Burnout: Awareness, Prevention & Management with David Howatson
Recognise burnout early, protect your career, and support the people you work with.
- Endorsed by CIMSPA |
- Industry Leading 5-Star Support |
- Written & Delivered by David Howatson
- Endorsed by CIMSPA |
- Industry Leading 5-Star Support |
- Written & Delivered by David Howatson
Introduction to Burnout and David
Meet Your Course Author: David Howatson, MSc
David started out as a personal trainer in 2007 and has spent 20 years in the fitness industry since. He’s delivered education in 18 countries. As a Senior Global Educator with Technogym, he was part of the management and coaching team in the Athletes Village at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a role he also held at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
He holds a master’s degree with distinction in Psychology of Sport and works with athletes on the mental side of performance. He’s also an educator for Neurodiverse Sport and a Master Trainer for Power Plate and British Rowing.
The course blends his academic research with his own lived experience of burnout, so it reads like advice from someone who’s been there, not a textbook.
“The wellbeing of the health and fitness workforce has been overlooked for too long… My hope is that fellow fitness professionals can use the course content to arm themselves to avoid suffering, manage existing symptoms, and be more informed in helping others.“
David Howatson, Burnout Author
Look After Yourself the Way You Look After Your Clients
You spend your working life looking after other people. Early starts, late finishes, split shifts, and clients who lean on you for far more than their programme. That’s a big part of why this work matters. It’s also why so many good coaches end up running on empty.
This course helps you spot burnout before it takes hold, understand what drives it in our industry, and put practical, evidence-based strategies in place to prevent and manage it. You’ll also learn to recognise the signs in clients, members, and colleagues, and how to support them within your scope of practice.
It’s built on David Howatson’s research into burnout among fitness professionals, the first study of its kind anywhere in the world. It’s endorsed by CIMSPA and awards four CPD points upon completion.
What You'll Learn
Modules Breakdown
Module 1: Burnout 101 and Symptoms
Understand how burnout is defined, and what its three facets, exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy, look like for fitness professionals. You’ll learn the physical, emotional, and behavioural symptoms, and how they’re measured.
Module 2: Root Causes
Explore what sparks burnout in our industry, drawing on the latest research and the real experiences of fitness professionals. That includes the habits the industry treats as normal, client relationships, and the emotional and physical load of the job.
Module 3: Managing Burnout
Learn evidence-based ways to avoid and manage burnout, from challenging unhealthy industry norms to building your craft, collaborating with others, continuing your education, and reclaiming meaning in your work. You’ll leave with a system you can use on yourself and with clients who show symptoms.
Module 4: Supporting Others
Use what you’ve learned to help clients, members, and colleagues while staying within your scope of practice. This module covers mental health considerations, working collaboratively, and why confidentiality matters.
Course Structure
Format: modular online learning, with live webinars from David on the Live Course
Duration: three to four hours
Assessment: multiple choice questions at the end of the course
Endorsement: CIMSPA, four CPD points
Entry requirements: none
Who Is This Course For?
- Personal trainers and coaches managing busy client lists
- Instructors working early starts, late finishes, and split shifts
- Gym, studio, and fitness business owners responsible for a team
- TFG students and graduates looking to up-skill and add to their qualifications and knowledge
- Anyone in the fitness space who’s starting to feel the strain
Why Take This Course?
We won’t pretend a course can shorten your hours or lighten a demanding client list. But understanding what’s happening, and having a plan for it, can be the difference between a career that lasts and one that ends early.
- Protect your own career. Recognise the early signs in yourself and know what to do about them.
- Support the people around you. Spot the signals in clients, members, and colleagues, and offer better support without stepping outside your scope.
ONLINE Learning — Burnout: Awareness, Prevention & Management with David Howatson
- Price: £65
- Online Learning At Your Own Pace
- Full Access to Online Learning Materials
- Accreditation: CIMSPA - 4 CPD Points
LIVE Webinars — Burnout: Awareness, Prevention & Management with David Howatson
- Price: £80
- Live Webinars Delivered by David Howatson
- Full Access to the Online Learning Materials
- Accreditation: CIMSPA - 4 CPD Points
FAQs
Around three to four hours, studied online at a pace that fits around work and clients.
Yes. Successful completion awards four CIMSPA CPD points. It's specialist continuing professional development rather than a regulated qualification.
The Digital Course is self-paced online learning. The Live Course adds webinars delivered by David himself, and includes full access to the Digital Course too.
No. There are no entry requirements, so the course is open to TFG students, graduates, and anyone in the wider fitness workforce.
There's a multiple choice assessment at the end of the course.
Yes. The final module covers how to use what you've learned to support clients, members, and colleagues. It doesn't qualify you to diagnose or treat burnout or mental health conditions, and it's clear about where your scope ends and when to refer someone on.
The course can help you understand what's happening, but you don't need to wait for it. If you're struggling, talk to your GP or someone you trust. The course introduction also includes referral and self-referral routes.
David Howatson, a coach, educator, and researcher with 20 years in the fitness industry. His research into burnout among fitness professionals is the first of its kind anywhere in the world.