Class time includes lecturing on subjects like anatomy, therapeutic recreation, and conditioning theory, plus leading discussions and building course materials such as syllabi and assignments. Beyond the classroom, professors grade student work, track attendance and grades, and periodically revise curricula and course content to keep pace with the field. Many combine teaching with research, splitting their time between undergraduate instruction and scholarly work in recreation or fitness science.
Pros
Subject matter (exercise physiology, therapeutic recreation) connects directly to health and wellness trends
Team-based academic environment with steady collaboration among colleagues
Moderate, steady growth (2.4%) roughly in line with the overall job market
Cons
Above-average hours, expect more than a standard 40-hour work week
Only about 1,100 positions nationwide, a fairly narrow academic specialty
Below-average pay ceiling ($135k) relative to the PhD required to teach
A typical day
The 8am lecture is exercise physiology — VO2 max and training adaptations — followed by a lab section where undergrads run submaximal tests on each other and the professor circulates, correcting protocol. Office hours bring a student planning an internship at a parks department and an advisee weighing grad school. The afternoon splits between research — analyzing data from a community physical-activity intervention study — and a curriculum committee redesigning the facilities-management course. Late afternoon might mean supervising practicum students at a campus recreation program, where classroom theory meets actual eight-year-olds. Grading and a journal review round out the evening; the field is academic, but it never sits still for long.
Tasks at the job
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as anatomy, therapeutic recreation, and conditioning theory.
Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting.
There's a regular, moderate amount of time pressure, and you're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. The work is highly structured, following set procedures. You'll regularly deal with frustrated or upset people as part of the job, and almost all of the work is done as part of a team.
Education necessary or common
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the relevant field
Common college majors
Kinesiology/Exercise ScienceRecreation and Leisure StudiesSport Management (leading to a PhD)
Licenses & certifications
CPR/First Aid
ACSM or NSCA certifications (often held alongside academic credentials)