NILES — Niles concluded 2019 with two new downtown fitness centers, FitStop24 and Trap House 24. Two days into 2020, it was recognized as a top spot for fitness training.

On Jan. 2, AdvisorSmith, a west coast business resource company, released a study of 312 cities and their surrounding areas that analyzed the best places for fitness trainers to work and live in. Niles ranked 12th overall and seventh for a midsized population.

The study was based on three key factors, said Justin Saeheng, who conducts outreach, marketing and data studies for AdvisorSmith.

First was the average annual salary of fitness trainers in the area, gathered from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Second was the cost of living, gathered from Sperling’s Best Places. Third was the number of fitness training jobs per capita in the area.

The Niles micropolitan area was one of 319 cities that had available data for all three factors, Saeheng said.

While the Niles area’s average salary, $43,390, and its fitness trainers per capita were about the same as national averages, its cost of living was lower, allowing it to beat out other Michigan cities such as Kalamazoo, ranked 15th, Midland, 24th, and Ann Arbor, 88th.

The study was the first released this year by AdvisorSmith, one of a larger series of studies produced by the company to provide insight to clients, Saeheng said.

The reasoning for choosing the fitness training industry as a case study this month was two-fold, he said.

“Every January, there’s tons of people that want to make good on their new year’s resolution, a promise to a healthier start,” he said. “We thought this would give fitness trainers a better understanding.”

Saeheng also noted that employment in fitness training is expected to grow 13 percent over the next few years, compared to an average 5 percent growth in job sectors.

He attributes that job growth to a changing mindset toward health and fitness and to the flexibility the job field offers.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of people who do this after work as a fitness trainer,” Saeheng said. “[There is] this whole side hustle in this, too.”

Want to be a trainer? Local guru shares tips

Michelle Holloway, director of personal training and health promotions for the Niles-Buchanan branch of the YMCA of Greater Michiana, was, at first, a bit surprised to hear her hometown was a top spot for fitness training.

But upon consideration, she said she could see fitness training prominence in her line of work.

Holloway employs and manages fitness trainers at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA. Among the two other branches of the YMCA of Greater Michiana association, her branch has the most trainers and trainees by far.

Mid-January is the time when the fitness training department of the YMCA begins to see an uptick in people requesting training sessions, Holloway said. Many are due to New Year’s resolutions.

Whether those resolutions are reached or eventually let go of, Holloway is happy to help.

“My goal is trying to help people live a functional life,” she said.

A focus on personable, relationship-focused work to better one’s life makes the job field appealing, Holloway said.

She is about to begin her 13th year as a fitness trainer, helping those young and old, able bodied and disabled, fit or wanting to be, reach their own personal goals.

She came to the YMCA from a factory job. In order to best meet her daily work routine’s heavy lifting requirements, she began to train. This led to a training job and numerous certifications and clients.

For those inspired by Niles’ high ranking in fitness training friendliness, Holloway provided a few pointers.

First, she said, receiving certification by a trustworthy accreditor is key. She cited American Council on Exercise, American College of Sports Medicine and National Academy of Sports Medicine as examples.

Once that certification is obtained, a new fitness trainer may find themselves struggling to find clients due to their novice nature, Holloway said.

Developing relationships with clients and potential clients can help a fitness trainer establish their expertise and reputation.

“Our Niles facility focuses big-time on relationship-building and making sure people feel welcome, making sure that everybody knows it’s a workout for you,” Holloway said.

In order to help new trainers move up in respectability, knowledge and pay, Holloway said working with experienced trainers is key. She said these veteran trainers should invest in their new fellow trainers with constructive guidance.

Finally, Holloway advised to be open to changes in one’s niche in the job field. While a trainer may want to train people who want to be in peak physical condition, they may find more of a need or a deeper interest in helping those that want to improve balance or flexibility.