Many people in Australia unfortunately aren’t staying healthy as they are living unhealthy lifestyles and don’t exercise enough. This can put you at risk for many diseases and health complications. Did you know that by getting out and moving, as well as building muscle, you can reduce your risk of getting diabetes?

Become a personal trainer and get others becoming and staying healthy. By sharing that healthy lifestyle you love, you can improve their health long term including helping them avoid diabetes. What could be a more fulfilling career than helping others through your passion and love for fitness?

What Is Diabetes?

Roughly 1.2 million people across Australia suffer from some form of diabetes. That’s a massive 4.9% of our total population. These numbers are constantly on the rise due to poor nutrition and the chronic obesity epidemic taking hold in our nation.

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects your lifestyle a great deal. It is to do with having an overabundance of glucose in your blood. The reason it happens is either because your body doesn’t produce enough insulin to deal with it or because your body isn’t using the insulin it produces effectively.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a type of autoimmune disease that is irreversible and occurs early in children or young adults. This type tends to be thought of as genetic but also due to environmental conditions. To keep themselves alive, those with type 1 diabetes must have a daily intake of insulin replacement.

Type 2 Diabetes

The second type of diabetes is the most common and this is the one caused by lifestyle factors such as obesity, poor nutrition, and inactivity. That’s why it often comes along later than those with type 1 diabetes. The most common age group that has either kind of diabetes is the 75+ category, with around 18.6% of people in that bracket suffering from diabetes. This is mostly made up of type 2 diabetes sufferers.

Type 2 diabetes can benefit from exercise and diet as methods for managing it. However, many people also take medication to lower glucose levels or insulin replacements.

How Fitness Combats the Risk of Diabetes

We all know that getting fit is good for your health as there are numerous benefits – weight loss, better mental health, more energy, lower BMI, lower cholesterol. There’s no doubt that it is fantastic for both your physical and mental wellbeing.

One recent study into the prevalence of diabetes found that fitness can combat the risk of contracting it. It discovered that gaining muscle mass can reduce the risk of getting diabetes by up to 32%.

Staying healthy doesn’t require full-on bodybuilding, or anything close to it. Only moderate amounts of muscle gain were required to achieve this result. Any type of resistance training can help in the battle to prevent developing type 2 diabetes.

Another study’s findings suggested that even moderate forms of exercise such as taking brisk walks can also reduce an individual’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also found in a review of studies conducted that 2 and a half hours of aerobic activity a week can also prevent it.

So, overall, the news for those concerned about the risk of diabetes is good! By staying healthy with a little exercise, resistance training, and muscle building, you just may be able to avoid this nasty disease. If you’re interested in these findings and helping others improve their health, you may find that you’re interested in becoming a personal trainer.

How to Become A Personal Trainer

Becoming a personal trainer happens in two stages. First, you take Certificate III in Fitness which allows you to work in a gym and become a fitness instructor. This allows you an insight into working in a gym environment and helping others in their fitness journeys.

After that, if you want to continue on to become a personal trainer, you can take Certificate IV in Fitness. This certification brings you to the next level so that you can train others one on one and provide advice on form, fitness, and more!

What you learn in Certificate IV:

  • Collaborate with other health professionals in a fitness context
  • Instruct a fitness program according to goals for body composition
  • Positively influence exercise behaviour by motivating your clients
  • How to encourage the capacity for functional movement
  • Create individualised strength training programs

… and so much more!

Studying with the College of Health and Fitness

Studying has never been easier than with the College of Health and Fitness. You can choose to attend classes in person or take your courses at home online. This allows you to study flexibly and fit it around your busy schedule. You will still learn everything you need to know and develop the hands-on skills you need.

Get experience in fitness centres near you so that you get the practical application of skills no matter where in Australia you are studying from. Contact us today to talk about how to enrol in Certificate IV in Fitness and find out more information.