulting employees and companies regarding fitness

[Sarawithanh]

Sounds like a self-starter type business! It could work.....

My firm has a nutritionist who is currently consulting w/ us......

dunno if that helps any

[Birdie]

My husband's company has a whole program that started with a questionaire and some blood workups to get basic stats on each person and follows up with a coach to help outline healthful changes. They paid each employee $100 if they signed up to take the questionaire.

I think his company works directly through their health insurance to get this program going and in turn it helps reduce the cost of health care to the employer.

[abercrombie3f]

Sounds like a self-starter type business! It could work.....

My firm has a nutritionist who is currently consulting w/ us......

dunno if that helps any


Hmm...is she outsourced from a company?

[mardgra426]

My major in college was Phys. Ed. with an emphasis in Corporate Wellness.
I have a small business. We go into corprations etc. and do on-site fitness classes, personal training, wellness classes CPR etc.

[abercrombie3f]

My major in college was Phys. Ed. with an emphasis in Corporate Wellness.
I have a small business. We go into corprations etc. and do on-site fitness classes, personal training, wellness classes CPR etc.

How awesome! That is definately something I'd be interested in doing? Looking to hire?!? :wink:

[mardgra426]

How awesome! That is definately something I'd be interested in doing? Looking to hire?!? :wink:
I'm in Michigan!! :wave:
We are hoping that more corporations will catch on and start offering things like this to their employees. It's the wave of the future!!! It better be!! :funny:

[abercrombie3f]

haha--yeah, any tips on getting into this kind of work??

[Neely]

Part of my major was Fitness Program Management (that's why I asked about what specifically you were looking ot do).

The main gearing with that coursework dealt with placement in corporate settings. In other words, the main job that stemmed from that option was to be an employee health program coordinator in more corporate settings as opposed to one on one training in a gym setting. It's a well rounded field in the aspect of how many different areas of the health field you study and work with. But the training isn't as in depth as if you were to do, say, kinesiology. You'd be working with employees with physical health, designing and possibly teaching fitness programs/aerobics. Also working on nutrional well-being. Psychology. Sexual health. Pretty much you would be the one behind making sure the company's employees are physically and mentally up to snuff enough to ensure optimal performance in the workplace.

In a smaller corp business you would be the sole person behind all of it. In a larger corp, like a huge law firm or something, you'd be more of an overseer with a specialty in one area of it all (like maybe you'd be the in-house metal health counselor), and then you would hire others to cover the other specialties (aerobics instructor, nutritionist/dietician...).

If you're looking into getting into the larger scale operations, a degree in Fitness Program Mgmnt/Corp Wellness is pretty well mandatory. If you'd be looking to get into being hired under one of the program heads in a large corp, you'll need some certs/degree in whichever aspect of the field you'd want to be the specialist for. If you would want to work with a smaller company with basic employee fitness programs, then a cert in PT or the like and operate it more as an independent business with the company as a singular client.

Hope that helps :)

[mardgra426]

haha--yeah, any tips on getting into this kind of work??
I am not sure if you have a degree or not....but really all I did was apply for jobs around my city......we have one major insurance company, one city rec public classes and bookstore. The cool thing about this is that you get your name out there. I have in- home clients that were referred to me by people from our major clients. Nice!
Most of the places hiring were just looking for fitness instructors, but after we got our foot in the door and talked we were able to do much more than they oriignally wanted and did not have to hire a bunch of other people to do it.

www.onthespothealth.com

[abercrombie3f]

Thanks both of you for your help and suggestions!! Your info helped out a lot. I am currently a senior in college majoring in psychology and business with an interest in health/nutrition. perhaps i should look into some schools with degrees offering fitness management. again, i appreciate your help and would love any other info you could provide :)

[GymBean]

Katie Uter, a fitness competitor and past Oxygen cover model, is vice president of a corporate wellness company in Baton Rouge. Their website http://www.sbwellness.com/About.asp provides a nice overview of their programs and staff. I found it helpful for learning what exactly is done in a corporate wellness company and the types of people/education needed to make it happen.

[abercrombie3f]

GymBean--are you trying to get in this field?? Thanks so much for the website--I checked it out...looks great :)

[GymBean]

GymBean--are you trying to get in this field?? Thanks so much for the website--I checked it out...looks great :)


No, I'm not trying to get into that field at all. I'm just very interested in health/wellness and remembered reading about Katie's company. I'm finishing a Ph.D. in applied economics and hope to become more involved with research in health and obesity economics after I graduate. My dissertation research has a public health component, and after seeing some presentations on obesity/ nutrition economics, I think that is my calling. It's an area that has really grown in the last few years and I expect it to continue growing.