Who is representing fitness professionals? Differences seen in other organizations.
I want to know what organizations are advocating the most for our profession. I work with Physical Therapists and they have APTA. Here is their leadership: http://www.apta.org/BOD/
In contrast, I look at the ACSM leadership and see: http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/who-we-are/leadership
Am I the only one that sees a difference here? Am I wrong in assuming that very few people in the ACSM organization are, or were, practicing exercise physiologists or fitness professionals? What I am really getting at is what organization(s) are helping out our field when it comes to legislation and advocacy? With all these certifying bodies, it isn’t like we can get them all to work together like APTA.
I think that these questions bring up implications with who we become certified by. Do you want your money going to an organization that may or may not have your best interests in mind? What are your thoughts on this and what good are different organizations doing for our profession?
Thank you for your response, Karin. The objectives of APTA and ACSM are certainly different, yet the ACSM is considered the “gold standard” by many, when it comes to personal training certifications. I would prefer that the certifying body that I am involved with has my best interests in mind because they are currently, or were previously involved in my field.
I’ve heard mention of people hoping for reimbursement from insurance companies for fitness services, specifically personal training. Anyone with a basic understanding of business realizes that this is not sustainable. The high cost of personal training would increase the costs incurred by insurance companies, which ultimately pass the bill to the rest of us. I do believe that there is potential for reimbursement in group exercise settings, for populations that are at a high risk of future health complications as a result of deconditioning.
I feel as if nobody is really fighting for the increasing, maintaining, or even defining, our scope of practice. Our field is hardly mentioned in the statutes of the State of Massachusetts, where my business is located. This field really has a great opportunity for expansion to to efficiently serve a large number of people.