Most people who become a certified personal trainer do it because they have a passion for fitness and they love working with people. Getting certified requires patience, devotion and discipline.
Significance: To be a personal trainer you need to be reliable, be able to take a personal interest in people’s physical needs and have good time-management skills.
Function: The function of a certification is to certify that you have at least the minimum skills needed to safely carry out exercise instruction to clients.
Types: There are some personal trainer certification programs that are considered the the gold standard in the industry. They include the American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, National Academy of Sports Medicine and the International Sports Sciences Association, which can all be found below in the "Resources" section.
Time Frame: The process of getting a certification can take anywhere from a month to a year. It depends on your availability and what certification you choose to get.
Features: The certification process includes ordering textbooks, study guides, DVDs and, in some cases, CD-ROMs; all for home use. You use these materials to study, then go to a specified location to to take a test.
Considerations: In order to become certified, you must be at least 18 years old. You also need to get certified in CPR and have valid liability insurance. Check out the link below for more information on insurance.
Expert Insight: Training as an independent is very rewarding. You can completely set up your own schedule and hours and also you don’t have to answer to anyone. Just be aware that you have to do a lot of marketing.
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