It is seen that the survival of enterprises that have invested heavily in the health and fitness sector in recent years is directly related to the qualifications and experience that exercise specialists should have. The purpose of this study is to determine the qualifications that health and fitness facility managers look for in recruiting exercise professionals. In this quantitative research phenomenology design was used. Participants were determined by combinations of non-random sampling techniques: criterion sampling and snowball sampling. The sample of the research consists of senior managers who have worked in the sector for at least 10 years. Focus group interviews were held with the participants in 2 groups of 5 people and a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher was used. The obtained data were analyzed by content analysis. The general characteristics that health and fitness facility managers look for in exercise professionals are gathered in 2 categories as personal and professional characteristics. Being energetic and open to development was stated as the most important personal trait and having a certificate/document was stated as the most important professional trait. It was stated that there are compulsory and additional documents/certificates expected to be possessed by exercise professionals, and that the first of the services they should provide is to prepare an exercise program. While participating in certificate programs, nutritional knowledge and habit of physical exercise are positive factors in the statements given about the factors affecting the career development of exercise professionals, loss of motivation and changing jobs are seen as negative factors. It can be said that exercise specialists who want to take a place in the health and fitness sector should be energetic and develop themselves, as well as have some certificates, offer various services such as exercise programming and keep their motivation at the highest level.
Abbott, A.A. (2014). Philosophy & standarts part II. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal,18(1), 34-38.
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). (2012). ACSM’s Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines (4th Edition). USA: Human Kinetics, 30-40.
Avourdiadou, S. and Theodorakis, N. (2014). The development of loyalty among novice and experienced customers of sport and fitnessc. Sport Management Review, 17(4), 419-31.
Bain, L.L., Wilson, T. and Chaikind, E. (1989). Participant perceptions of exercise programs for overweight women. Research Quarterly, 60,134-143.
Balady, G.J., Chaitman, B., Driscoll, D., Foster, C., Froelicker, E., Gordon, N., Pate, R., Rippe J. and Bazzarre, T. (1998). Recommendations for cardiovascular screening, staffing and emergency policies at health/fitness facilities. Circulation, 97(22), 2283- 2293.
Bates, M. (2008). Health fitness management (2nd Edition). Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 287-353.
Bütün, M. and Demir, S. B. (2014). Nitel Araştırma ve Değerlendirme Yöntemleri (3.Baskı). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
Campos, F., Simões, V. and Franco, S. (2016). Characterization and comparison of the quality indicators of the group exercise fitness instructor, considering the intervenient, gender and age. International Journal of Sport, Exercise and Training Science, 2(2), 50-9.
Chekhovska, L. (2017). Fitness industry: state and prospects of development in the countries of the world. Slobozhanskyi Herald of Science and Sport, 2(58), 19-24.
Coyle, I.R., Sleeman, S.D. and Adams, N. (1995). Safety climate. Journal of Safety Research, 26, 247-254.
Craig, A.C. and Eickhoff-Shemek, J.M. (2009). Educating and training the personal fitness trainer. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 13(2), 8-13.
Çimen, Z. (2002). Spor hizmetlerinde toplam kalite boyutları. İstanbul Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(1), 37-48.
Çökük, B. (2018). Örgütsel stres düzeyinin ölçümü ve demografik değişkenlerle ilişkisi: bir kamu organizasyonu örneği. Akademik Yaklaşımlar Dergisi, 9(2), 59-83.
Marandi, E. and Harris, J. (2010). The impact of perceived service provider empathy on customer loyalty: some observations from the health and fitness sector. Managing Leisure, 15(3), 214-227.
Eickhoff-Shemek, J. and Keiper, M. (2014). High-intensity exercise and the legal liability risks. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 18(5), 30-37.
Eraslan, A. and Çimen, Z. (2016). The service quality of recreational sports centers on university campuses: perceptions of students. International Journal of Recent Scientific Reserach, 7(7), 12641-12648.
Gray, S.E., Keyzer, P., Norton, K., Joachim, D., Sekendiz, B., Coyle, I. and Finch, C. F. (2015). The role of equipment, the physical enviroment and training practices in customer safety within fitness facilities: the perspectives of fitness industry employees. Journal of Fitness Research, 4(2), 26-33.
Ilgar, E. ve Yılmaz, K. (2017). Ankara ili fitness antrenörleri: Liderlik tarzları. 10. Spor Bilimleri Öğrenci Kongresi Özeti.
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) (2013). IHRSA Global Report, The State of The Health Club Industry. 17 Eylül 2021 tarihinde http://www.ihrsa.org adresinden erişildi.
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) (2018). Global Report, The State of The Health Club Industry. Associate Publisher, Boston, MA. 17 Eylül 2021 tarihinde https://www.ihrsa.org/publications/the-2018-ihrsaglobal-report/ adresinden erişildi.
Ives, J.C. and Knudson, D. (2007). Professional practice in exercise science. Sports Medicine, 37(2), 103-115.
Parasannan, A. (2018). Global Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers Market Research, Allied Market Research. 15 Aralık 2021 tarihinde https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/fitness-and-recreational-sports-centermarket adresinden erişildi.
Jones, J.P. and Frazier, S.E. (1994). Assessment of self-esteem and wellness in health promotion professionals. Psychological Reports, 75(2), 833-834.
Kılıç Kanak, E., Öztürk, S.N., Özdemir, Y., Asan, K. ve Öztürk Yılmaz, S. (2021). Gıda takviyeleri kullanım alışkanlıklarının değerlendirilmesi. Niğde Ömer Halis Demir Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi, 10(1), 168-177.
Ku, G.C.M. and Hsieh, C.M. (2020). Can fitness education programs satisfy fitness professionals’ compentencies? Integrating traditional and revised importance-performance analysis and three-factor theory. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4011), 1-18.
Kumral, O. (2010). Nitel çalışmalarda odak grup görüşmesi. Çağdaş Eğitim Dergisi, 35, 16-22.
Küçük, V. ve Koç, H. (2015). Psiko-sosyal gelişim süreci içerisinde insan ve spor ilişkisi. Dumlupınar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 9, 1-11.
Lloyd, C. (2007). Qualifications and an employer-led system: recruitment practices in the UK fitness industry. ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organizational Performance (SKOPE).
Lloyd, C. (2008). Recruiting for fitness: qualifications and the challenges of employer-led system. Journal of Education and Work, 21(3), 175-195.
Maclntosh, E. and Law, B. (2015). Should I stay or should I go? Exploring the decision to join, maintain, or cancel a fitness membership. Managing Leisure. 20(3), 191-210.
Madeson, M. N., Hultquist, C., Church, A. and Fisher, L. A. (2010). A phenomenological investigation of women’s experiences with personal training. International Journal of Exercise Science, 3, 157–169.
Malek, M.H., Nalbone, D.P., Berger, D.E. and Coburn, J.W. (2002). Importance of health science education for personal fitness trainers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 16(1), 19-24.
Maxwell, J. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Memiş, U.A. ve Ekenci, G. (2007). Spor merkezlerinde müşteri memnuniyeti. Gazi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 1, 33-48.
Merriam, S. B. (2015). Nitel Araştırma: Desen ve Uygulama İçin Bir Rehber (Çev. S. Turan). Ankara: Nobel Yayınevi.
Miller, D. and Moran, T. (2012). Self Esteem: A Guide for Teachers. London: Sage, s.96.
Oruç Güler, Ö. ve Anul, N. (2020). Spor salonlarında spor yapan kişilerde gıda takviyesi kullanım durumunun saptanması. Sağlık ve Yaşam Dergisi, 2(2), 43-48.
Papadimitriou, D.A. and Karteroliotis, K. (2000). The service quality expectations in private sport and fitness centers: A reexamination of the factor structure. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 9(3), 157-64.
Rutgers, H., Hollassch, K., Menzel, F., Lehmkühler, B., Gausselmann, S. ve Rump, C. (2018). European Health & Fitness Market Report; EuropeActive.
Rosado, A., Araujo, D., Mesquita, I., Correia, A., Mendes, F. and Guillen, F. (2014). Perceptions of Fitness Professionals regarding Fitness Occupations and Careers: A Phenomenological Analysis. Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 23(1), 23-31.
Samar, E. (2021). Pandemi sürecinde spor salonlarında egzersiz yapan kişilerde gıda takviyesi kullanma durumlarının incelenmesi. Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 5(2), 189-203.
Sekendiz, B. (2014). Implementation and perception of risk management practices in health/fitness facilities. International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 5(3), 165-183.
Thompson, W. R. (2019). Worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2020. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 23(6), 10-18.
Turner, E.E., Rejeski, W.J. and Brawley, L.R. (1997). Psychological benefits of physical activity are influenced by the social environment. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 19, 119-130.
Wells, J.E. and Peachey, J.W. (2011). Turnover intentions: Do leadership behaviors and satisfaction with the leader matter. Team Performance Management, 17(1/2), 23-40.
Yıldırım, A. ve Şimşek, H. (2016). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri (11. Baskı). Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
Yıldız, S., Duyan, M. ve Günel, İ. (2018). Hizmet kalitesinin müşteri memnuniyeti üzerine etkisi: fitness merkezlerinde ampirik bir uygulama. Spor Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(1), 1-8.
Yıldız, K., Polat, E., Sönmezoğlu, U. ve Çokpartal, C. (2016). Fitness merkezi üyelerinin algıladıkları hizmet kalitesinin belirleyicileri üzerine bir analiz. Niğde Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 10(3), 453-464.
Sağlık ve fitness sektöründe özellikle son yıllarda çok ciddi yatırım yapılmakta ve bu işletmelerin varlıklarını sürdürebilmelerinin, egzersiz uzmanlarının sahip olmaları gereken nitelik ve deneyimler ile doğrudan ilişkili olduğu görülmektedir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, sağlık ve fitness tesis yöneticilerinin egzersiz uzmanlarını işe alırken aradıkları nitelikleri belirlemektir. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden olgu bilim deseninin kullanıldığı bu araştırmada, katılımcılar amaçlı örneklem yönteminden ölçüt örnekleme ve kartopu örnekleme yöntemleri ile belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın örneklem grubunu fitness sektöründe en az 10 yıl deneyimi olan ve üst düzey yönetici pozisyonunda bulunan kişiler oluşturmuştur. Katılımcılarla 5’er kişiden oluşan 2 grupla odak görüşmeler yapılmış ve araştırmacı tarafından hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler içerik analiziyle çözümlenmiştir. Katılımcılardan gelen cevaplara bakıldığında, sağlık ve fitness tesis yöneticilerinin egzersiz uzmanlarında aradıkları genel özellikler kişisel ve mesleki özellikler olarak 2 kategoride toplanmıştır. Enerjik olma ve gelişime açıklık en önemli kişisel özellik, sertifikaya/belgeye sahip olmak ise en önemli mesleki özellik olarak ifade edilmiştir. Egzersiz uzmanlarının sahip olması beklenilen zorunlu ve ek belge/sertifikaların olduğu, sunmaları gereken hizmetlerin başında da egzersiz programı hazırlamak olduğu belirtilmiştir. Egzersiz uzmanlarının kariyer gelişimlerini etkileyen unsurlarla ilgili verilen ifadelerde mesleki sertifika programlarına katılmak, beslenme bilgi düzeyi ve egzersiz yapma alışkanlığı olumlu unsurlar iken, motivasyon kaybı, eğitmenliği geçici bir iş olarak görmek ve iş değiştirme sıklığı olumsuz unsurlar olarak görülmektedir. Sonuç olarak, sağlık ve fitness sektöründe yer edinmek isteyen egzersiz uzmanlarının enerjik olmaları ve kendilerini mesleki olarak geliştirmelerinin yanında birtakım belgelere/sertifikalara sahip olmaları, egzersiz programlama gibi çeşitli hizmetleri sunabilmeleri ve motivasyonlarını en üst seviyede tutmaları gerektiği söylenebilir.
Abbott, A.A. (2014). Philosophy & standarts part II. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal,18(1), 34-38.
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). (2012). ACSM’s Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines (4th Edition). USA: Human Kinetics, 30-40.
Avourdiadou, S. and Theodorakis, N. (2014). The development of loyalty among novice and experienced customers of sport and fitnessc. Sport Management Review, 17(4), 419-31.
Bain, L.L., Wilson, T. and Chaikind, E. (1989). Participant perceptions of exercise programs for overweight women. Research Quarterly, 60,134-143.
Balady, G.J., Chaitman, B., Driscoll, D., Foster, C., Froelicker, E., Gordon, N., Pate, R., Rippe J. and Bazzarre, T. (1998). Recommendations for cardiovascular screening, staffing and emergency policies at health/fitness facilities. Circulation, 97(22), 2283- 2293.
Bates, M. (2008). Health fitness management (2nd Edition). Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 287-353.
Bütün, M. and Demir, S. B. (2014). Nitel Araştırma ve Değerlendirme Yöntemleri (3.Baskı). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
Campos, F., Simões, V. and Franco, S. (2016). Characterization and comparison of the quality indicators of the group exercise fitness instructor, considering the intervenient, gender and age. International Journal of Sport, Exercise and Training Science, 2(2), 50-9.
Chekhovska, L. (2017). Fitness industry: state and prospects of development in the countries of the world. Slobozhanskyi Herald of Science and Sport, 2(58), 19-24.
Coyle, I.R., Sleeman, S.D. and Adams, N. (1995). Safety climate. Journal of Safety Research, 26, 247-254.
Craig, A.C. and Eickhoff-Shemek, J.M. (2009). Educating and training the personal fitness trainer. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 13(2), 8-13.
Çimen, Z. (2002). Spor hizmetlerinde toplam kalite boyutları. İstanbul Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(1), 37-48.
Çökük, B. (2018). Örgütsel stres düzeyinin ölçümü ve demografik değişkenlerle ilişkisi: bir kamu organizasyonu örneği. Akademik Yaklaşımlar Dergisi, 9(2), 59-83.
Marandi, E. and Harris, J. (2010). The impact of perceived service provider empathy on customer loyalty: some observations from the health and fitness sector. Managing Leisure, 15(3), 214-227.
Eickhoff-Shemek, J. and Keiper, M. (2014). High-intensity exercise and the legal liability risks. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 18(5), 30-37.
Eraslan, A. and Çimen, Z. (2016). The service quality of recreational sports centers on university campuses: perceptions of students. International Journal of Recent Scientific Reserach, 7(7), 12641-12648.
Gray, S.E., Keyzer, P., Norton, K., Joachim, D., Sekendiz, B., Coyle, I. and Finch, C. F. (2015). The role of equipment, the physical enviroment and training practices in customer safety within fitness facilities: the perspectives of fitness industry employees. Journal of Fitness Research, 4(2), 26-33.
Ilgar, E. ve Yılmaz, K. (2017). Ankara ili fitness antrenörleri: Liderlik tarzları. 10. Spor Bilimleri Öğrenci Kongresi Özeti.
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) (2013). IHRSA Global Report, The State of The Health Club Industry. 17 Eylül 2021 tarihinde http://www.ihrsa.org adresinden erişildi.
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) (2018). Global Report, The State of The Health Club Industry. Associate Publisher, Boston, MA. 17 Eylül 2021 tarihinde https://www.ihrsa.org/publications/the-2018-ihrsaglobal-report/ adresinden erişildi.
Ives, J.C. and Knudson, D. (2007). Professional practice in exercise science. Sports Medicine, 37(2), 103-115.
Parasannan, A. (2018). Global Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers Market Research, Allied Market Research. 15 Aralık 2021 tarihinde https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/fitness-and-recreational-sports-centermarket adresinden erişildi.
Jones, J.P. and Frazier, S.E. (1994). Assessment of self-esteem and wellness in health promotion professionals. Psychological Reports, 75(2), 833-834.
Kılıç Kanak, E., Öztürk, S.N., Özdemir, Y., Asan, K. ve Öztürk Yılmaz, S. (2021). Gıda takviyeleri kullanım alışkanlıklarının değerlendirilmesi. Niğde Ömer Halis Demir Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi, 10(1), 168-177.
Ku, G.C.M. and Hsieh, C.M. (2020). Can fitness education programs satisfy fitness professionals’ compentencies? Integrating traditional and revised importance-performance analysis and three-factor theory. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4011), 1-18.
Kumral, O. (2010). Nitel çalışmalarda odak grup görüşmesi. Çağdaş Eğitim Dergisi, 35, 16-22.
Küçük, V. ve Koç, H. (2015). Psiko-sosyal gelişim süreci içerisinde insan ve spor ilişkisi. Dumlupınar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 9, 1-11.
Lloyd, C. (2007). Qualifications and an employer-led system: recruitment practices in the UK fitness industry. ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organizational Performance (SKOPE).
Lloyd, C. (2008). Recruiting for fitness: qualifications and the challenges of employer-led system. Journal of Education and Work, 21(3), 175-195.
Maclntosh, E. and Law, B. (2015). Should I stay or should I go? Exploring the decision to join, maintain, or cancel a fitness membership. Managing Leisure. 20(3), 191-210.
Madeson, M. N., Hultquist, C., Church, A. and Fisher, L. A. (2010). A phenomenological investigation of women’s experiences with personal training. International Journal of Exercise Science, 3, 157–169.
Malek, M.H., Nalbone, D.P., Berger, D.E. and Coburn, J.W. (2002). Importance of health science education for personal fitness trainers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 16(1), 19-24.
Maxwell, J. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Memiş, U.A. ve Ekenci, G. (2007). Spor merkezlerinde müşteri memnuniyeti. Gazi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 1, 33-48.
Merriam, S. B. (2015). Nitel Araştırma: Desen ve Uygulama İçin Bir Rehber (Çev. S. Turan). Ankara: Nobel Yayınevi.
Miller, D. and Moran, T. (2012). Self Esteem: A Guide for Teachers. London: Sage, s.96.
Oruç Güler, Ö. ve Anul, N. (2020). Spor salonlarında spor yapan kişilerde gıda takviyesi kullanım durumunun saptanması. Sağlık ve Yaşam Dergisi, 2(2), 43-48.
Papadimitriou, D.A. and Karteroliotis, K. (2000). The service quality expectations in private sport and fitness centers: A reexamination of the factor structure. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 9(3), 157-64.
Rutgers, H., Hollassch, K., Menzel, F., Lehmkühler, B., Gausselmann, S. ve Rump, C. (2018). European Health & Fitness Market Report; EuropeActive.
Rosado, A., Araujo, D., Mesquita, I., Correia, A., Mendes, F. and Guillen, F. (2014). Perceptions of Fitness Professionals regarding Fitness Occupations and Careers: A Phenomenological Analysis. Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 23(1), 23-31.
Samar, E. (2021). Pandemi sürecinde spor salonlarında egzersiz yapan kişilerde gıda takviyesi kullanma durumlarının incelenmesi. Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 5(2), 189-203.
Sekendiz, B. (2014). Implementation and perception of risk management practices in health/fitness facilities. International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 5(3), 165-183.
Thompson, W. R. (2019). Worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2020. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 23(6), 10-18.
Turner, E.E., Rejeski, W.J. and Brawley, L.R. (1997). Psychological benefits of physical activity are influenced by the social environment. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 19, 119-130.
Wells, J.E. and Peachey, J.W. (2011). Turnover intentions: Do leadership behaviors and satisfaction with the leader matter. Team Performance Management, 17(1/2), 23-40.
Yıldırım, A. ve Şimşek, H. (2016). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri (11. Baskı). Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
Yıldız, S., Duyan, M. ve Günel, İ. (2018). Hizmet kalitesinin müşteri memnuniyeti üzerine etkisi: fitness merkezlerinde ampirik bir uygulama. Spor Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(1), 1-8.
Yıldız, K., Polat, E., Sönmezoğlu, U. ve Çokpartal, C. (2016). Fitness merkezi üyelerinin algıladıkları hizmet kalitesinin belirleyicileri üzerine bir analiz. Niğde Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 10(3), 453-464.