Professional development of a fitness trainer: points of growth
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Starodubtseva I.V.
University of Tyumen (Tyumen, Russia).
Email: i.v.starodubceva@utmn.ru
University of Tyumen (Tyumen, Russia).
Email: i.v.starodubceva@utmn.ru
Dzotsiev T.T.
University of Tyumen (Tyumen, Russia).
University of Tyumen (Tyumen, Russia).
Keywords: fitness trainer, fitness center, professional development.
Introduction. The rapidly developing fitness industry imposes increasingly high demands on specialists carrying out physical culture and health-promoting work with clients [1, 2]. This circumstance determines the need to identify the key educational needs of fitness specialists and potential areas for their professional growth.
Objective of the study: to determine the current directions of professional development for fitness trainers.
Methods and organization of the study. The main method of obtaining empirical data was a survey involving 100 trainers (47 men and 53 women) engaged in professional activities in fitness centers in Tyumen. The average age of the respondents was 29 years. Professional experience: up to 5 years – 61 individuals; from 5 to 10 years – 21 individuals; over 10 years – 18 individuals.
Results of the study and their discussion. The respondents consider the most important areas of additional training for a modern fitness trainer to be: rehabilitation and working with injuries (55%); nutrition and sports nutrition (51%); mastering digital tools for professional activity and developing business skills (47% each). However, for themselves, these same specialists identify different priorities in professional development and training: mastering digital tools for professional activity (55%); rehabilitation and working with injuries (42%); development of business skills (40%).
Importantly, a significant portion of the surveyed specialists consciously approach the selection of training and advanced training programs: 81% of trainers focus on the relevance of the topics and content of the training; for 49%, an important factor is the personality and professional achievements of the instructors.
During the survey, the trainers were asked to evaluate their current knowledge and skills on a 5-point scale. Ranking of the average scores showed that trainers rate their knowledge of training methods and means the highest (average score 4.58), skills in developing individual training programs (4.53), and knowledge of the basics of motivation and communication with clients (4.38). The lowest average scores were given for the skills to adapt training for clients with health limitations (4.16), assess the physical condition of clients using tests (4.17), and provide first aid for injuries (4.22).
Conclusions. Modern fitness organizations are characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity in their coaching staff regarding education level, competence, and experience in physical culture and sports activities. This dictates the need to develop organizational and managerial measures to promote the professional development of fitness trainers in two main directions. The first is related to the development of basic knowledge and skills necessary for providing quality fitness services to the population (anatomical and physiological patterns of motor activity, assessment of the physical health of trainees, provision of first aid, and working with people with health limitations). The second direction involves the organization of professionally applied physical training for fitness trainers (determining significant physical qualities for different groups of specialists, creating conditions for regular independent training, etc.).
Objective of the study: to determine the current directions of professional development for fitness trainers.
Methods and organization of the study. The main method of obtaining empirical data was a survey involving 100 trainers (47 men and 53 women) engaged in professional activities in fitness centers in Tyumen. The average age of the respondents was 29 years. Professional experience: up to 5 years – 61 individuals; from 5 to 10 years – 21 individuals; over 10 years – 18 individuals.
Results of the study and their discussion. The respondents consider the most important areas of additional training for a modern fitness trainer to be: rehabilitation and working with injuries (55%); nutrition and sports nutrition (51%); mastering digital tools for professional activity and developing business skills (47% each). However, for themselves, these same specialists identify different priorities in professional development and training: mastering digital tools for professional activity (55%); rehabilitation and working with injuries (42%); development of business skills (40%).
Importantly, a significant portion of the surveyed specialists consciously approach the selection of training and advanced training programs: 81% of trainers focus on the relevance of the topics and content of the training; for 49%, an important factor is the personality and professional achievements of the instructors.
During the survey, the trainers were asked to evaluate their current knowledge and skills on a 5-point scale. Ranking of the average scores showed that trainers rate their knowledge of training methods and means the highest (average score 4.58), skills in developing individual training programs (4.53), and knowledge of the basics of motivation and communication with clients (4.38). The lowest average scores were given for the skills to adapt training for clients with health limitations (4.16), assess the physical condition of clients using tests (4.17), and provide first aid for injuries (4.22).
Conclusions. Modern fitness organizations are characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity in their coaching staff regarding education level, competence, and experience in physical culture and sports activities. This dictates the need to develop organizational and managerial measures to promote the professional development of fitness trainers in two main directions. The first is related to the development of basic knowledge and skills necessary for providing quality fitness services to the population (anatomical and physiological patterns of motor activity, assessment of the physical health of trainees, provision of first aid, and working with people with health limitations). The second direction involves the organization of professionally applied physical training for fitness trainers (determining significant physical qualities for different groups of specialists, creating conditions for regular independent training, etc.).
References
- Lisitskaya T.S., Kuvshinnikova S.A. Osnovnye vektory razvitiya sovremennogo fitnesa [Main vectors of modern fitness development]. Fizicheskaya kultura: vospitanie, obrazovanie, trenirovka. 2021. No. 1. P. 8.
- Maslennikov D.R., Rodin A.V., Solodnikov A.V. Osobennosti i perspektivy razvitiya fitnes-industrii na regionalnom urovne [Features and prospects of the fitness industry development at the regional level]. Fizicheskaya kultura: vospitanie, obrazovanie, trenirovka. 2026. No. 3. P. 66.
Журнал "THEORY AND PRACTICE