Gym Instructor & Physical Education courses after 12th

Last Updated on July 31, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Gym instructor course sure has got potential. But still, people are not ready to accept this fact. They don’t see this as a good profession. To be precise, people believe that career prospects associated with this field is not promising enough! To be honest, this course is pretty good and has huge potential. Most importantly, students who are weak academically, those who have an interest in physical fitness may take up this course and build a rewarding career also! In this article, I will analyze in detail Gym Instructor’s course. I will cover details such as- advantages of pursuing the course, types of courses, course duration and career prospects. Let’s get started-

Reasons why Gym Instructor’s course has got huge potential

We are living in an age where lifestyle related diseases are becoming more and more rampant. More and more people are falling prey to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases etc, due to their unhealthy lifestyle! These diseases, to an extent, can be prevented by changing one’s lifestyle and becoming more active.

People around the world are fast realizing this fact. They are becoming more aware about these lifestyle related diseases. They are also becoming aware about the importance of physical activity and exercise. And most people rely on local Gyms to do exercise.

Thanks to this trend, which is a healthy one, a rise in the number of gyms and gym memberships can be observed! Along with the rise in these figures, the demand for qualified gym instructors is also on the rise.

Also, due to rising popularity of exercise formats like Yoga, Aerobics etc, more and more people are flocking into gyms to perform these highly popular forms of exercises. This has resulted in rise of demand for these trainers also!

In short, people have started giving more importance to exercise. They are willing to spend money and go to gym for fitness’ sake! This, according to me, is a good news for Gym owners as well as instructors!

And these figures doesn’t look like slowing down! I mean, with time, the number of gym goers will only shoot upwards!

Details about Gym Instructor’s courses

First of all, let me tell you that this is not a small field! The course material of Gym Instructor’s course covers different topics such as- basics of physical education, nutrition, kinesiology, different types of workouts for different body parts, muscle structure, physiotherapy, working of gym equipment, knowledge about supplements, knowledge about injuries that may occur, prevention of injuries while working out, massaging and therapies, training skills etc.

A typical course covers the basics of the above mentioned topics. Also, one may choose to focus on sub branches such as- Yoga, Weight Lose training, Aerobics etc. These days, there are courses available, which are dedicated towards small sections within fitness sector.

In short, Gym Instructor’s course is not just about learning to do different types of workouts. There is more to it than just helping people work out. One may also focus on niches such as- nutrition, yoga, weight loss programs etc.

Syllabus mainly consists of two parts- practical training and theoretical material. After completing the course material, a student has to appear for both theoretical as well as practical examinations. After clearing both the exams, he/she will be awarded the title of a qualified Gym Instructor/ physical trainer.

Different formats of courses

Basically, there are 2 types of Gym Instructor’s courses being offered these days-

• Certificate Course
• Diploma Course
• Degree Course

1 Certificate course- lasts for 6 months- 1 year. At the end of the course program, successful candidates are provided a Certificate showcasing their skills. Certificate courses are offered by number of Gyms in India. A good example is the Gym Instructor Certification program offered by Gold’s Gym. Certificate Courses focusing on certain Disciplines are also available, like-

• Aerobics
• CrossFit
• Yoga
• Naturopathy
• Pilates
• General Gym Instructor course

While choosing such Certification courses, students must make sure that the Institute/Establishment that is offering the course is a reputed and recognized one. After completing any of the above mentioned course, doing a course in Food & Nutrition Science will add to your skills!

2 Diploma course- lasts for 1-2 years . This course holds more value than the certificate course program. Some examples of Diploma Courses are-

• Diploma in Yoga Education
• Diploma in Physical Education
• Diploma in Yoga and Naturopathy
• Diploma in Sports Science

3 Degree course- Degree course lasts 3 years. After completing any of the below mentioned Degree courses, you may specialize in certain disciplines and then take on the role of a Gym Instructor-

• B.P.Ed. (Bachelor of Physical Education)
• B.A. Yoga
• B.Sc. Sports and Exercise Science
• B.A. Physical Education

Eligibility Criteria

There are number of Private Gyms and Institutes offering this course. Many of them are not recognized by the Government. In case of such institutes, the eligibility criteria rules are non existent to an extent! Even 10th standard passed students are accepted by them! But I don’t recommend my readers to approach such Institutes or Gyms.

In case of Government approved Institutes, the eligibility criteria is that the candidate should be 12th passed (any stream). There is no minimum marks requirement though.

Also read:

Courses after 12th Arts stream

Courses after 12th Commerce stream

Courses after 12th Science stream

Yoga education courses

Sports courses in India

In case of  Physical Education Degree and Diploma courses from Government Institutes, candidates must appear for and clear the Physical Education Common Entrance Test (PECET). This test is held at State Level by various Universities. Based on your State and the Institute in which you want to take admission, you must appear for the appropriate Entrance Test.

Job opportunities and Career prospects

Gyms of course have to be the first and foremost place where one could get a job after completing the course! There are number of gyms across the country- big and small. There are also reputed gyms that have franchisees spread across the country. Depending on one’s aptitude, one may land a job in any of these gyms.

If one has got entrepreneurship spirit and access to financial resources, one may also start one’s own gym! Please note that running a gym is not an easy task. Competition is increasing in this field. So, before proceeding with this plan, please learn the tricks associated with this trade!

If you become master of this trade, you could also serve as a personal trainer to high profile clients such as actors, celebrities, businessmen etc!

In case of students who are not interested in regular professional courses, this course could prove to be of help. Not only because it takes less time to complete, it also will help one build a good career also! If you are passionate about fitness and want to make this your profession, go ahead and pursue gym instructor’s course from a Government approved gym or institute!

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.