Fitness first

To branch out by starting a new gym,the course on gym management is very helpful. “This course does not just deal with basic training knowledge – one also learns marketing,softwares,running operations and so on,” says Kante. Kalyani Tilak,CEO of K-11 Fitness and Management Institute,adds,“People usually have a misconception that if they know fitness,they know how to run a gym. However,running a gym is more like management and planning. Usually,gyms have a very minimal budget for marketing,so the manager/owner should be able to utilise the money to its maximum potential.”

Tilak says that the one and a half month course,which her institute has recently started,has become quite popular. “The course has been running in our branches in Delhi and Mumbai for a while now,but we have just recently completed our first batch in Pune,and the response for the next batch has been quite well. The truth is that such a course has been the need of the hour,because there are very few professionals in this industry.”

A basic trainer can expect a starting salary of R 7000 which may go up to R 50000,but for a gym management graduate,the salary usually starts at R 25000 and from there on,just goes higher and higher. Going abroad is also a reality through these courses,with some institutes offering placements in Dubai and the Middle East. The criteria is a certain number of years spent to gain hands-on experience. However,to go to the US,the completion of an American Council on Exercise (ASE) certified course is necessary.