Careers That Require Good Physical Fitness
Job applicants who enjoy working with their hands and keeping physically fit can explore different career options. One of these career options is a correctional officer. Other careers include fire fighters, ground maintenance workers and roofers. There are many other job choices for physically fit employees, but these give an idea of the kinds of jobs available. Each career requires good physical health to prevent self-injuries or injuries to team members.
As a software engineer, I don’t get much exercise other than walking to and from my vehicle, and my lunchtime gym session. Some jobs require a high level of physical fitness. Some jobs are a day-long workout session. The significance of this is two-fold:
- you need to be in shape to take one of these jobs, so if you are a lazy slob these jobs are probably not for you
- if all you want to get out of a job is physical labor, these jobs are perfect for you.
If you don’t have or want a college degree, several of these jobs are perfect for you. A couple of them will require either a specialized degree, or many hours of training and certification. Which job would you choose if you could pick one?
The Most Physical Jobs
- Corrections Officer
Correctional officers are hired to control jail and prison populations. They are tasked with organizing the prison mail and drafting incident reports, but they also have to prevent security breaches, including attempted prison escapes by crazed inmates, and breaking up jail-yard brawls.To be a corrections officer you need to be in good physical health, possessing adequate endurance to spend an entire 8 hour shift patrolling prison grounds, and it would be a good idea to have a bit of fighting or self-defense training under your belt.
If you decide to pursue this line of work, you’ll need to complete a training academy or participate in on-the-job training IF they already have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Don’t be disappointed though, because this line or work will only earn you between $30k and $40k a year.
- Firefighter
Firefighting is not the only activity in which firefighters partake. They often rush around saving folks’ lives in fires and other emergency situations. Some firefighting jobs include rescuing trapped people and pets from trees, collapsed buildings, and mines; putting out and stopping fires from spreading with heavy equipment and those crazy fire hoses; and sometimes they get to laze around at school seminars and fire prevention conventions.
To be a firefighters you must be in exceptional physical health in order to wield fire hoses, fire extinguishers, manipulate ladders and chainsaws, carry backpacks full of equipment, and haul survivors clear of tragic situations.
A high school diploma is required for firefighting, but you will need to also either complete a training academy or earn with a degree in fire science. While some firemen are volunteers, other full-time firefighters earn upwards of $40k to $50k a year.
- Landscaper
Providing lawn services, yard repair, and property cleaning, grounds maintenance workers keep themselves really busy. I have known landscapers who regularly work 12-14 hours a day mowing grass, blowing leaves, rearranging rock gardens, removing snow, and trimming hedges. You will have to operate heavy equipment no matter the season, but you won’t really need your powerlifting skills to paint a fence.
Endurance is required, but a high level of strength isn’t usually necessary. Without good physical health and stamina, the elements and long hours will break you down after a while.
All you need to be a landscaper is a high school diploma, sometimes not even that. Most companies provide on-the-job training. You will get an awesome tan, but for pay you should only expect about $9-$12 an hour. Sometimes a company that has wealthy clients can afford to pay an experienced landscaper up to $15 an hour.
- Roofer
Roofers work on roofs. They repair old roofs and install new roofs. Many roofers end up owning their own business, which requires handling numbers for scheduling jobs, ordering supplies, and calculating company finances.
Good physical health and adequate strength are required for roofing in order to carry roofing materials, climbing ladders, and balancing on inclined roofs. As a roofer you will get plenty of sun and will build ripped shoulder muscles by climbing ladders one-handed with arm-fulls of shingles and other materials.
This is another job that typically requires at least a high school or equivalent diploma, and on-the-job training is mandatory. Sometimes roofers will complete some classroom instruction within an apprentice program, and often learn mechanical drawing skills. Business owners often complete business courses at a 2 or 4 year college. Employed roofers can make between $40-50k a year.
- Construction
Construction workers use heavy machinery and equipment on a daily basis. Many constructions workers are thick and dense, but their muscles adapt quickly, which doesn’t allow them to build a bodybuilding physique unless they also train with weights outside the gym.To work in construction you need a high level of stamina, unless you spend each day in an excavator. Construction workers are almost always on their feet, carrying materials around, and climbing around on scaffolding. Some construction jobs are more physical than others, but for the most part you should count on a high level of physical activity each day.
You won’t need anything more than a high school diploma or equivalent to work in construction, and on-the-job training is essential. Of course, we’re not talking about skilled workers like plumbers and electricians, or civil engineers. A general physical construction worker will make an average of about $22 an hour.
Ultimately you should choose the career that makes you happy. If you throw your hands up in disgust at TPS reports and the like, then maybe one of these jobs is right for you. If you are mathematically inclined, maybe an engineering facet of one of these jobs is for you. No matter what you choose, if you want to sculpt an impressive physique, you are still going to have to put in some time in the weight room.
Tags: careers, construction, fitness, Fitness Careers, jobs, landscaping, physical careers, roofing, Top 5, work
