What Skills Should a General Manager of a Fitness Center Have?
Part leader, part fitness expert, the manager of a fitness center or club needs to be highly organized, knowledgeable about exercise science and nutrition, and able to motivate others to be the same. As a general rule, fitness center managers will come from a background that's allowed them to hone all of those skills at once.
A Management and Fitness Background
Most fitness centers require managers to have a personal trainer or other fitness certification from an organization such as the American Council on Exercise, the National Academy of Sport Medicine or a similar certifying body. To obtain that type of certification, fitness professionals need to have advanced knowledge in exercise science, but they also need to have skills in motivating others, being good listeners, and being "people people" who have a good rapport with others. Centers also generally want prospective managers to have worked in those professions for at least a few years before moving up to management. As managers, skills in accounting, payroll and creating marketing materials are also important. To hone those management skills, fitness centers typically prefer candidates who have at least a bachelor's degree -- and often a master's -- in business, marketing, exercise science or a related field.