Health & Wellness Management

Overview

If you're passionate about fitness and enjoy helping others feel their best—make it your career! As Americans place an ever-increasing value on exercise and wellness, the demand for personal trainers, fitness specialists, and wellness consultants grows. These professionals are integral to promoting, developing, and implementing health and wellness routines. Students interested in the Associate degree in Health and Wellness Management Program should see an academic advisor or the program director create an educational plan.

Elgin Community College's Health and Wellness Management Program prepares you for a fulfilling career, from group fitness instruction and personal training to fitness center management. Classes offer solid anatomy, physiology, exercise science, kinesiology, and hands-on experience to enhance practical skills. 

Get additional information, including course listings and class descriptions.

Getting a Job as a Personal Trainer

Trainers instruct individuals in exercises, relying on their knowledge of physiology to determine the type and difficulty of the exercise, specific movements, and correct form. This includes a 10-week practical skill application at a local fitness/wellness facility. Students who pursue this option earn a Basic Vocational Specialist certificate in personal training. The program at ECC prepares students for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Personal Trainer certification exam.

Fitness trainers are in demand. If you're looking for a career as a personal trainer motivating others to exercise, helping seniors or people with disabilities, or working with people recovering from an injury, this might be the career for you. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that working as a fitness instructor in a gym, recreation center at a park district, or yoga studio will grow by 39 percent by 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Fitness Trainers and Instructors, (accessed December 22, 2021).

Graduates work in exercise physiology, helping others by developing individualized fitness and exercise programs. See details about the salary and job opportunities in personal training and individual coaching on the ECC Career Coach site.

Athletic Trainers and Group Fitness Professionals are in Demand

Group fitness instructors design and teach classes to deliver memorable experiences for the participants while helping them achieve their individual fitness goals. You'll have the knowledge you need to become certified as a group fitness instructor. Students who pursue this option earn a Basic Vocational Specialist certificate as group fitness professionals. The program at ECC prepares students for American Council on Exercise (ACE) group fitness instructor certification exam.

If you're interested in working with athletes as a wellness specialist, group fitness professional, health educator, or athletic coach, you can expect higher than average job opportunities. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that athletic trainers will see projected jobs growth of 23 percent in the next 10 years. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Athletic Trainers, (accessed December 22, 2021).

See details about the salary and job opportunities in this exciting career field on the ECC Career Coach site.

Program Highlights

Prepare for Immediate Employment

Basic Certificate

• Group Fitness Professional
• Personal Training

Planning to Transfer

Learn more about earning a Bachelor’s degree, earning summer credits for transfer, or dual admissions with a university by visiting University Transfer & Partnerships.