Licensing Debate: Personal Trainers, Group Fitness Instructors
The November-December 2008 issue of IDEA Fitness Journal (2008; 5 [10], 16) reported on proposed legislation that would require personal trainers in Washington, DC, to register with the mayor and submit fees biennially. Registered personal trainers would be regulated by the Board of Physical Therapy and would operate within a scope of practice delineated by the board. Now, other states are following suit.
On October 6, 2008, Senate Bill 2164—the “Fitness Professional Licensing Act”—was proposed in New Jersey. This legislation would require that a governor-appointed board oversee the licensing and regulation of personal trainers and group fitness instructors.
Should the bill become law, professionals seeking licensure would have to complete “an approved course of study of not less than 300 in-person classroom hours, as prescribed by the board after consultation with the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.” Those hours would include at least 50 hours of unpaid internship “in the presence of and under direct supervision of a licensed fitness professional,” to be provided by the school offering the approved course of study. Upon program completion, professionals would need to pass a final examination.
Trainers and instructors possessing either an associate or bachelor’s degree in physical education, exercise science, exercise physiology or adult fitness would be exempt from the classroom study, internship hours and final exam. Professionals obtaining certification prior to enactment of S 2164 would have to hold a certificate from the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) or other board-approved organization. They would be required to offer proof of enrollment in or successful completion of at least 150 in-person classroom hours.
Across the board, fitness professionals agree that personal training and group fitness instruction should be regulated for optimal safety. However, some find the proposed legislation inappropriate. “With the increase in obesity among the young, frailty among the elderly and [an] overall decline in fitness, it is outrageous that the New Jersey state senate is trying to balance the bloated state budget on the backs of personal trainers and their clients,” says Joe Stein, president of Renaissance Fitness & Wellness Inc., in Little Silver, New Jersey. “Lowered standards, onerous additional requirements that most certified [trainers] have already met, and increased licensing fees are not the way to help the people of New Jersey.”
New Jersey-based personal trainer and life coach John Allen Mollenhauer disagrees. “I think the respect, quality of service and impact of the personal training industry will be far higher and the opportunity greater for the committed group of professionals when the barriers to entry are higher, like any other profession,” he says.
“IDEA Health & Fitness Association opposes S 2164 for a number of reasons,” say Kathie and Peter Davis, IDEA executive director and chief executive officer (CEO), respectively. “The bill’s education requirements are not in line with current industry practice and require so much time and cost that they would definitely discourage both group exercise instructors and personal trainers from entering the field. Also, the bill is not taking into account the third-party standards set by NCCA and the 10 personal training certification bodies who have become accredited by NCCA. The industry is taking responsible measures to self-regulate, and this bill completely overlooks this very important fact.”
Sal Arria, MSS, DC, president of the NBFE, remains neutral on the subject but believes that, if states adopt licensing requirements, a nationwide license should be offered. “It is in the best interest of the fitness profession to utilize one National Board Examination as a terminal licensure exam in lieu of ending up with 50 different state board licensing exams,” he suggests. “This model has been very successful in some medical and allied health fields, but unfortunately there are still many that require 50 different state board exams in addition to 50 different education and continuing education requirements. Obviously this places unnecessary hardship on professionals who move [from one state to another].”
Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise, also agrees that uniform regulation of fitness professionals should be administered, but finds the proposed requirements for licensure cumbersome. Bryant believes that, as proposed, the bill would “inhibit efforts to both provide protections for the consumer and facilitate growth of the fitness industry in New Jersey.” He suggests using the standard established for other allied healthcare professions through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Institutions offering vocational 2-year programs, 4-year degrees or advanced degrees can receive CAAHEP accreditation.
Bryant also requests that the current standard, as regulated by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), should be upheld instead of switching to NBFE. “Existing codes of ethics, standards of care and a clearly defined scope of practice for the personal training profession are recognized and accepted by the leading fitness certifications organizations accredited through the NCCA,” he adds.
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) mobilized its members and spoke out against S 2164 in October 2008 on the grounds that the bill ignored the great majority of the personal training industry that has embraced accreditation; nominated a single certifying body over an entire market of accredited certifying bodies; established requirements that would increase costs for trainers and consumers; established arbitrary education requirements; and required unworkable and expensive oversight.
According to Joe Moore, the president and CEO of Boston-based IHRSA, “the industry should regulate itself rather than have outside forces who know little of our industry do it.
“As an advocacy organization, it is important to us that trainers be qualified,” said Moore. “We want to support policies that help our member businesses grow, and alert our members when the government tries to do things that might hurt their businesses. We have a public policy division that tracks proposals and mobilizes our members to act.”
If passed, S 2164 could set a nationwide precedent. In addition to Washington, DC, and New Jersey, Maryland and Georgia are also considering fitness professional licensure, according to the NBFE website (www.nbfe.org/news/press_releases/stateLicensing_082008.cfm; retrieved November 12, 2008). To read the New Jersey bill in its entirety, visit http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/S2500/2164_I1.HTM.
December 2008
© 2008 by IDEA Health & Fitness Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.
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Article Comments
On Dec 04, 2008
Populations that take Spinning vs Yoga vs Zumba are very different from each other. So I can't understand how legislation will work more efficiently by forcing all instructors and trainers to commit numerous hours and dollars into getting that licensing.
As a personal trainer and as a group fitness instructor there are two aspects that come to mind; business and interpersonal.
The business aspect is the part that I believe legislature is going after yet hiding it under looking after the best interest of the person. The aspect legislators are missing is the interpersonal.
It is a valid point that some instructors may be doing things that may injure people. That is why I believe that each organization is responsible for regulating their portion of the industry. If a Spinning instructor injures someone because he has his class "popping wheelies" on their stationary bike, Johnny G should be the one saying "Hey, that's not how Spinning is done." If a TaeBo instructor has someone in his class break his neck because of some back flip high kick, then Mr Blanks should have some standard that clearly tells his instructors that this move is not part of TaeBo. Same goes with Beto for Zumba.
As a Zumba instructor in Houston, TX, I have been named a winner in the Best Of Citysearch 2008. I have reached large numbers of people and have made huge positive impact in many lives. I have a fantastic team of 7 other Zumba instructors comprising Tropa Zumba (www.tropazumba.com) that have careers outside of the fitness industry, instruct by my side and put a great deal of their personal time to make this possible. What we provide to the public is an intense feel good class that implants something miraculous in everyone that belongs to our "Zumba Family." We co-teach 7 classes together. On top of that, I teach 7 classes independent from Tropa Zumba. That brings me to 14 classes per week.
That said, I can't imagine teaching more classes than that for the sake of making the legislative expenses that might be required just to get started. As an instructor I have 1 of 2 choices. Either I am employed by a fitness facility or I work as an independent instructor. Let's say that I work for a gym, here in Houston, the average rate per class, from my experience, is $35 to $45 per class for a one hour class. The maximum number of recommended classes per week according to AFAA to stay safe is 12 classes. That gives you $420 to $540 per week before taxes, or $1645 to $2115 per month before taxes. Most instructors teach about 3 to 6 classes per week.
As an independent instructor, other expenses/losses come into play. They include, but are not limited to rent for instruction space, marketing and advertisement, liability insurance, equipment and materials such as music, loss of wages and sometimes clients for time off, as well as expenses involved for instructors working in gyms as CECs and certification, transportation etc. That doesn't even cover any start up costs and time spent doing free demos and exhibitions for publicity.
The senate bill would surely eliminate several instructors that teach in gyms if they only work few classes. And what of the more entrepreneurial instructor that decides to work independent and start his own "small business"? Does this legislation include some assistance in survival like the one recently offered to the large conglomerates. If legislature is able to announce an $85 billion bailout to AIG, who less than a week later treated their top executives to a week long retreat at the luxury St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif., running up a tab of $440,000, to later announce that the U.S. Federal Reserve saw fit to loan AIG another $37.8 billion of taxpayer money, how much of a loss is the government willing to take accountability for when we see the affect on millions of people nationwide when individuals and teams such as our cannot afford to sustain the gift that they have to offer?
On Dec 06, 2008
On Dec 10, 2008
On Dec 16, 2008
Other countries like Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. have had registration bodies in place for ages and their industries are much more respected. Shouldn't the USA be the leader in the field?
On Dec 17, 2008
Roland Dietz
Focused Connections, Inc.
Certified Core Dynamics Pilates
Certified Gyrotonic, Licensed Gyrokinesis
On Dec 17, 2008
And, just why is licensing needed? To protect the public? From what? A few years ago I contacted companies providing liability insurance to personal trainers. They said they had very little claims activity, mostly for trip and fall incidents. If trainers presented a major risk to the public, trainers wouldn't be able to buy millions of dollars of liability protection for a few hundred dollars. As we've seen in many cases, licensing, even of physicians, doesn't guarantee public safety or even competency. I think licensing would add yet another expensive and power-hungry bureaucracy to deal with.
That said, I do think the industry needs to make some changes to beef up certification. Too many classes teaching some narrow fitness topics offer "certifications" which are not really certifications but certificates of class completion. Many, if not most, personal trainer certifications do not meet any quality standards such as those set forth by the NCCA. I believe the industry should adopt as a standard fitness certifications that are NCCA accredited, and that individuals calling themselves personal trainers have at least an NCCA-accredited personal trainer certification; obtaining advanced certifications should also be encouraged. Then, the industry leaders should collectively and vigorously advertise to consumers to educate them about the value of an NCCA-accredited certification. This would address the "protection of the public" issue that licensing attempts to address in a heavy-handed way.
I would not be opposed to a reasonable requirement for a hands-on training apprenticeship for newly certified trainers. This apprenticeship would have to be completed after passing the certification exam, but before the certification is awarded.
If licensing appears to be imminent, the industry should fight very hard to grandfather in trainers that already have NCCA-accredited certifications, making them exempt from the other licensing requirements. The industry could use this as a political bargaining chip.
On Dec 22, 2008
Many allied health professions, including registered dietitians (RDs), are subjected to licensure laws that vary from state to state, and what this often means is just another test to take and more fees to pay. There has been no benefit for RD's in licensure; I don't see a benefit to trainers. I also don't see the necessity for a national standard proposed by the government. Seems more political than practical to me, honestly.
It's always been my understanding that licensure is pushed when there is fear of harm being done. I'd like to see the documentation of harm being done by fitness instructors and personal trainers. Granted, there may be some trainers who could use much more training, but rather than approaching this from a government perspective, perhaps we should approach this from the industry, and all of the top certifying organizations require more education from applicants for certification.
Marjorie Geiser, RD, NSCA-CPT
President, MEG Enterprises, Inc.
http://www.meg-enterprises.com
http://www.californiabasedpublishing.com
http://www.megfit.com
On Dec 23, 2008
On Jan 01, 2009
Personal trainers are the grass roots of the fitness movement in America and if it passes S 2164 would have thousands of clients metaphorically out into the streets to fend for themselves.
I oppose the bill based on its proposed and imposable requirements but more so because I am adamantly opposed to big governments condescending approach to telling us what’s good for us. Organizations like IDEA, ACE, IRHSA, and Coaching Leadership Excellence are working hard on behalf of the industry, it’s members, and the public to raise the standers by which we are all expected to practice. The possibility of 50 different exams with over 150 classroom hours and internships in 50 different states would do nothing but undermine the efforts of those hard working organizations. We need to do everything we can to keep the local or federal government from imposing regulations on the personal training community
Tom Terwilliger
Coaching Leadership Excellence
www.TomTerwilliger.com
On Jan 07, 2009
On Jan 12, 2009
As body-mind-spirit practitioners we know that just having formal education, even if it is at university level, is not enough to be a good teacher. The movement patterns and required coordinations we use are quite complex and need to be introduced in a certain way to establish a successful and safe execution by the client. I have first hand experience with medical staff not even beginning to comprehend the methods and effects. Each of the various disciplines have their own respected certification institutions that know what they are doing and what constitutes a good practice. We do not need others to supervise this from a perspective that may or may not be in full understanding of what constitutes good practice for that particular discipline.
On Feb 06, 2009
It did sound, though, that some kind of nonmandatory state certification/registration system would be considered favorably, as a precursor to a licensing program.
On Feb 09, 2009
The end result if this bill passes...more revenue streams for the board, less trainers, more lawsuits, larger lawyers suits- lol, and were still stuck with 'rent-a-buddies" and brainless trainers. I apologize for being a bit hells kitchen, and critical however we have to move on to the next level of personal trainers, and its not repeating the same lessons over and over. It's not adding a more demanding syllabus. It is about choosing the correct group of seasoned fitness professionals, and defining the personal training industry. Personally we have not yet defined the industry based on 'who are clients are". We can't have old school bodybuilders write manuals, and teach students high risk exercises based on someones athletic ability. We need to stop organizations who train athletes and expect those movement patterns are one-size-fits-all...because we can micro-progress. I personally believe there are several 'segments" to specific markets. We are personal trainer educators , yet we expect our students ( pre -certified trainers) to learn in a text book, a video, a 150 / 300 hour test, and or group setting. When we take this more personal "hence the name" we then are being proactive and one step closer to a solution. A task force of educators state by state, and all follow the same process. We form a union of 'qualified professionals" this is when we all can take a deep breath and watch this industry exceed our expectations. I am always open to talk more about this idea.
Dave Parise CPT FPTA
Results Plus Personal Training
3013 Dixwell Ave
Hamden CT. 06518
EM: daveparise@resultsplus.com
Web: www.resultsplus.com
Office: 203-288-8822
Cell: 203-675-5575
Fit-Pros Academy / School
www.fitprospersonaltrainingschool.com
On Feb 09, 2009
2) I assume this would be very controversial. Whenever there's a proposal to create new licensing requirements for professions, there's always strong push-back from those who would be subject to the new rules, but I can envision LA Fitness coming in, claiming this will add to their costs and hurt their business. They are noted to be the worst trainers in the industry.
3) Because of 2) above, you really have to develop a case for why this is a good idea. Perhaps we can get a coalition of professionals from CT and other states who can articulate why we need to regulate the profession, and what current problems exist and how they will be solved through regulation. They only will be solved by determination! We need to pull together as a team and sift through the "just do it trainers" who dismiss the science completely!
Dave Parise CPT FPTA
Results Plus Personal Training
3013 Dixwell Ave
Hamden CT. 06518
EM: daveparise@resultsplus.com
Web: www.resultsplus.com
Office: 203-288-8822
Cell: 203-675-5575
Fit-Pros Academy / School
www.fitprospersonaltrainingschool.com
On Mar 26, 2009
Does anyone have any additional information?
On Apr 01, 2009
As a business owner, I have interviewed several 'fitness professionals' who have no business working with the public. They come to us looking for a position with no formal education and (maybe) with a weekend certification. While it escapes me why anyone would consider shirking college, I also fail to see why anyone would even feel a certification that they can mail in or even one that they can get in a weekend is equivalent to a four year college degree and an accredited certification.
My most recent shock was from a website that was sent to me by a medical professional in the small town where I was raised. The lady featured in the site was a former 'fatty' who within a few months of losing weight obtained a not-so-great- personal training certification and a mail-in nutritional specialist certification and was proclaiming her ability to help others. No degree, no education and no real knowledge. The public as no real way to discern a properly credentialled professional from one who isn't and this type of trainer is potentially dangerous.
Our profession deserves to be treated like one. The cost is no big deal.
On Apr 30, 2009
A licensing Body is only concerned about quantity. Quantity of class room hours, quantity of question you can answer, the quantity of dollars it's licensing process brings in. It will never be about quality, it never has. Look at any other licensing body, there are bad doctors and lawyers and appraisers and real estate agents that have all simply had the cash to invest in the licensing process. Licensing ultimately means nothing more than you had the time, money and or connections to get licensed.
If the industry is self-regulating the Government has no business trying to tell us who is and is not qualified. It's just a way for the government to essentially tax us (but call it a license) for choosing our profession and to create govt jobs for it's buddies that it chooses to appoint to the licensing body.
I've met plenty of trainers that had excellent GPAs and book smarts that simply can't teach, or get results from clients. I've met a lot of trainers that have no formal education for their job except a weekend certification and a c.p.r. class that can consistently produce excellent results with their clients.In our industry we teach strength, movement and physical transformation, this simply cannot be learned by a book or evaluated from a written exam. Only clients and employers can be the ultimate judge of that, not some govt appointed licensing body.
I think the whole process should basically work in reverse and forget Govt licensing all together. Go get a weekend cert, start training and learning in the trenches, learn how to get results from clients, then endlessly further your education and improve your skills.
On Jun 26, 2009
Should the bill become law, professionals seeking licensure would have to complete “an approved course of study of not less than 300 in-person classroom hours, as prescribed by the board after consultation with the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.” Those hours would include at least 50 hours of unpaid internship “in the presence of and under direct supervision of a licensed fitness professional,” to be provided by the school offering the approved course of study. Upon program completion, professionals would need to pass a final examination.
MY COMMENT TO THE ABOVE-1-We all must understand how this came about in the first place. People are getting injured by overzealous so called certified professionals. Unpaid internship can only be valued as good as the mentor / teacher / instructor 2- We should not allow any person collect professional fees, without a nationally accredited certification. 3- more text book will not help -today's trainers need hands on application- They need to feel, palpate, and understand. This process will delineate between nonsense, and common sense exercises. The industry as a whole should determine a list of exercises that should never be performed by a certified trainer. This list should be known to the general public. We market and promote all dysfunctional exercises, so to make people more aware should be easy. All too often we dismiss the science behind exercises and true joint function. Knowing also that there's nothing new under the sun &/or that many others share the same common view, then groups (whatever their view may be...usually, ridicule or have skepticism or antagonistic behavior), come to what in their eyes/hearts/minds, is, "the truth" about a particular exercise. They become married to it, or they say “ well look at her, or him it must work! Today’s exercises are influenced by the emotions or prejudices. We invent these exercises done by an individual, and it can never be considered to represent a general and objective belief. So for those that deny there are absolute truths in anatomy and exercise mechanics &/or say all truth is relative, are misrepresenting to create the illusion. This illusion is totally based on a feeling. Objectively exercise is below the skin where the joints tendons and ligaments experience internal forces. We must stop watching pieces of skin moving and equate that to making sense.
The primary concern, must be “safety first”.
Textbook exercises can’t be memorized. Exercises demonstrated by a coach, or some famous body builder are not defined as ‘specific and finite.” Miss fitness age 24 and her genetically gifted body worked hard, but did she work smart? Exercises have to be created, much in the same way an artist takes a few basic colors and creates a never-ending spectrum of colors on canvas. This is the way to be a requested professional... understand a few basic scientific principles about joint and muscle function. This application will allow you to create millions of sound exercises. But all exercises are not created equal. Creating an appropriate exercise is a matter for careful professional judgment. The “general gym members” go through life seeing only the superficial various shapes of skin that move while holding a weight. But there is a hidden reality unseen by most people and some exercise “experts.”
Exercise reality is below the skin where bones and tissue tolerate and generate invisible forces. These forces are really what encompass an exercise. This is what we must learn to understand in order to understand exercise and how to create and manipulate it.
Dave Parise CPT FPTA
Results Plus Personal Training
3013 Dixwell Ave
Hamden CT. 06518
EM: daveparise@resultsplus.com
Web: www.resultsplus.com
Office: 203-288-8822
Cell: 203-675-5575
Fit-Pros Academy / School
www.fitprospersonaltrainingschoo
On Aug 13, 2010
On Sep 13, 2010
However, as a recent comment points out, the cost of such needs to be managed so that it is not just another way of squeezing yet more money out of the relatively low paid personal trainers. It's got to be a balance.
Regulation? yes. Exploitation? No!!!
On Dec 26, 2010
As for pay I think that it should whatever the client can afford to pay. I think we're setting a "standard" by getting a certification. What we should focus on is getting world mentally and physically healthy. It's ashame that the majority of adults in the United States are overweight and the kids are not to far behind. Let's work on prevention and maintenance.
On Feb 17, 2011
Becoming a certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) now requires formal schooling in an accredited program, passing one national exam, and annual continuing education. These provisions have made it into a true profession. There were growing pains in the process and I'm certain that not everyone loved it, but it worked.
I feel it is long past due for personal trainers to be required to complete a formal education. Our work is no less demanding of a thorough knowledge base than the work of ATCs. And the consequences of not having a thorough education and a systematic approach to training clients could be just as disastrous as that of someone performing the tasks of an ATC who is not qualified to do the work.
So I for one, feel that licensure would elevate the profession tremendously. Without it, we are requiring a public who isn't educated in health and fitness to know how to find a qualified trainer: to know what certifications to ask for, to know what college degrees to ask for, to know what continuing education to ask about. It's just not fair. Could you imagine having to know all these things when trying to choose a doctor, dentist, or even hair stylist? It's unfair to expect consumers to be able to sift through it all.
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On Feb 28, 2012
And many WITHOUT exercise related degrees are passing these tests, EVEN the major ones.
As of last year, I no longer carry a certification. I don't have to - everyone I train knows that I have the education and experience. Same for those who ask me to speak or present exercise related programs. I refuse to support an industry that perpetuates such a lax standard.
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