For many people, health, wellness, and fitness are less of a passion and more of a chore, something they only do because they acknowledge that it is important and beneficial to their bodyand mind. However, suppose you find that your relationship with health and wellness is different, far from being a chore and more of a passion. In that case, you might want to consider a career that can incorporate this affinity into your professional life.

Not only can starting a career in the health and wellness domain help you spend more time and energy in areas you are passionate about, but it can also allow youto make a real difference to the people around you – helping you improve the health and wellbeing of your community.

In order to ensure a rewarding career, it is important to find the profession that is most suited to you. Understanding the possible jobs for lovers of health and wellness is an essential first step when it comes to finding the ideal career path for you and your passion. As such, here is an informative guide to some of the roles that health and wellness fans could think about pursuing.

1. A Personal Trainer

A personal trainer is a great career option for lovers of health and wellness that are particularly interested in strength, conditioning, and fitness. Working as a personal trainer can also be a very versatile job; you might work in a gym, run your own business, work in health clubs, or travel to your client’s homes.

The daily responsibilities of a personal trainer can differ depending on the type of work they do and what sort of clients they take on. The common day-to-day roles of a personal trainer can include running classes, creating workout routines and schedules, and working with, motivating, and educating clients.

In order to start working as a personal trainer, you will need to have completed a personal trainer course. A course in personal training can be flexible and completed around full or part-time work. It is also very important that you are dedicated to learning about and improving the health of your clients as well as your own health because a personal trainer is usually expected to lead by example.

2. A Dietitian Or Nutritionist

If your love for health and wellness falls more on the food side rather than the fitness side, you might want to consider becoming a dietitian or nutritionist. While dietitians and nutritionists are both expert healthcare professionals who have studied the ways in which diet can affect health, their titles should not be used interchangeably.

The main difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist is the level of education obtained. In order to work as a dietitian, you will need to have gained a bachelor’s degree, completed supervised experience, and passed the relevant national exam. While the majority of practicing nutritionists have passed advanced degrees and the exams of the nutritionist certification board, this is not always necessary to practice as a nutritionist.

The level of education needed to practice means that a dietitian is qualified to diagnose eating disorders and designs diets to treat specific medical conditions, whereas nutritionists tend to practice in a more general way to help facilitate improved nutrition-related behaviors.

3. A Recreational Therapist

A recreational therapist is responsible for treating people who have suffered from an illness or injury that has left them disabled or unwell. For example, a patient might come to visit a recreational therapist if they have recently been involved in an accident or have recovered from a health condition that has limited their fitness and physical strength.

Recreational therapists play an important role in helping treat and maintain their patients’ physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. They work to help their patients recover basic motor functioning and reasoning abilities, build confidence, and reduce stress, anxiety, depression,and any other issues related to the condition they are suffering from.

The typical entry-level education to work as a recreational therapist is a bachelor’s degree. While it is common for an employer to require recreational therapists to be certified, this is not always essential. A recreational therapist can work in a number of different settings such as a hospital, a nursing home, a school, or a recreational department.

4. A Massage Therapist

Massage can offer many more benefits than simply helping a person feel more relaxed and at peace. Massage therapists can work in both the healthcare and the hospitality industries, operating in hospitals, resorts, spas, fitness centers, patients’ homes, and healthcare offices.

The roles of a massage therapist can change depending on thearea of specialization and the type of clients they are working with. For example, you might be working collaboratively with patients to relieve stress and pain, or you could be an assistant to a doctor or chiropractor working to enhance physical recovery from an illness or an injury. Alternatively, you could even be working with sports people and professional athletes to help aid optimal performance and treat injuries.

In most states, to start working as a massage therapist, you will need to have a high school diplomaand access the necessary training to gain the license requirements. In order to practice, you will also need to have passed amassage and bodywork licensing exam or a state equivalent.

5. A Health And Wellness Coach

If you are unable to limit yourself to focusing on only one area of a health and wellness profession, then you might want to consider becoming a health and wellness coach. A health and wellness coach usually works one-on-one with individuals looking to improve their health and wellbeing.

A health and wellness coach might be engaging with a range of different obstacles in the way of their patients’ peak health. For example, they could actively work to help their clients:

• Lose weight
• Quit smoking
• Eat a healthier diet
• Reduce stress
• Improve their relationships
• Manage a healthy work-life balance
• Improve self-care

Also, it is fairly common for health and wellness professionals to choose an area of specialization, such as women’s healthor helping professionals of all industries deal with the demands of high-stress workplaces.

Unlike healthcare professionals who specialize in certain areas of health and wellness, such as personal trainers, doctors, nurses, and those who undertake diagnosis, a health and wellness coach does not have the same level of education, which means they are limited in what they can prescribe, diagnose, and treat.

6. A Nurse Practitioner

If you are dedicated to health and want to make a real difference in the lives of your patients, then you might want to consider becoming a nurse practitioner. A nurse practitioner is responsible for a wide range of duties, such as treating patients, diagnosing illnesses and injuries, performing physical examinations, interpreting diagnostic tests, writing prescriptions, and counseling and educating patients. Some common work settings for a nurse practitioner include schools, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, clinics, doctor’s offices, private practices, and in-house care.

To work as a nurse practitioner, you will need to have the necessary educational background. However, before pursuing education, it is useful to consider possible specializations. Many nurse practitioners choose to specialize in one specific area, such as geriatric patient care, mental healthcare, or the care of young people and children. Finding a specialization early on can be useful as it can help you find a reputable online AGNP MSN program that will enable you to work in your area of choice.

7. An Occupational Therapist

It is the role of an occupational therapist to help people that have suffered from an injury or illness that prevents them from being able to work. An occupational therapist can employ various exercises and techniques to help patients regain the strength, mobility, and fitness levels needed to complete everyday tasks. An occupational therapist will also work with their patients to help them gain the confidence needed to live more independently – both in terms of work and personal life.

In order to start working as an occupational therapist, you will need to have graduated from an accredited occupational therapy program and pass the national board exam for certification in occupational therapy required to obtain the necessary license.

8. Mental Health Counsellor

A mental health counselor can play an important role in treating individuals in the community and helping spread mental health awareness and education. As a mental health counselor, you will be working directly with patients, likely in a one-to-one or group setting. You will be there to listen to patients and provide support and advice on the management of mental health conditions or symptoms. Plus, many mental health counselors will work with a wellness and human development framework.

To work as a mental health counselor, you will need to have completed a bachelor’s degree in behavior, the social science of psychology, or another related field. You may then need to gain a master’s degree and completethe relevant graduate and postgraduate experience in order to achievethe necessary certification and licensing requirements.