Specialist training in physical activity and health promotion: overview of schools and information

As a specialist in exercise and health promotion with a federal certificate, you can work in the following places:

• Fitness center
• Wellness center or facilities
• Health center
• Hotel
• Leisure facilities
• Retirement and care center
• in a neighborhood meeting place
• in a large company
• in institutions
• in your own center or studio

Training as a specialist in physical activity and health promotion gives you the following skills:

• Expertise in exercise or weight room consulting
  • Take a medical history
  • Record current lifestyle
  • Combination of exercises from the areas of strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination
• Create target group-specific training units and programs as well as health-promoting training offers
• Control of correct execution and application
• Supporting the trainees in achieving their goals
• Coaching skills in the areas of fitness gymnastics, aqua fitness, back, osteoporosis and pelvic floor gymnastics, walking, jogging and cardiovascular training
• Advice on relaxation, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle as well as other suitable health-promoting offers
• Professional and leadership skills in sales, communication, management, personnel management and administration

As a specialist in exercise and health promotion, there are the following opportunities for further development:

• Courses from professional and specialist associations, e.g. Bewegung und Gesundheit Schweiz, Fitness- und Gesundheitscenter Verband, Verband für Gesundheitssport & Sporttherapie etc.
• Higher professional examination as an expert in exercise and health promotion with a federal diploma, certified trainer for elite sport, manager for health tourism and exercise with a federal diploma, sports school director with a federal diploma
• University of Applied Sciences: Bachelor of Science EHSM in Sports, Bachelor of Science (FH) in Physiotherapy, Bachelor of Science (FH) in Nutrition and Dietetics

In a specialist movement and health promotion training course, you learn:

• Basic knowledge
  • Business administration
  • Management & Leadership
  • Project management
• Core tasks
  • Organization
  • Correspondence
  • Authentic leadership, conflict resolution
  • Personnel management
  • Financial management
  • Motivation and cooperation
• Appearance and impact
  • Self-management
  • Self-motivation
  • Ego-strengthening
  • Dealing with different management styles

The admission requirements for the professional examination to become a specialist in exercise and health promotion with a federal certificate are as follows:

• Specializing in fitness and health training:
  • Federal certificate of competence as a specialist in exercise and health promotion, required module qualifications or certificates of equivalence and professional experience of at least 3,500 hours over a period of at least 2 and a maximum of 5 years from the date of the examination.
  • or other federal certificate of proficiency or school-leaving certificate and required module qualifications or certificates of equivalence as well as professional experience of at least 5000 hours over a period of at least 2.5 and max. 5 years from the date of the examination.
  • and a BLS (CPR) card valid on the examination date

• Specialization in body and movement training:
  • Federal certificate of competence as a specialist in physical activity and health promotion, required module qualifications and at least 500 hours of supervised course units in accordance with the job description Art. 1.2 over a period of at least 2 and a maximum of 5 years from the date of the examination.
  • or other federal certificate of proficiency or high school diploma, required module qualifications and at least 705 hours of course units taught in accordance with the job description Art. 1.2 over a period of at least 2.5 and a maximum of 5 years from the date of the examination.
  • and a BLS (CPR) card valid on the examination date

For specialist exercise and health promotion jobs, you should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Independence and resilience
• Enjoyment of sport and exercise
• Strong sociability and communication skills
• Patience and a sense of responsibility
• Willingness to work irregular hours
• Ability to lead courses or provide training instruction and motivation
• Good written and spoken German (at least level B2)

The specialist in exercise and health promotion has the following two specializations:

• Fitness and health training: focus on training with fitness equipment
  • Different training equipment is used to offer the most varied lessons possible
  • Adapt the load and duration of the training units to the requirements, performance and goals of the trainees
  • Check instructions for using the device and correct settings and movements/posture
  • To achieve the best possible results together with clients, a relationship of trust is required
• Body and movement training: focus on body and movement shaping
  • for increased body awareness, you not only train your movement sequences, but also stimulate your breathing and circulation
  • Targeted course programs are developed so that older people can maintain their mobility or young mothers can regain their figure through postnatal gymnastics
  • Targeted course planning and the best possible training by taking age, state of health and physical condition into account
  • Breathe correctly, relax or build up weak points

The target group for specialist exercise and health promotion training are:

• Assistants and assistants
• Secretaries and secretaries
• Office managers and office managers
• Clerks and clerks
• People who would like to develop further in this function