Personal Trainer Certification Requirements
The person who provides one-to-one and focused guidance on physical health and exercise is called a personal trainer. The personal trainer gives appropriate advice and drafts a customized exercise plan for his client. These goals depend on what the person needs: losing weight, building up muscle, general physical training. Recently, organizations related to health and fitness have recommended that personal trainers in fitness centers be certified and licensed by institutions.
There are two pathways to become a personal trainer one is through education and certification or through certification only. Universities and colleges offer degrees in physical education, nutrition, kinetics and human biology, usually of four year duration leading to a bachelor’s degree. A degree will give you fundamentals in skills to make you better prepared to perform your profession.
Credentialing evaluates the candidate’s ability to apply the skills required for a profession. Obtaining certification, or being accredited, means that the individual has the minimal requirements to perform in a profession. Accreditation is obtained by becoming certified by a recognized agency, or group. Requirements for certification include at least a high school diploma, cardio pulmonary resuscitation course (CPR) and approval of a written examination. In 2006 the International Health, Racquet & Sports Club Association (IHRSA), recommended that members only accept personal trainers with certifications recognized by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or other agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and/or the U.S. Department of Education,(USED).
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies conducts evaluation of institutions and agencies. The evaluation is guided by professional scope and role as well as exam development, administration, and assessment. The organizations should be able to: create exams that have no bias, measure and assess the minimum professional competencies for practice, discriminate between qualified and unqualified candidates, and assist the practitioners who pass. Make sure that the center or agency you choose to get certification from is in compliance with the accreditation guidelines. This way, you can bolster your employment and hiring options.
Personal trainer careers do not end after certification. Continuing training can provide new and additional knowledge and skills in order to stay certified. There will be personal trainer positions that ask for a college diploma and not just certification. Personal trainers have freedom in choosing their workplace. They can work at gyms, parks, fitness and exercise centers, or in client residences. They can also get specialized in a certain group, such as a particular gender or age group.
Learn more about Personal Trainer training . Stop by Dave Lashier’s site where you can find out all about personal trainer certification and what it can do for you.
Author: Dave Lashier
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