There are so many possible jobs for exercise majors to choose from. To narrow down your choices, consider looking for job shadowing opportunities. In college, you might also consider applying for an internship at a healthcare or fitness facility to get a behind-the-scenes look at different career options.
Some of your options include:
Personal trainers manage exercise regimens, perform fitness assessments and evaluate client progress. They work with their clients, either individually or in groups, to help them achieve their strength and fitness goals. This may focus on muscular endurance, physical flexibility and cardiovascular capabilities.
Fitness center managers focus on being responsible for the daily operations and decisions of gyms or various fitness centers. Fitness center managers can hire, train and manage employees to uphold the facility’s success. They are also responsible for the profitability of the fitness center and management of staff.
Health coaches focus on working individually with clients to improve their physical well-being and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Health coaches can recommend dietary plans and exercise routines and monitor clients’ progress.
They can also focus on disease prevention and management. Health coaches need to be able to inspire and motivate their clients to improve their dietary habits.
If you love playing and watching sports, then perhaps a career as a coach might be the right choice for you. Sports coaches are responsible for training and motivating athletes and educating them about the nuances of their sport. They teach athletes about other concepts, as well, such as good sportsmanship and personal character.
Sports coaches are found at every level — from youth leagues and K-12 school teams to collegiate sports to professional sports teams. At the collegiate and professional levels there tends to be more opportunities to specialize. Some specific types of coaches include:
- Assistant coach
- Head coach
- Strength and conditioning coach
- Assistant strength and conditioning coach
- Position coach
If you’re an exercise science major who has an entrepreneurial spirit, you might decide to launch your own sports, fitness or health-related business. First, you may benefit from gaining some practical work experience in your field. Then, you might decide to launch any of the following types of businesses:
- Dance studio
- Yoga studio
- Exercise equipment/athletic supply store
- Fitness center
- Online fitness classes
- Sports camp
