Tuesday 24 July 2007

FITNESS TRAINER COURSE

“A healthy body is a guest-chamber for the soul,” says the great thinker Francis Bacon. Today’s generation is becoming more conscious of the notion underlying this time-tested statement. People are becoming more aware of the tactics to stay fit and healthy. With millions of people eager to get in shape and stay fit, Fitness Training is one of the fastest growing careers in the health and fitness industry today. Gone are the days when only the professional athletes used to have personal fitness trainers. In the recent days, with the growing consciousness and social tagship, people from all walks of life – from celebrities to masses and senior citizens to youngsters – are keen to achieve guidance from personal trainers who can help them to learn how to exercise, lose weight, maintain all round fitness and adopt a healthier life style. The demand of professionals like aerobics instructors, yoga instructors and personal and corporate trainers is catapulting upwards. If you have a penchant for contributing your mite to the stream of efforts being made to keep the society healthy and fit, you should not give a second thought to choosing Fitness Trainer as your career destination.

It is wisely said, “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.” Being fit has never been so popular or as necessary as it is today. Till a couple of years ago, working out in the gymnasium or going for fitness training was considered the job of sportsmen or amateurs. But nowadays, more and more people are adopting the fitness culture. People are on the lookout for professionally qualified fitness instructors who can help them deliver the right and healthy physical life. As the fitness culture is a growing rapidly, the industry is burgeoning and set to expand more.

Unofficial estimates show that a present the fitness industry is worth Rs. 2,000 Crore. This is due to the “fitness fad” that has caught up with people who have either recognised the value of a healthy lifestyle or want to look slimmer and better. The need for professionally qualified fitness trainers has been growing day by day. The fitness freaks should make their entrance into this sector in order to avoid unscrupulous and fake trainers lapping up the numerous opportunities thrown up by the industry while it is still in its nascent stage.

Aptitude

You should be a believer in the maxim that healthy individuals make a healthy world. Hence, one should be ready to work for realising that concept. You should be experimental enough to try out various kinds of fitness regimes apart from having specialised in one or two of them. As a fitness trainer, you have to train people in different aspects of physical fitness. One has to help the obese and sedentary get into shape. You have to instruct or coach groups or individuals in various exercise routines. You also have to monitor their progress through methods such as BMI (Body-Mass Index) and cardiovascular levels. If required, you will also give them basic advice on health and nutrition.

Your professional training and experience will also equip you to design specific programmes for different people where you have to keep various aspects in mind including age, lifestyle and health parameters. An elderly man or a woman won’t have an exerting routine as compared to an athlete or a football player.

To get employment as a fitness trainer is not vary tough. Fitness trainer has the provision to get an opportunity to work in gyms, big hotels, health clubs, fitness centres, spas, tourist resorts and even cruiseliners. After gaining some experience, one can choose to run one’s own fitness centre. Nowadays, big MNCs are giving exphasis on physical fitness of their employees. They are offering their employees the facilities of a well-equipped gym within the organisation where a fitness trainer will assist them to stay in good shape.

Here are some of the different kinds of work one has to do as being a part of the fitness industry :

You are required to have a keen concern for people who have been afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases and should be able to understand the individual problems of every client. Needless to say, one should be strong enough and fit oneself with and be able to work out rigorously since the job calls for training together with clients.

Fitness trainers must be able to assess their clients’ fitness levels, athletic ability, the amount of time they have, and various other factors which can help to decide the perfect fitness routine for the client. The routine should help the client to improve their exercise techniques. A Fitness Trainer should also keep the records of his clients’ exercise sessions to analyse their progress in fitness aspect.

Personal trainers work with clients on a one-on-one basis with celebrities and others who like privacy while they work out – either at a gym or at the client’s home. The workout is specially tailored to suit the client’s specific health and fitness requirements. Sports instructors organise, instruct, train and lead athletes specialising in indoor and outdoor sports or self-defence training such as judo and karate. Using their expertise in sports, the sports instructors evaluate the fitness level of the athlete and the athlete’s opponents to devise a competitive game strategy.

Courses

Master’s degree in Physical Education (M.P.Ed.) is offered by good institutes like Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Delhi. This institute also provides B. Sc. Degree and Bachelor of Physical Education degree. Besides, other institutes provide courses like exercise, physiology and aerobics. A comprehensive list as to where you can get a course in physical training is provided herewith.

A number of other governmental universities and private institutes also provide degree/certificates in physical training where physical education courses include anatomy, physiology, physical education, kinesiology, aerobics, swimming, weight training and exercise prescription.

After getting done with a course in physical training, the candidate has to keep a few things in mind in order to be successful.

A successful consultant or trainer must take into consideration, the health aspirations of every individual client and plan a suitable fitness regime for him/her with his/her age, medical history and nature of work in consideration. Secondly, you should keep yourself abreast with the latest developments in fitness tools like gym equipments, etc. Last but not the least, you should maintain professional ethics of keeping physical and emotional distance from your client because the nature of the work brings the trainer and the trainee into close physical and emotional contact. These norms are required to be observed in order to be successful in the long run.

Prospects

Graduates and postgraduates find employment in government schools and colleges. They can join health clinics or gyms. They can also join five star or seven star hotels which have their own fitness trainers in their gyms. They can also start their own health clinics/gyms or act as consultants to several national and state-level sports teams.

As mentioned earlier, fitness training programme in India a whopping Rs. 2,000 Crore industry, is also taking big leaps in the private sector. Moreover, be it at home or at the fitness centre, having a qualified trainer has become the ‘in-thing’.

Employment in the fitness industry is expected to grow faster as people now spend more time and money on staying in shape. However, those who want to get into the filed have to face considerable competition, simply because this field attracts so many aspirants. For many people, exercise is a favourite pastime and this is one of the ideal careers, since this profession can help to earn money. Certified trainers with good customer-relations skills will have the best chances.

In fact, fitness trainers may do everything from leading callisthenics at a nursing home to designing a weight-loss programme for a middle-aged client to working with clients who have special health issues, such as a bad back or sore knees. They can also help world-class athletes prepare for the Iron Man Competition.

Eligibility

The basic requirement to be a fitness trainer has to be 10+2 as to have good knowledge of human anatomy, diet, nutrition and other health and fitness related matters. Understandably, the first essential for this profession is an athletic body and loads of energy.

You also need to be innovative enough to vary the exercise routine to avoid monotony and boredom. Make sure you introduce an element of “fun”, taking care to devise an upper and lower body workout that exercises all muscle groups uniformly.

Remuneration

A postgraduate degree can easily fetch you Rs. 6,000 per month. If you join a fitness club or a reputed gym as a trainer, you can be paid anything above Rs. 10,000. However, five-star hotels and seven-star hotels are known as the good pay masters. Reputed soccer clubs and national level sports teams, like the Indian Cricket team, pay very good salaries to trainers. Once you have acquired a reputation, you could also be conducting one of the numerous fitness programmes or health shows on popular TV channels. Besides boosting your popularity, it will also augment your clientele. If you start up a range of fitness clubs like Vandana Luthra’s VLCC, well, you can be the entrepreneur of a multi-crore industry!

WHERE TO STUDY

* Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal
Amravati-444605, Maharashtra (affiliated to Amravati University)
Website : http://www.sgbau.ac.in/
* Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences (IGIPESS)
(affiliated to University of Delhi), B-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi-110018
* Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education
Shaktinagar, Mela Road, Gwalior-474002, Madhya Pradesh
* The Sports Authority of India, Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports
Old Moti Bagh, Patiala-147001, Punjab
* The Sports Authority of India, NS Eastern Centre
Salt Lake City, Sector-III, Kolkata-700091, West Bengal
* The Sports Authority of India, NS South Centre
University Campus, Bangalore-56005, Karnataka
* Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy
61-65, Institutional Area, Janak Puri, New Delhi-110058
Website: http://www.ccryn.org/

BEAUTY THERAPY COURSE

Beauty is one of the most precious gifts bestowed by the Almighty upon human beings. It is said that Cleopatra used to bathe in rose petals steeped in milk to make her skin softer. However, like an imposing but desolate palace with cracks and cobwebs all over it, beauty may also lost its quintessential appeal unless it’s looked after and maintained with utmost care. Beauty Therapists with their great aesthetic sense and sleight of hands perform that job with neat perfection and finesse. Today, beautycare is a global multi-billion dollar industry that employs millions of people—from scientists and production engineers right up to your neighbourhood pedicurist and mehndiwalla. If you have an eye for beauty, enjoy interacting with people and delight in transforming a plain Jane into a stunning sophisticate, beautycare is a field you could excel in. Although tastes and trends keep changing, the basic job of beautycare professionals remains the same: to help people look their best!

It’s always pleasing to eyes to get a glimpse of a beautiful face. But a career that helps people to enhance their appearance, thereby, giving them confidence to lead their lives with more vigour and vitality, is of Beautician/Cosmetologist. If at the end of the day, you feel gratified at the sight of a face you have brightened, or a look you have accentuated, then this is the profession for you. Beauty Therapy or Cosmetology has emerged as a major occupational avenue with tremendous commercial potential as today, people are becoming more and more fitness freak health and beauty conscious. This is all due to the fashion industry, which has been facing limelight in a much progressive way. Spurred by new scientific developments, techniques, products and media hype, the Indian beauty industry has truly come of age, generating mega revenues.

Aptitude

As a beautician, one has a whole range of specialisations to choose from: beauty therapy, hair styling, make-up, massage, facials, manicure, pedicure, electrolysis, herbal beautycare, etc. There are other closely related jobs like those of a beauty lab assistant, health club instructor, cosmetic sales person, consultant, yoga and naturecure practitioner, etc.

Apart from being trained to provide manicures, pedicures (care of feet, toes and nails) and scalp and facial treatments, cosmetologists even draw make-up and diet charts to suit individual requirements. Hairstylists, besides trimming, colouring, setting and straightening hair, also educate their clients about the latest hair styles and hair treatment techniques. Further, one might also study reflexology (the art of foot massage by providing impact on pressure points), or work as aesthetician whose work consists primarily of body-treatments, extensive massages, facials, etc., to cleanse and beautify skin. Another favourite option is to excel as a manicurist who treats and accentuates the health of nails, offer nail extensions and pedicures. Hairdressing includes hair cutting and styling as well as treatment for the hair and scalp. Hairdressers use various techniques to make hair look healthy and attractive and are required to know about the care and application of various hair styling gels, hair-colours, hair-pieces, wigs and other hair-accessories. They advise clients on suitable hair styles based on one’s personality and need, as well as care and maintenance of hair.

The area that has gained importance with the growth of television industry is the expertise of make-up and hair-styling artistes for the film and television industry and in modelling and advertising.

To succeed in this field, a prospective student must have a keen consciousness and thorough understanding of current trends in fashion, art and technical design. One must also show ability to easily relate to clients and exhibit ready comprehension of their interests and demands. In face, many beauty schools have incorporated communication, sales and work practices in their syllabi.

The job requires you to be on your feet all the day. The beauty parlours operate most extensively during the weekends. Besides, festivals and marriage seasons invite long hours of concentrated effort. The job also entails prolonged exposure to particularly strong chemical in a beauty clinic which may prove hazardous to health. People with sensitive skin or breathing complications would do well to keep away from the toxic chemicals.

Recent trends in the beauty business show increased numbers of specialisations in bridal make-up and the art of mehndi (Picked up really fast abroad, specially the US).

Various cosmetic companies like Amway, Aviance, Avon, Oriflame, etc.,conduct short orientation courses to familiarise women their product line and sales techniques. Attractive commission on sale can fetch you a healthy extra income – without being tied down to a nine-to-five office routine.

Prospects

Most cosmetologists seek employment in beauty salons, beauty parlours in hotels or resorts, entertainment industry (television and films) and expanding network of studios and modelling agencies. Many start their own beauty clinics after gathering a few years of experience. One may opt for skin care consultancy or work as a sales consultant ina cosmetic firm. While, other work options include the job of a fashion consultant or columnist in various newspapers and magazines. Fitness and exercise is an upcoming area of work, that covers everything from health clubs, gyms, yoga and aerobics. Those with expertise and prerequisite qualifications can start their own enterepreneurial ventures. They can open their own beauty parlours or salons or even fitness centres. To be in beauty business, one should have a good sense of aesthetics and creativity, and a liking for people of all ages. Simply speaking, you must have a friendly manner, an attractive well-groomed appearance, cool dry hands, good health, the ability to stay on your feet for long periods and a sense of hygiene and cleanliness.

The growing interest in feeling fit and looking good has created a growth in opportunities for aestheticians. Since the vast proportions of qualified therapists are women, there is a rapid increase in job opportunities, and it is possible to reach supervisory or management level within two or three years of qualifying. Mobility is an important factor in obtaining employment, largely because the geographical location of salons or health resorts is often crucial to their success.

In these constantly changing times of style and fashion, more and more people are resorting to discover the style most suited to their personality and physical characteristics. With work environment getting increasingly competitive and professional, the need to appear well groomed and attractive has assumed greater importance, not just for women but for men as well. Moreover, the complexities of modern living leaves little time for personal grooming causing more people to turn to professionals for treatments that enhance and maintain their looks. This has resulted in a burgeoning market for beauty products and beauty treatments turning beauty care or cosmetology into a hundred crore industry.

Eligibility

To get a Bachelor Degree in Cosmetic Technology, one needs to be 10+2. Courses undertaken to pursue careers as manicurist (care of hands and fingernails), electrologist and aesthetician are usually of much shorter duration. However, one is required to undertake apprenticeship, which might last for about two to three years. Formal training in beauty therapy, hair-dressing, make-up and salon management makes one eligible for seniority in the industry. Classroom study, practical demonstrations and experiments are considered vital in any cosmetology programme.

Personal qualities include a pleasing and well-groomed personality, gentleness, dexterity, an eye for fashion, readiness to work with your hands, loads of stamina and a strong back (you may have to stand for long hours at a stretch), conversational ease and the knack of making your clients feel special and comfortable. You must create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere while maintaining high standards of efficiency, cleanliness and hygiene – nothing can be more off-putting to a client than a hurried, slap-dash or sloppy job. You should also make it a point that you don’t suffer from an allergic or asthmatic condition (the fumes, dyes and chemicals you’ll inhale and handle could trigger off an attack).

Remuneration

A beautician’s earnings are determined by a number of factors, the most important being the quality of services rendered and the location of the salon.

A beginner can hope to get a minimum salary of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 7000 a month, while, for the people with sound experience, sky is only the limit. A make-up professional in an advertising campaign may easily demand and get something between Rs. 2,000-3,000 for a day’s work while earnings skyrocket if the work is undertaken as a part of modelling assignment. Basically, work experience and reputation go a long way in determining the level of service-price.

On the whole, one needs to understand that the beauty business is very lucrative industry today. Targetting to make a career in this industry can keep one up-dated with the go of the day. However, the most important point is to realise that there is dignity in every career you choose in which you can excel.

WHERE TO STUDY

* Women’s Polytechnic
Maharani Bagh, New Delhi-110065
* South Delhi Polytechnic for Women
South Extension-1, Newdelhi-110049
* Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University
Rabindranath Tagore Marg, Narpur-440001, Maharashtra
Website: http://www.nagpuruniversity.org/
* National & Regional Vocational Training Institutes for Women
(Ministry of Labour, Government of India)
Centres at : Delhi, Noida, Allahabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Vadodara, Hissar, Indore, Thiruvananthapuram, Tura
* Pearl Academy of Fashion
A-21/13, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi-11028
Website: http://www.pearlacademy.com/
* YWCA
Women’s Training Institute, Bangla Saheb Lane, New Delhi
Website: http://www.worldywca.org/
* Shahnaz Hussain’s Woman’s World
International Institute of Beauty, M-106, Greater Kailash-1, New Delhi-110048.
* Akbar Peerbhoy
Girl’s Polytechnic Fort, Mumbai-400001, Maharashtra

Try Google Search

Google