A certificate of completion in a fitness program can allow a student the opportunity to work as a personal trainer or group fitness instructor. Students will study fitness subjects such as weight-lifting techniques, exercise for special populations, applied kinesiology and injury prevention. Some programs may offer an internship opportunity to students to allow them to work hands on with clients.
An associate degree in fitness may be obtained in two years. Associate degrees in fitness prepare students to be gym managers, recreation supervisors, fitness equipment salespeople or fitness instructors. Students will study nutrition, anatomy, resistance training, endurance training, physiology and foundations in kinesiology. Internship opportunities are often available for students.
Fitness degrees at the bachelor's level can be a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education or a Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science. Bachelor of Arts programs students study fitness and health management, recreational leadership, biomechanics or physical fitness for disabled students. Bachelor of Science students study sports training, fitness tests and measurements, first aid, developing fitness programs and injury prevention. Students with a bachelor's degree may find a job as a heath consultant, strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer or athletic trainer, or they may get jobs as physical education teachers after also obtaining a required teaching credential.
For students who want to work in leadership positions in the fitness field, a master's degree in fitness may be the best choice. They can also work as administrators in corporate recreation programs. They will study educational aspects of sports, handling stress, statistics, leadership and the legalities involved in sports education.
A doctoral degree in a fitness-related major may allow students to work as professors, health policy developers, clinical fitness physiologists or research writers. Students will study the effects of fitness on the brain, the human lifecycle and fitness, issues in health and fitness for specific genders and ages, and medications used in the fitness field. This degree might also involve a related focus such as psychology and students may also specialize in a particular area of exercise physiology. A doctoral dissertation based on extensive research is usually required.