Fitness and Health Promotion

Program description - September 2025

The fitness and health industry is continually evolving as it responds to the challenges of building and maintaining healthy lifestyles for aging well across the lifespan. To meet this challenge, the Fitness and Health Promotion program is designed to open a variety of career pathways, such as personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and healthy lifestyle coach. Furthermore, the program provides you with academic pathways if you are interested in health care and rehabilitation, kinesiology, athletic/sports training, and teaching. This Ontario College Diploma program allows you to gain an in-depth understanding of exercise science, personal training/coaching, and behaviour change theory, as well as nutrition concepts, group fitness, and health promotion. Graduates develop valuable marketing and leadership skills, as well as an entrepreneurial spirit with aspects of business threaded throughout the program. Whether your goal is to work one-on-one with clients, groups, or the community, the Fitness and Health Promotion program will prepare you for career success. Courses offer a variety of hands-on learning opportunities that develop teamwork, as well as individual knowledge and skills. This program has two (2) state-of-the-art active learning labs where you practice training and coaching scenarios to prepare you for entering the field. Current fitness equipment and the latest gamification software used in the industry is also available to you. An industry placement offered in the final semester will allow you to put your skills to practice in a real world setting while also providing opportunities to network for future employment. Included in the curriculum, you can obtain internationally recognized fitness certifications such as group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and older adult fitness trainer.Exclusive to Conestoga’s Fitness and Health Promotion Program, you participate in simulation activities that mimic everyday events. This allows for exploration of critical decision-making skills and better equips you for the field. Also unique to Conestoga’s Fitness and Health Promotion Program, students can apply for a study abroad option that provides credit toward your diploma. Graduates of this program are well prepared for positions such as personal trainers/group fitness instructors working within commercial fitness facilities or boutique fitness studios. Graduates interested in population and community-based health may find employment in workplace health promotion or the non-profit sector (Heart and Stroke, community-based agencies, YMCAs etc.).*Please note that students will participate in fitness classes that will involve physical activity, which may at times be vigorous.