DO YOU fancy a career in the fitness industry. Are you a fitness enthusiast wishing you could become a teacher? Are you 18 or over? Answer yes' to all these questions and you could now find it all on your doorstep!

The Low Wood Leisure Club, near Ambleside, will be opening its doors to would-be fitness instructors, writes Lucinda Hayton.

The club is now officially registered to offer a wide range of YMCA courses, tailor-made to suit your needs.

Programmes will be run once a week over a 14-week period, or for those who require an intense training period, a two-week intensive training programme will be available.

To qualify as a fitness instructor, you will need to successfully complete the following modules; theory of bones and joints, muscles and muscle actions, lungs and circulation, energy systems and the fitness principles.

You will also be asked to choose to qualify in one of the following options: gym (resistance training and cardiovascular machines), exercise to music (aerobics), circuit training, resistance training (weight training), cardiovascular machines (treadmills, steppers) step or Aqua (water-based exercise).

Holding a level two certificate in the fitness industry allows you to teach in your chosen area. It also allows you to go on to attempt level three, which could see you becoming a personal trainer, an advanced fitness gym instructor or even a fitness centre manager.

If you've secretly been longing to change places with your aerobics instructor or have thought about going away to college to train in fitness, now's the time to do something about it - make your new year's resolution come true!

The next YMCA course at The Low Wood Leisure Centre starts on January 12. There will also be a five-week circuit training course beginning on January 12 (entry requirement level two - exercise to music). To find out if there are any places still available, or for further dates and information, contact Sandra Gibson on 015394-39445.