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 promote, develop, and implement 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.

Planning to Transfer? Learn more about earning a Bachelor’s degree, earning summer credits for transfer, or dual admissions with a university by making an appointment with an academic advisor. 

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. 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 while helping participants achieve their 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 wellness specialists, group fitness professionals, health educators, or athletic coaches, you can expect higher-than-average job opportunities. See details about the salary and job opportunities in this exciting career field on the ECC Career Coach site.