Becoming a Personal Trainer in Vermont

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, residents of Vermont have a healthier BMI than 88% of the country. That is indicative of them also being healthier than the people of most of the other states in the US. As a personal trainer in Vermont, you will use your skills and knowledge to help keep your fit clients stay fit, and those who need some help, get on the path to fitness.

If you ae working as a personal trainer in Vermont, the odds are you are working in a fitness center or health club. Marketplace Fitness in Burlington, is just one example of such a facility. There, you would work with your colleagues to help each client achieve their health goals in a timely and sensible manner.

Penn Foster Career School's Online Personal Trainer Programs

Take the first step towards preparing for your career in the fields of personal fitness and nutrition through Penn Foster Career School's online programs:

Personal Trainer Career Diploma

As Vermont has a bustling tourist industry, it is not uncommon to find personal trainers working in resorts that cater to the influx of tourists. More personal trainers work at resorts in Vermont than anywhere else in the nation. With competition for tourist traffic being very tight, it only makes sense to offer the services of a personal trainer to visitors who want to stay on their established workout regimen under the eye of a trained professional.  

The Vermont Department of labor has predicted an 11% growth in demand for personal trainers through the year ending 2022. While this is faster than the average rate of growth for all jobs combined, it is not as high as in some other states and demonstrates the need for excellent qualifications to be considered for any of the better openings for personal trainers.

Qualifications for Personal Trainer Jobs in Vermont

The skills you will need to be considered for any openings for personal trainers in Vermont will include, but are not limited to, the ability to create custom fitness programs, make client assessments, and the ability to implement and safely guide clients through their fitness programs. In most cases, the best way to demonstrate this ability is with a relevant college degree and a nationally recognized professional certification.

College Education for Personal Trainers

Vermont is home to several schools that offer relevant degrees for aspiring personal trainers through flexible campus based and online programs.

Some of Vermont’s relevant academic programs for personal training include:

Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise and Movement Science, including classes like:

• Sport and exercise physiology

• Biomechanics of human movement

• Fitness for special populations

• Science of strength training and conditioning

• Exercise evaluation and prescription

Bachelor’s of Science in Dietetics, with courses such as:

• Fundamentals of nutrition

• Fitness, obesity, and weight control

• Science of energy balance

• Nutrition in the human life cycle

• Sports nutrition

Other relevant majors include Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine and Kinesiology.

Nationally Recognized Personal Trainer Certifications

A nationally recognized certification is one of the most commonly required prerequisites for any job as a personal trainer. Each organization has their own standards so be sure you choose the best fit for your personal and professional needs. These are some of the country’s most well-known and well-respected organizations:

• National Federation of Personal Trainers (NFPT)

• National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA)

• International Fitness Association (IFA)

• The Cooper Institute

• Professional Personal Trainers Association (PROPTA)

• National Personal Training Institute (NPTI)

• Lifetime (LT) Academy

• American Council of Exercise (ACE)

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

• International Sports Science Association (ISSA)

• Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA)

• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

Working as a Personal Trainer in Vermont

From day one, the knowledge you have acquired through your formal training and education will come into play. You may use your knowledge of nutrition to help a soccer mom slim down after a long winter of inactivity. Your knowledge of biomechanics could help a runner develop a more efficient racing posture. You will even use communication skills you developed to help motivate and educate your clients on a daily basis.

Below we have compiled some job listings from across Vermont from April of 2015, solely for illustrative purposes, so that you can see what type of qualifications employers are looking for in candidates:

Stowe Mountain Lodge, a four-seasons resort, was looking to hire a personal trainer and yoga teacher with a background in fitness training, with a preference given to candidates with a college degree.

The Basin Harbor Club on Lake Champlain was looking for an activities assistant to take clients on bike rides, canoe tours, and hikes. The ideal candidate would have a background in outdoor exercise activities and writing.

Stratton Mountain Resort was looking for a fitness instructor to work with resort guests leading classes like Pilates, yoga, water aerobics, and kick boxing. The ideal candidate would have a background in fitness and a flexible teaching schedule.

Kids and Fitness in South Burlington was seeking an assistant teacher to work in the classroom with a lead teacher. Candidates would need to have at least two years of related experience, with an associate’s degree being a preferred qualification.

Vermont is definitely one of the most charming states in New England, so becoming a personal trainer in Vermont is a great idea – you’ll enjoy living in the communities there and doing what you love.