Desperately Seeking .. Female Fitness Staff

Leisurejobs.com, the UKís health & leisure recruitment company, has reported a growing demand for female fitness staff in the leisure industry, with clubs actively encouraging and welcoming more female job seekers. Job application rates at Leisurejobs.com now show a 55/45 male/female split for jobs in health & leisure, a ratio that has continued to rise on the female side over the years.

YMCA Fitness Industry Training (YMCAfit), the UKís largest fitness trainer provider, also reported that the percentage of females who attend their gym instructor course at YMCAfit has increased by 10% in the last decade (from 33% in 1994 to 43% in 2005). This means that nearly half of the YMCAfit course attendees are now female, making the fight for fitness jobs between men and women a battleground!

If you flash back to the 80ís the majority of fitness instructors were men, and muscle-flexing alpha males dominated gyms, with only a token few lycra-clad women thrown into the mix in the hope of achieving that Jane Fonda-esque body. Nowadays women and men share gym space and ladies dominate exercise classes. This change has brought about a need to address the balance for male/female staff in clubs.

Why the demand for female staff?

- Demand from Female Users ñ Women can be self-conscious about their figures and may feel more comfortable around female personal trainers and health club staff

- Less Intimidating ñ Men can be more intimidating to both men and women. On the whole women are known for being more sympathetic and easier to discuss personal weight issues with. For example a first-time male gym user may feel silly with a muscle rippling gym instructor who has worked out since a teen

- The Laws of Attraction ñ Gyms are all about looking and feeling good and female staff may help attract more men to the gym

- Addresses the Balance of Health Club Users ñ If the ratio of men and women members is equal, it is usual that staff should follow similarly

- Female Only Changing Rooms ñ Female staff spare both clients and male staff blushes when entering ladies changing rooms to sort out problems

So right now is the ideal time for female health & fitness staff or budding instructor ëwannabeesí to get a job. Leisurejobs.com currently has over 2,000 jobs on its job board offering positions ranging from Fitness Consultants at Esporta, vacancies for a female Club Managers and Beauty Therapists at Holmes Place.

High Profile Sports Women of the Millennium
Paula Radcliffe, Ellen Macarthur and Anna Kournikova are all famous for being top of their game and are also attractive female icons to boot, helping to make female fitness far more desirable. This is in stark contrast to the sports women of the 80ís who werenít known for their beauty as well as talent. Amazingly female athletes Ellen Macarthur and Paula Radcliffe are now rivalling menís records, closing the gap between men and women in sport.