Fitness Coaching: Analysis of a Developing Profession in Senegal
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Loading... - Abdou Niang
- 21 Feb 2023
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Abstract
Initially considered as a simple passion and a voluntary commitment, fitness coaching is becoming more and more professional and seems to be becoming a real profession in Senegal today. This situation is due in part to the growing demand for fitness activities expressed by a large part of the population. The aim of this study is to take stock of the situation of fitness coaches in Senegal. Specifically, it is a question of analyzing their socio-demographic profiles, their levels of education and training in the field of sport, and the conditions of exercise of their profession. This research is based on a mixed methodology combining a questionnaire survey (n = 124) and a series of 23 semi-structured interviews conducted with actors in the fitness sector in Dakar. The results show that the supervision of fitness activities is mainly characterized by a male population composed mainly of young people with a high level of education.
Coaching in fitness appears as a “second” profession that complementsanother professional occupation. Moreover, the fitness sector is characterized by the “pluriactivity” where ismixed interventions in several fitness rooms and professional occupations in other sectors.
1. Introduction
In Senegal, the supply of fitness activities has increased significantly in recent decades due to a growing concern of a part of the population for their health and well-being. The importance of taking care of your body is now a trend in Senegalese society and contributes to the development of a passion for body maintenance practices that cause a fitness boom (Fall, 2022) . A survey carried out by Djiba (1998) showed that there were 27 fitness centers that are the work of private individuals, and that of Fall (2009) identified more than 58 fitness centers in the department of Dakar. Today, in the Dakar region alone, there are more than 171 fitness centers located in various structures: military barracks, private and parapublic companies, some public administrations, within universities and schools, health facilities, etc. This multiplication of practice spaces for fitness activities encourages many people to engage in fitness coaching. Today, training sessions in fitness multiply with international firms like LesMills, DNA Academy. This has led to an increase in the number of coaches who work not only in sports halls, but also in public spaces, at the beach level.
Whether these activities are organized in fitness clubs, in the open air or by the public authorities through the provision of sports facilities (Djiba, 1998) , they imply a mobilization of quality human resources for their supervision. The latter is provided by supervisors who must meet the growing expectations of individuals who wish to be accompanied by professionals in their quest for form and well-being. Indeed, one of the most important factors that attract people to fitness classes is the quality of the coaches who represent the front-line staff (Sané, 2014) . Thus, if we want to understand the evolution of the fitness sector, it would be necessary to study the actors that are the supervisors, as well as the contours of their profession.
In a context characterized by an increasing demand for socio-professional integration (ANSD, 2022) and the fragility observed on the labour market that revives the challenge of youth employability (Sall & Tine, 2015) , fitness coaching is an opportunity for many people in Senegal. Initially based on a simple passion and volunteer commitment, it seems to become a real profession in Senegal.
The survey presented tries to answer the following questions: What is the profile of fitness supervisors in Senegal? How do they qualify their profession? What are the conditions for exercising fitness coaching in Senegal?
The objectives of this study are to carry out an assessment of the situation of the profession of fitness coach in Senegal. It is specifically to analyze the socio-demographic and training profiles of coaches on the one hand, the conditions for exercising fitness coaching in Senegal on the other.
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