TAFE NSW fitness graduate and World Gym Fitness Trainer Joseph Pedro is encouraging others to consider a career in the fitness industry as the Hastings community continues to battle its share of the national obesity epidemic. 

According to the Australian Government Institute of Health and Welfare 2019 report, nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of all Australian adults are overweight or obese, while the Heart Foundation has revealed that Port Macquarie has a 68 per cent rate of physical inactivity, which is higher than the national average of 66 per cent.

Mr Pedro believes that the decision that he made to embark on a career in the fitness industry last year was the best decision he has ever made. 

“I’ve always been into action sports so once I was done with that and I decided I would pursue a career in coaching fitness, studying at TAFE NSW to gain a qualification was a no brainer.  

“TAFE NSW helped me become as knowledgeable as possible to help make a positive impact on clients, and was a key factor in me gaining a position at World Gym.” 

TAFE NSW Fitness Teacher, Trent Cook, said “National data reveals that the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased from 56 per cent in 1996 to 63 per cent in 2019, and 68 per cent of adults in regional areas like Port Macquarie have a significantly higher prevalence of overweight or obesity issues compared to 61 per cent of adults in Sydney. 

“While these are incredibly alarming statistics, what it does mean is there’s lots of rewarding career opportunities available in this industry, from fitness instructor, personal trainers to centre managers and everything in between. 

“Some of the benefits of working in fitness include flexible working conditions, you get to meet lots of new people, you get a lot of satisfaction from helping people succeed and most importantly – it’s fun.” 

Mr Cook said the first step to a career in fitness was obtaining at least a Certificate III in Fitness (Gym Instructor), which teaches you how to instruct and support people of all ages, practice different forms of exercise, learn about human anatomy in relation to fitness, First Aid and how to ensure the safety of clients. 

For more information about the range of fitness courses available at TAFE NSW for enrolment in Semester 2, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.