3 Careers That Help You Spread Well-being (Without Getting a Medical Degree)

You may be looking to start a career in something that helps to improve the lives of others. After all, having a positive impact like this with your career can be extremely rewarding and meaningful. One way to make a difference in people’s lives is by improving their physical health, something that is essential to enhancing overall well-being. However, as we all know, training to become a doctor, surgeon, or another type of medical specialist can be a long and expensive process (It takes around 10 years of studying and training to become a GP and 14 to become a surgeon). 

Luckily, there are many non-medical careers that help to improve people’s general health which don’t require such extensive training. Also, as many doctors and surgeons will tell you, their work can involve quite a lot of stress. So, if you are passionate about helping others without a high level of pressure involved in your work, then consider the following three career options: 

1. Personal Training

As a personal trainer, your role is to train people into shape. You will specialize in instructing people on how to curate and carry out a fitness regime, allowing them to achieve their fitness goals. Of course, people use personal trainers for a variety of reasons. Each client will have different aims. As a personal trainer, it’s important for you to create tailored regimes that will meet the specific needs of your clients. In order to qualify as a personal trainer, as well as enhance your general fitness knowledge, you should enroll on a course with a reliable PT company. This will ensure that you can do your job effectively, as well as increase your trustworthiness and ability to attract clients. People enjoy jobs in personal training because they tend to be hands-on, while still being flexible. Many personal trainers are entrepreneurs who build their own practice, allowing them to control their schedules and income.

2. Nutrition

Diet is also crucial when it comes to overall health and well-being. If you become a nutritionist, then you will assess individual clients, examining their current eating habits and figuring how these impact their health and well-being. Then, after taking any medical conditions or dietary preferences into account, you will be able to come up with an action plan on how your client can follow a healthier, more balanced diet. 

Like with any other profession, gaining professional qualifications or experience in training will allow you to become adept, reliable, and credible in your work. You can study a degree in nutrition or a related subject at university, or take a respected course at a different institution. By doing so, you can learn the complex and multifaceted nature of nutrition – how different nutrients interact with our bodies (and with each other) and affect our health. Many nutritionists work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, private practices, and other institutions.

3. Health or fitness writing

You may be someone who is interested in helping others to realize their fitness goals or improve their health, yet your skills may center more around research and writing than hitting the gym or the science books. If this is the case, then you may want to think about becoming a writer specializing in health, fitness, or nutrition. There are plenty of companies and websites who are looking for writers and bloggers who can carry out in-depth research into these topics and then communicate key ideas in an engaging and informative manner. For a lot of people, the internet is their main source of information on health, nutrition, and fitness. You could help to contribute high-quality articles or blog posts on these subjects and help people improve their health, all while working from your laptop. Pitching to your favorite health outlets — such as online magazines and blogs — is a good way to get started. You may also want to consider starting your own social media presence or blog containing your written work on health and fitness. 

These are just a few non-medical career paths you could follow which allow you to make a significant, lasting difference in the lives of others. You can start pursuing a career that is truly fulfilling and rewarding with just a little bit of training — and a lot of heart. 

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Sam Woolfe writes for Inspiring Interns & Graduates, the UK’s leading graduate recruitment agency. He is particularly interested in self-development, psychology, mental health, and the future of work. Most of all, though, Sam is passionate about helping people find work that is meaningful and fulfilling. You can follow him on Twitter and find more of his work at www.samwoolfe.com.