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Fitness instructor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Kevin Rooney Ph.D.,
Kevin Rooney Ph.D.
Fitness instructor example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical fitness instructor skills. We ranked the top skills for fitness instructors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 24.8% of fitness instructor resumes contained cpr as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a fitness instructor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 fitness instructor skills for your resume and career

1. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how fitness instructors use cpr:
  • Obtained and maintained company required health safety regulations; CPR certifications.
  • Stay nationally certified and take 15 CEC's every 2 years and stay certified in CPR and First Aid.

2. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how fitness instructors use customer service:
  • Maintained a positive attitude and encourage staff through example in delivering high quality customer service to maximize retention.
  • Maintained cooperative working relationships with recreation staff so calculated decisions could be made without impeding customer service.

3. Work Ethic

Here's how fitness instructors use work ethic:
  • Earned progressive and quick promotions and expansion of responsibilities based on excellence in operations as well as commitment and work ethics.
  • Offered jobs outside of my facility due to my hard work ethic as well as positive attitude.

4. Front Desk

Here's how fitness instructors use front desk:
  • Program Design * Participant Supervision, Assistance, and Instruction * Front Desk Duties * New Student Orientation * Daily Facility Maintenance
  • Started at front desk with answering calls, signing in members, selling gym memberships, and constantly cleaning the facility.

5. Yoga

Yoga is a practice grounded in Hindu beliefs that encourage health and relaxation simultaneously. The participant may be asked to control his or her breath while stretching in different positions or take a moment to calm his or her racing mind. The practice speaks towards balancing health in the participant's spiritual, mental, and physical world.

Here's how fitness instructors use yoga:
  • Developed exercises programs/routines for senior adults based flexibility, strength, cardiovascular and yoga Junior Fitness Instructor
  • Silver Sneakers, Line Dance, and Yoga * Design and instruct alternatives during classes to accommodate different levels of fitness.

6. Cleanliness

Here's how fitness instructors use cleanliness:
  • Encouraged personal responsibility and accountability in organized classes; maintained schedule, class safety and cleanliness.
  • Monitored all equipment used in the facility to ensure cleanliness and accessibility.

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7. Cardio

Cardio is defined as any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for a prolonged period. The term is short for cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary. It is a form of aerobic exercise during which your respiratory system will start working harder as you begin to breathe faster and more deeply. This exercise helps keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy.

Here's how fitness instructors use cardio:
  • Teach individuals beginning or advanced calisthenics, cardio and reducing or corrective exercise.
  • Certified Insanity Instructor-Large group high intensity cardio routines for high interval training.

8. Group Fitness Classes

Here's how fitness instructors use group fitness classes:
  • Cultivated positive relationships with class participants by teaching a variety of challenging and entertaining group fitness classes.
  • Provided individual instruction on fitness equipment and taught group fitness classes

9. Safety Rules

Principles or regulations that ensure the protection of people, objects, or the environment are called safety rules. These rules can be governing actions, devices, or procedures that help in minimizing the risks of loss, injury, or damage.

Here's how fitness instructors use safety rules:
  • teach dynamic & fun water fitness classesenforce safety rules of the pool
  • Ensured proper patron eligibility and safety rules and policies were observed.

10. Strength Training

Strength training, also called resistance training involves the performance of physical exercise or a training technique aimed at improving muscle strength and endurance using a person's body weight or free weights/weight machine/resistance bands.

Here's how fitness instructors use strength training:
  • Conducted hour-long class emphasizing low impact dance aerobic exercises followed by strength training and flexibility exercises.
  • Develop and implement exercise programs including cardiovascular and strength training for members.

11. Fitness Programs

The exercise-based programs that are conducted to build and maintain the physical health of an individual are known as fitness programs. These programs prove highly beneficial for health and also, help in reducing the risk of developing chronic disease.

Here's how fitness instructors use fitness programs:
  • Evaluated member needs and developed individualized fitness programs utilizing in-depth knowledge of human anatomy, muscle function, and exercise.
  • Evaluated and prescribed individual fitness programs Supervised and assisted students Managed students' files Planned and promoted community events

12. AFAA

Here's how fitness instructors use afaa:
  • Experience includes certifications in group exercise through AFAA and Health Directions, BodyPump certification, Pilates certification and Personal Trainer certification.
  • Certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) to teach fitness classes.

13. Fitness Equipment

Here's how fitness instructors use fitness equipment:
  • Exercised direct supervision over students during proper operation of physical fitness equipment.
  • Provide instructional training on fitness equipment and exercise techniques.

14. Water Aerobics

Here's how fitness instructors use water aerobics:
  • Implemented water aerobics program for seniors*Protected safety of swimmers*Taught swimming lessons*Worked in Membership Services
  • Increased the range of water aerobics classes offered, which resulted in reaching a larger population of clients/members.

15. Weight Loss

Weight loss is defined as a loss of mass in a person's body weight. Skills linked to wight loss are usually sought after in health and exercise industries; such skills might be involved in the creation of personalised weight loss goals and plans and exercise regimes, or they might more medical and scientific in nature, being used in work with patients who are irregularly or unusually suffering from negative side effects of weight loss.

Here's how fitness instructors use weight loss:
  • Improved fitness management and training programs by overhauling previously haphazard weight loss systems.
  • Personalized weight loss exercise routines and nutrition education for private clients.
top-skills

What skills help Fitness Instructors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on fitness instructor resumes?

Kevin Rooney Ph.D.

Associate Dean, School of Sport Science, Clinical Coordinator of Athletic Training, Endicott College

The obvious skills are one's knowledge of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, and exercise. However, I believe that the most important skill is a person's ability to synthesize their scientific knowledge and effectively apply it in practice.

What soft skills should all fitness instructors possess?

Kevin Rooney Ph.D.

Associate Dean, School of Sport Science, Clinical Coordinator of Athletic Training, Endicott College

Communication is the most important soft skill any new and seasoned professional can have. Effective communication demonstrates your command of the information and situation at hand and assists in earning the trust and respect of your clients and peers.

What hard/technical skills are most important for fitness instructors?

Kevin Rooney Ph.D.

Associate Dean, School of Sport Science, Clinical Coordinator of Athletic Training, Endicott College

Exercise scientists are well-versed in various areas, including exercise assessment, exercise programming, biomechanics, exercise instruction, and patient/client education.

What fitness instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Greg Brown

Professor , Dept. of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences, University of Nebraska - Kearney

A lot of undergraduate students in Kinesiology are planning to move on to post graduate education in allied health (Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, etc.) so their career advice will come from those allied health professionals.
For those students going into a career right out of their undergraduate program, typically in the health and fitness industry (e.g. personal training, strength & conditioning, health coaching, corporate wellness), they need to keep an eye for budding trends in the industry and not jump on the latest fad. Basically, a trend is something that is new or innovative that also has staying power and will still be viable in a few years. Fads often seem too good to be true and only last a short time before fading away. Think of wearable technology as a trend while Tae Bo was more of a fad.

What technical skills for a fitness instructor stand out to employers?

Dr. Michelle Gray Ph.D.Dr. Michelle Gray Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of Exercise Science, University of Arkansas

Employers are looking for individuals that can do it all. In my own gym, the owner/manager is seeking applicants that have knowledge in group fitness, personal training, and general facility management. Most employers are ok training on the specific aspects of their gym, but need self-driven and internally motivated employees that will help move the gym to the next level.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about fitness instructor

List of fitness instructor skills to add to your resume

Fitness instructor skills

The most important skills for a fitness instructor resume and required skills for a fitness instructor to have include:

  • CPR
  • Customer Service
  • Work Ethic
  • Front Desk
  • Yoga
  • Cleanliness
  • Cardio
  • Group Fitness Classes
  • Safety Rules
  • Strength Training
  • Fitness Programs
  • AFAA
  • Fitness Equipment
  • Water Aerobics
  • Weight Loss
  • Corrective Measures
  • Blood Pressure
  • Fitness Training
  • Adapt Programs
  • Healthy Lifestyle
  • Fitness Assessments
  • Weight Training
  • Training Sessions
  • Physical Fitness
  • Emergency First Aid
  • Pilates
  • Membership Sales
  • Bootcamp
  • HIIT
  • Wellness Programs
  • Circuit Training
  • Skill Improvement
  • Motivate Clients
  • Free Weights
  • Perform Routine Maintenance
  • Suitable Training Programs
  • ABS
  • Aqua Zumba
  • Weight Control
  • Gym Equipment
  • Playlists
  • TRX
  • Resistance Training
  • Spa Management

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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