Which group exercise certification is the best/most respected/most accepted at any gym?
While living in Peru in the last 2 years, I became certified to teach a style of cardio kickboxing developed there. I am back in the US and would like to teach kickboxing here but have found that I need an additional certification as a group exercise instructor. This is a little frustrating because I have my bachelors in kinesiology, my masters in athletic training, and my doctorate in physical therapy. I work full time as a physical therapist, and I just want to teach once or twice a week because the class is really fun and I want to share it with others. I am willing to get the certification but because of my background and the cost, I want to know which is the BEST cert for group exercise instructors. I want to be able to do this once, learn something, and be able to use it at any gym. Thanks!!
I would personally go with ACSM or ACE.
Although ACSM’s current group-ex certification has only been out since 2011, this is not their first experience certifying group exercise instructors. If you look at both textbooks (I own ACSM, ACE, and AFAA’s current texts), ACE cites ACSM as a resource, not the other way around.