Do you have a passion for helping people get and stay healthy? Do you love exercise and want to make a career out of it?
You can achieve your fitness career goals by earning your associate’s degree in health and fitness.
This degree is typically a two-year commitment that can be completed at a community college, business school, four-year college or university, or online school.
America’s ongoing struggle with obesity and heart disease is no secret. With an associate’s degree in health and fitness you will be able to directly impact the lives of those who need to make a change in their nutritional intake or exercise routine.
The rise of preventive health care has also created opportunity in this field.
Learn more about health and fitness associate’s degrees…
Health and Fitness Curriculum
A health and fitness program combines science and business courses to create a curriculum that produces a well-rounded health and fitness professional.
Graduates of this program leave with the knowledge of how to create a personal fitness routine for clients of various ages and physical conditions, how to evaluate health and fitness levels, and how to teach those with medical complications how to properly heal their bodies.
Some of the courses you might take in this degree program include:
Lifetime Fitness and Wellness
Human Anatomy
Aerobic Training
CPR/First Aid/AED
Kinesiology
Sports Medicine
Nutrition Science
Those who decide to major in fitness management take a greater number of business courses such as sales, marketing, and promotional techniques or facilities management.
After receiving their associate’s degree, some students choose to enter directly into the workforce. This is possible since many students will gain various certifications while still in school, such as CPR/First Aid/AED, making them job-ready and marketable right after graduation.
The other option is to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program in health and fitness at a four-year college or university. Students that choose this route will take business courses leading to more opportunities in managerial positions such as athletic coach, health club manager or corporate fitness consultant.
Health and Fitness Jobs
The health and fitness industry serves close to 40 million members in the US. People are spending more money on fitness and health programs and employers have been adding fitness club memberships to many employee benefit packages. This demand has caused an increase in the number of jobs available for graduates with associate’s degrees in health and fitness.
With this degree, you will be able to work in a variety of settings including health clubs, country clubs, universities, gyms, or senior housing. Most likely, you will choose your specialization during your program, though most programs prepare students to work in all fitness locations.
Specific jobs that one may apply to include:
Nutritionist
Fitness Instructor
Personal Trainer
Group Exercise Instructor