Certifications Articles

d discussion How should certifications evolve? By Lisa Liddane It has indelibly altered the landscape of fitness instruction. It has clearly evolved to a basic qualification for employment. It is undoubtedly what consumers expect to find behind a fitness professional's name. But what's less clear is whether certification has achieved its original purpose: to ensure that consumers find a safety n...

The fitness industry has come a long way in terms of credibility and standards since the days of fuzzy leg warmers and terry cloth sweatbands. In fact, industry standards have risen so much in recent years that many companies will hire only those fitness professionals who have obtained their certifications from organizations approved by independent entities, such as the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

our fitness director at the club just called with a reminder that one of your primary fitness certifications is about to expire. Somewhere in a pile of papers, you have the renewal notice sent by the certifying board. You meant to track your renewal, but somehow it just got away from you. Now you might be pulled from working with clients unless you hurry to update that primary certification.

The Pilates Method Alliance® (PMA™) intends to offer the first national certification exam for Pilates instructors in August 2005, according to Kevin Bowen, PMA’s chief executive officer and cofounder. Bowen says, “Our goal is to create a professional standard for the industry and give consumers greater protection from incompetence. We are encou...

Mainstream consumers are starting to embrace personal training, currently one of the leading growth trends in the fitness industry. Once considered within the reach only of celebrities and wealthy socialites, personal fitness trainer (PFT) services are now valued by more people, and more of them are willing to pay. Leading fitness centers throughout the U.S. have thriving personal training programs.

Now you can give your clients another reason to exercise. A new study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute found that cardiorespiratory fitness in early adulthood significantly decreases the chance of developing high blood pressure and diabetes—both major risk factors for heart disease and stroke—in middle age. Fitness also reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of factors that includes excess abdominal fat, elevated blood pressure and triglycerides, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (the “good” cholesterol).

According to the sidebar “Certification’s Impact on Staffing” in “The Certification Balance” by Lisa Liddane (July-August 2003 IDEA Health & Fitness Source), certification is more important than both experience and degrees when it comes to hiring or promoting fitness professionals. How can the knowledge gained from a 4-day weekend certification compare with that from a bachelor’s or master’s degree?

The customer service, information technology, sales and medical industries rely upon employee training because it improves performance, reduces costs and increases revenue. Intel Corporation, Pfizer Inc., Ritz-Carlton and The Harley-Davidson Motor Company are only a few examples of thriving companies who use training to improve the performance of their most valued assets: their employees.