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How to Become a Fitness Tutor

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https://origym.ie/course/level-3-fitness-instructorAre you a fitness professional wanting to help inspire the next generation of personal trainers, gym instructors, nutritionists and more? If so, have you considered becoming a fitness tutor? 

Our step-by-step guide will cover all you need to know about how to become a fitness tutor, including:

If you’re already a qualified personal trainer, you can become a fitness tutor by taking a Fitness Teaching & Assessing Course with OriGym. 

Enquire today or download our latest prospectus to browse our full range of courses. 

 

Enquire today to become a personal trainer with OriGym!

Start an exciting new career path in the fitness industry! 

Step 1- Know What The Role Involves

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Before we get into how to become a fitness tutor, you should familiarise yourself with what the role involves, so you can be sure that it is the right job for you! 

So, what exactly is a fitness tutor?

A fitness tutor is a holistic term given to a qualified teacher and assessor who delivers vocational fitness courses. In other words, they are someone who teaches others how to become a fitness professional. 

You may be wondering, what is the difference between a ‘tutor’ and an ‘assessor’?

A tutor is someone who teaches students, usually in a classroom-based environment, whereas an assessor is a person who delivers and marks the assessments.

Sometimes these are two separate roles, but in most cases, the same person carries out both tutoring and assessing. 

This is why here at OriGym, our course is called Fitness Teaching and Assessing since it qualifies you for both aspects of the role. We will explain what qualifications you need to become a fitness tutor later in this article! 

With this in mind, for this article, when we refer to a ‘fitness tutor’, this also encompasses the assessing part of the role too. 

What Courses Do Fitness Tutors Teach And Assess?

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Fitness tutors teach a range of fitness-related vocational courses, such as

As we will discuss more in Step 2, to teach these courses, you will need to have qualified in the course itself. For example, if you want to teach Level 4 Sports Massage Therapy, you will need to have completed that course yourself!  

Roles And Responsibilities Of A Fitness Tutor

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If you want to become a fitness tutor, you need to be ready to take on the following roles and responsibilities: 

      • Writing lesson plans and creating resources for students
      • Teaching to groups
      • Teaching students one-on-one
      • Marking work and providing feedback on assessments and coursework
      • Giving student support outside of the classroom- face to face and via phone and email
      • Invigilating exams

If these things sound daunting, don’t worry! You’ll learn how to do all of these things during your Fitness Teaching and Assessing course, which we will discuss in more detail later in this article. These tasks are fairly different from the roles and responsibilities of a personal trainer.

For example, there is a lot more administrative work, such as marking students’ work and giving feedback.

However, some tasks- such as teaching students one-on-one, you will already be familiar with as a personal trainer. You will therefore be able to transfer many of your existing skills to this new role, as well as develop and learn new ones!

 

Enquire today to become a personal trainer with OriGym!

Start an exciting new career path in the fitness industry! 

Skills Required To Be A Fitness Tutor

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To meet the demands of becoming a fitness tutor, there are some key skills and personal attributes that you will need, such as:

      • Strong communication skills
      • Time management
      • Flexibility 
      • Motivational 
      • Organisational skills
      • Creativity 
      • Confident public speaker 

While the roles may differ significantly, these skills are very similar to the key communication skills that personal trainers require.

However, since you’ll be teaching a group of people in a classroom environment, there is more focus on being a good communicator. This is because you’ll need to be able to deliver lessons clearly, confidently and in an engaging way.

Creativity is also a particularly important skill to have if you are wanting to become a fitness tutor. 

This will allow you to design creative and engaging lessons for your students, which will benefit their learning. 

However, if you’re already a personal trainer, you should be used to creating engaging exercise programs for your clients, so you can transfer this skill to becoming a fitness tutor!

Fitness Tutor Salary 

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If you’re wondering how to become a fitness tutor, we know that you’ll want to know what kind of salary you can expect to earn. 

Unfortunately, there is no concrete answer to this! 

According to Talent, the average fitness tutor salary is €30,500 a year. It also reports that the most experienced workers can start earning approximately €46,500 a year! 

Just like most fitness jobs, several factors can affect your fitness tutor salary, such as your location, your level of experience and qualifications, and who you are working for.

For example, if you are working for a high-end college or course provider in London, you will likely earn more than if you were working for a small company in a regional area. 

Fitness Tutor Hours

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When wondering how to become a fitness tutor, you should be aware of the hours you would be expected to work. 

The hours you work will vary depending on the type of contract you are working under which we will cover in more detail in Step 3. 

If you work as a salaried fitness tutor, you can expect to work 36 hours a week on average. But this will vary depending on the course provider you work for.

If you work as a freelance fitness tutor, you can expect to work an average of 48 hours a week. But as we will discuss, as a freelance tutor you will largely determine your hours.

The hours you work in the day will also depend on where you work. For example, if you work for a college, you will therefore work during college hours, such as 9 am-4 pm. 

The same applies to training providers that run full-time personal trainer courses: these tend to run from 9 am – 5:30 pm, 5 days per week.

You should also be aware that for the majority of fitness tutor jobs, you may be expected to do tasks such as marking assessments or planning lessons outside of your contracted working hours. 

Many providers will run aspects of the course at weekends, such as practical workshops or assessments, which you will likely be expected to be present for. 

There are even sometimes course providers that hire fitness tutors specifically for the weekends. For example, this job vacancy from OriGym is for a Weekend Fitness Tutor:

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This could therefore be ideal if you are looking to become a fitness tutor to supplement your existing job. For example, you could do personal training during the week, and do a day of fitness tutoring on the weekend. 

Step 2- Get Qualified As A Fitness Tutor

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To become a fitness tutor, there are 2 main qualifications that you will need. 

Firstly, you need to be qualified in the discipline you are wishing to teach and assess. 

For example, if you want to help teach a personal training course, then you must have the Level 4 personal training qualification yourself. 

Secondly, you will need to take a Fitness Teaching and Assessing Course

The minimum requirement you need for most fitness tutor jobs is the Level 4 Award in Education and Training. However, here at OriGym, you will receive this and so much more through our package deal, which is designed to ensure that you stand out in the fitness tutor job market.

Upon completing our course in Fitness Teaching & Assessing, you will achieve both:

      • Level 4 Award in Assessing Vocational-Related Achievements
      • Level 4 Award in Education and Training

Other course providers may offer these 2 courses separately. This is usually more expensive and it takes longer since you will have to enrol and complete each course separately. 

However, combining both qualifications into one course means that OriGym students can get qualified as fitness tutors a lot quicker! 

Our course is delivered via blended learning, and students take an average of just 8 weeks to complete the Fitness Teaching & Assessing course - we’ll discuss study methods and how long they take in more detail very soon. 

 

Enquire today to become a personal trainer with OriGym!

Start an exciting new career path in the fitness industry! 

Fitness Teaching & Assessing Course Content

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If you take your Fitness Teaching & Assessing course with OriGym, we guarantee that you will gain all the knowledge and practical skills required to become a fitness tutor. 

Our course covers the following modules:

      • Understanding Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships in Education-In this module, you will learn all about relationships between clients and teachers. 

You’ll learn how to create a safe and supportive environment to be inclusive of all students.

      • Using Inclusive Teaching Approaches-As a fitness tutor, you will need to be able to adapt your teaching methods to a wide range of different types of students. 

For example, students who are new to fitness may require more detailed teaching, whereas students with previous teaching experience may not require as much guidance on certain aspects. 

      • Facilitating Group Learning-This module outlines how fitness tutors should be working with large groups. 

You’ll learn how to run introductions and icebreakers, as well as set ground rules for group sessions to create a positive learning environment for all. 

If you feel like you need more guidance in teaching groups, taking a CPD course in group training is a great way to complement this module. 

      • Principles and Practices of Assessments-Here you’ll learn about the different types of assessment methods in fitness courses. 

It covers the legal requirements surrounding assessments and how to plan assessment days, including a chance to shadow a real assessment day for OriGym students. 

How To Choose Your Fitness Tutor Course Provider

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With so many options out there, it can be hard to know which course provider to go for. To help you with the process, here are some things that you should consider:

#1- Course regulation-You should make sure that your Fitness Tutor course is regulated by an Ofqual-approved awarding body, such as Focus Awards or Active IQ. 

This regulation means that the course has met the industry standards outlined for a ‘Level 4’ course, which is an essential requirement to work as a fitness tutor.

This Level 4 requirement is something that the majority of, if not all, employers will ask for. For example, here is a typical fitness tutor job description for a position in the UK, asking for the level 3 equivalent of this qualification:

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As you can see, they are asking for a minimum of a Level 3 teaching qualification.  

You should also ensure that your course is accredited by CIMSPA a professional body for health and fitness which allows you to use the qualification through eReps.

CIMSPA accreditation is a ‘stamp of approval’ that shows you, the student, and any employers, that the course you have taken is reliable and meets the standards of the fitness industry.

Accreditation and regulation give you confidence that your course has provided you with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the role, and it also shows employers that you have been trained to the highest standards.

When choosing a course provider, you should therefore look out for the logos of the following regulating bodies:

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OriGym’s Fitness Teaching and Assessing Course is both CIMSPA-recognised and Ofqual regulated, so you can be sure that you are receiving this high level of education that will be recognised when you come to finding a fitness tutor job! 

#2- Study method-You should check whether your fitness tutor course is taught online, via blended learning, or full-time.

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This is particularly important if you’re taking your course alongside other commitments such as a job or university, for example, as studying full-time can be very intense.

Meanwhile, studying an online or blended course will make it much easier to manage your studies around other responsibilities.  

Here at OriGym, our Fitness Teaching & Assessing course is taught via blended learning, meaning that you will study the course content via our award-winning e-learning platform, at your own pace, anywhere you like. 

This flexibility that comes with combining online and in-person learning is what makes this study method so popular, as students can take control of how and when they learn.

Say you’re already a personal trainer, choosing our blended learning option would mean you could continue training clients whilst studying for your teaching qualification - giving you the freedom to train to be a fitness tutor whilst earning money!

 

Enquire today to become a personal trainer with OriGym!

Start an exciting new career path in the fitness industry! 

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The study method is also an important factor to consider when choosing a personal trainer course. Unlike many fitness qualifications, you don’t need to have fully completed your teacher training or assessing qualification before you can become a fitness tutor in a workplace. 

Instead, you simply need to be working towards your certificates. 

This means that as soon as you enrol on a blended fitness teaching and assessing course, you can start working with real students and get employed by a college or training provider alongside your studies. 

But bear in mind that after enrolling, you have 12 months to get both your teaching and assessing course completely.

#3- Location-With blended learning courses, some of your learning will be done independently and remotely, but you will also need to attend practical workshops, too. 

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You will therefore need to make sure that the practical workshops are in a location that you can easily get to. 

So, before signing up for a course, make sure to ask about workshop locations, parking options, and public transport routes.

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Enjoying this article so far? Here are 3 more that we think you’ll love:

#4- Support during the course-An essential factor to look out for when comparing course providers is the amount of support you will receive for the online element of your fitness tutor course. 

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Although you will do your online study independently, there will undoubtedly be times when you have questions or need the help of a tutor. 

Before deciding on a course or provider, you should find out through what means you will receive tutor support and when it is available. 

For example, it’s no good having support available over the phone Monday-Friday, if you work during the week and want to study on the weekends. 

Not having anyone available to answer your questions when you need help can delay the time it takes you to complete your course, which can be frustrating! 

This is one of the major factors that affect how quickly you can become a personal trainer. 

That’s why OriGym’s support team are on-hand 7 days a week, via email, chat box and phone, so you can get answers to all your questions at any time. 

#5- Post-Course Support

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As well as contact time during the course, it is just as important to receive good support after you’ve qualified. 

At OriGym, for example, we give all our students award-winning post-course support when they graduate. 

This includes career advice, help with your CV, mock interviews and more. This means that you can apply for jobs with more confidence since you will have career advice from experts! 

 

Enquire today to become a personal trainer with OriGym!

Start an exciting new career path in the fitness industry! 

#6- Reviews

An often overlooked factor to consider when choosing a course provider is reviews from previous students. Look at neutral platforms such as Trustpilot to get an unbiased idea of their reputation. 

For example, here is an example review of OriGym’s Fitness Teaching & Assessing course on Trustpilot, where we have an average of 4.9 stars out of 5:

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Reviews such as these from previous students- especially on an unbiased platform, are great indications of a good course provider.

How Long Does It Take To Become A Qualified Fitness Tutor?

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Now you know what qualifications you need, you’re probably wondering how long it will take you to become a fitness tutor. 

Ultimately, this will vary by the course provider. But to use OriGym as an example, our average student on our Fitness Teaching and Assessing course takes around 8 weeks to complete the course. 

However, several factors can determine how long it takes you to become a fitness tutor, such as:

#1- The course provider-As we have covered, things such as the study method, tutor support, and the location of your course provider can all influence how long it takes you to qualify.  

For example, if you choose a course provider that doesn’t provide much support for their students, you will be waiting longer for answers to your questions, which may delay the time it takes you to complete your coursework and qualify!  

#2 How hard you work-Since there is an independent study aspect to the blended Fitness Teaching & Assessing course, how long it takes you to qualify largely depends on how often and how hard you work. 

For example, even if you complete all the practical work, if you’re slow to complete the online study, this will of course delay the time it takes you to qualify. 

#3- Your education and experience-As we have said, all you need to become a fitness tutor is to be qualified in what you are teaching, plus an accredited Fitness Teaching & Assessing course- you don’t need any previous education or experience. 

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However, your education and experience can influence how long it takes you to complete your Fitness Teaching & Assessing course. 

For example, if you already have a teaching qualification, such as a PGCE, you will naturally have a head start, as you will already be familiar with the core principles of teaching. 

This may mean that you complete the course quicker than someone without any previous teaching experience. 

That said, a Fitness Teaching & Assessing course is still useful as it teaches you how to apply these principles to fitness courses specifically.  

That is not to say that someone without a degree will not complete the course just as fast, if not quicker! After all, whether you have a degree or not, you’ll still have to put the time and effort in.

In terms of work experience, many entry-level fitness tutor jobs do not ask for previous teaching experience. 

However, many employers do prefer candidates with experience in the field that they are wanting to teach. For example, if you want to teach a personal training course, having experience working as a PT yourself could put you at an advantage.

Here’s an example job ad asking for previous experience:

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As you can see, this group exercise course tutor role asks for ‘at least 2 years’ experience of teaching group exercise classes’. 

To make yourself as employable as possible, we recommend getting plenty of work experience in the fitness industry.

This will help your employment prospects, but it will also help you to become a better fitness tutor, too.

For example, whilst studying for your Fitness Teaching & Assessing course, you could also work in a gym part-time, volunteer at a local school teaching sports, or assist with your local football team’s coaching one evening a week. 

However small, all of this experience will add up and help you stand out to employers!  

#4- Whether you pass your final assessments the first time Although you can aim to complete your Fitness Teaching and Assessing course in a certain amount of time, it will of course take longer if you don’t pass your assessments the first time, as you will have to retake them. 

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For example, here at OriGym, you will have to pass the following assessments to qualify as a fitness tutor:

For the Level 4 Award in Education and Training:

      • Online coursework 
      • 15-minute practical micro-teach

For the Level 4 Award in Assessing Vocational-Related Achievement:

      • Online coursework 
      • Practical examination of assessing personal training students

This may sound like a lot, but with OriGym’s 95% pass rate, if you work hard and use the support of our expert tutors, you are bound to pass the first time! 

However, even if you don’t, OriGym offers free resists, so you can always try again. Not many course providers offer free resits, so be sure to avoid any additional costs by asking about free resits when comparing qualifications!

#5- When you start applying for jobs-As we mentioned earlier, you can start working as a fitness tutor whilst you are still studying for your qualification. 

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If you want to become a fitness tutor fast, we, therefore, recommend that you start applying for your first fitness tutor job once you are enrolled in the course! 

This helps speed up the time it takes you to become a fitness tutor, compared to waiting until you are qualified to start your search. 

Plus, here at OriGym, all of our students have access to our award-winning careers support. From CV help to interview prep, we’ll help you find your dream fitness tutor job as soon as possible!

Step 3- Decide How You Want To Work As A Fitness Tutor

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Once you have your fitness tutoring qualification- or even whilst you are studying, you should think about how you want to work as a fitness tutor. 

By this, we mean whether you want to be a full-time fitness tutor, or use your qualification to supplement your current work. 

Here are some of the main career paths you could decide to go down, and the pros and cons of each. 

 

Enquire today to become a personal trainer with OriGym!

Start an exciting new career path in the fitness industry! 

Full-time Employed Fitness Tutor

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This option simply means that you work full-time as a fitness tutor for an organisation.

The most common employers that offer full-time fitness tutor jobs are fitness course providers, such as OriGym! 

Working full-time for an organisation typically means that you will have set hours and a stable monthly income. You’ll also have the benefits of being employed by a company, such as pension contributions and paid holiday leave. 

If you’re a newly qualified fitness tutor looking for job stability, the reasons listed above mean that working for a course provider is probably the best option for you.

However, with this kind of structure comes less freedom, both in terms of your time and your earning potential. 

So, if you’re a more experienced tutor or someone wanting to simply do tutoring to complement your other work, the next option may be more suitable.

Freelance Fitness Tutor 

Instead of being employed by one company full-time, a popular career option is to work as a fitness tutor on a freelance basis. 

As a freelance fitness tutor, you can still work for a course provider, but you will generally have more freedom regarding your working hours and the amount of work you take on. 

That said, course providers still have the right to require you to work a certain amount of hours a week and be flexible, depending on your contract. 

Some course providers may even state that you cannot work for another course provider. 

Freelance fitness tutors have the potential to earn more than those in full-time employment, however, choosing this employment route does mean that you are essentially self-employed. 

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This, therefore, brings with it the added responsibilities of self-employment, such as managing your finances and paying taxes yourself, and it means that you have less of a fixed income.

For example, when working for a course provider on a freelance basis, you may be able to claim travel expenses if you have to commute to students or assessment centres. But to do this, you’ll need to be organised, keep receipts, and either complete a self-assessment tax return or hire an accountant. 

The main benefit of working as a freelance fitness tutor is that you can pursue other lines of work alongside it. 

For example, you could be a freelance personal trainer, and do freelance fitness tutoring and assessing too. This is a great way to supplement your training income and maximize your overall earnings! 

Here’s a job advert for a Lower Back Pain Course Fitness and Assessor at a fitness course provider on a freelance basis. 

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As you can see, there is a rate of pay for a day. This is perhaps the most common method of payment, although you may also find providers who pay hourly. 

This advert also shows that expenses are covered, as is the case for most freelance fitness tutor jobs.

 

Enquire today to become a personal trainer with OriGym!

Start an exciting new career path in the fitness industry! 

Step 4- Find A Job As A Fitness Tutor

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Once you have qualified and decided whether you want to be a full-time or freelance fitness tutor, the next step to becoming a fitness tutor is to find a job!

For both employed and freelance fitness tutors, general job listing websites such as Indeed and Glassdoor is a great place to start. 

Another great way to find a job as a fitness tutor is to ask the course provider that you took your fitness course if they have any vacancies for tutors. You could use your existing connections to the network and get ahead of other applicants! 

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Social networks such as Instagram and LinkedIn are also good ways to network and find a fitness tutor job. Proactively reaching out to potential employers shows initiative and that you are passionate about working for them. 

Being proactive is especially important if you are working as a freelance fitness tutor, as how much money you earn is ultimately down to how much effort you put into finding it! 

When applying for any job, having a strong CV and cover letter is essential. This is what will help your application stand out to an employer and is a chance to really show off your skills, experience and qualifications.

Check out our guides to writing a personal trainer cover letter, and a personal trainer CV for some inspiration.

Step 5- Progress Your Career As A Fitness Tutor

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Even once you have become a fitness tutor, you can still be thinking about the next stage in your career! 

Here are the most common routes of progression for fitness tutors.

Expanding Your Tutoring Skills With Advanced Qualifications

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Once you have a Fitness Teaching and Assessing qualification, you have the potential to go into teaching a range of fitness courses.

If you only have a Level 4 Personal Trainer qualification as well as your Teaching and Assessing course, you will only be able to work as a tutor for personal training students. 

But, by taking further qualifications, such as a Level 5 in Advanced Sports Nutrition or a Level 4 Sports Massage course, you can expand your career prospects.

Achieving these further certifications would mean that you were then qualified to teach and assess sports nutrition or sports massage students too!

This is hugely beneficial, as many course providers may be more interested in hiring fitness tutors who can teach a wide range of courses, over those who are limited to one.

The more qualifications you can teach, the more valuable you are to an employer - something which will be reflected in how much you earn!

 

Enquire today to become a personal trainer with OriGym!

Start an exciting new career path in the fitness industry! 

Working In Higher Education

If you find that you particularly enjoy the group teaching aspects of being a fitness tutor, another possible career route to go down is to become a university or college lecturer in a fitness-related subject. 

Here is an example of a Sports Lecturer job advert:

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As you can see, you would have to take further teaching qualifications, such as a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and have a degree in a sports-related subject. It is therefore more of a long-term career prospect- but it is certainly possible. 

From working as a fitness tutor, you would have the ‘experience of teaching sport’, the ‘knowledge and understanding of awarding body standards and requirements’, and the ‘understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion in work and learning’ required for this job. 

Before You Go!

We hope that you now have all you need to become a fitness tutor! So, what are you waiting for? Enquire today to start your Fitness Teaching and Assessing course with OriGym today! 

You can also browse our full range of fitness courses by downloading our free course prospectus here.

Written by Alice Williams

Content Writer & Fitness Enthusiast

Alice is a content writer at OriGym. With a first-class degree in French and Linguistics, she loves all things language, fitness and culture. As part of her degree, she spent a year living in France where she worked for a lifestyle blog, gaining professional experience in both translation and content writing. 

When she’s not writing, you can usually find Alice practicing yoga and she hopes to one day become a yoga instructor herself. She also loves running, tennis and cooking up a vegan storm in the kitchen! It was this passion for health and fitness, combined with her love for writing, that brought Alice to OriGym.

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