To Budding Fitness Pros . . .

[Aquajock]

I've enjoyed reading the thread that Cari Campbell began yesterday, whose dream it is to change careers and become a fitness pro. I'm not a fitness pro, although I am a part-time instructor, as I'm sure many of the participants of this Cathe Forum are.

I'm sure I'd get a lot of agreement from other instructors, part-time or fulltime, that group fitness instruction can be about one of the most emotionally gratifying things you can do. If you're ethical, enthusiastic, well-trained and informed, and in the employ of a fitness environment that encourages those qualities, you have the chance on a regular basis for making something pretty darn special happen for people. Group fitness instruction is an incredible creative outlet, and I highly recommend anyone pursuing it, regardless of whether you want it to be just a part of your life or your livelihood.

Be prepared to invest a lot of time, study, training and practice, as well as some cash, if instruction or personal training is an interest to you. You'll have to be CPR certified, and any facility for which you wish to work will require certification through a recognized entity (ACE, AFAA,AEA,NSCA, NASM, ACSM {the gold standard}). The study is invaluable - exercise physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, nutrition, health and fitness screening, special populations, class and training formatting, etc. Very technical and science-oriented, but it's knowledge you can use for your own health goals as well as your participants. And every reputable certification requires continuing education to maintain it. Because of those requirements, I'd say that I've become a much healthier person, because I know the why's of fitness beyond the commercial hype.

Sorry this is such a long post, but, again, I want to encourage those who have that secret desire to GO FOR IT! You don't have to do this all at once and totally change your life for the sake of a fitness career (and everyone thinking that would be well put to explore the income implications of it) - it can be a PART of your life that's immensely valuable.

Love,

Annette

 

[MasonK]

Great post Annette. I just received my CPR certification 2 weeks ago and was planning on registering with ACE with the intention of becoming a group fitness instructor. Do you think ACE is a good choice for me as at least an initial certification? I know this program is very intensive and I'm looking forward to the learning process.

Thanks again for the input you have already given, and please feel free to e-mail me direct if you have any further advice you may be able to offer.

Take care,
Kathleen

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Kathleen! Yes, I do think ACE is a good INITIAL certification for group fitness instruction; I liken it to getting your high-school diploma before going onto college (training in the modes of exercise you wish to teach, as well as the College of Real Life as a fitness instructor). The main failing of the ACE certification, IMHO, is that neither its group fitness certification nor its initial personal trainer certification have any live, in-person practical exam - it's a written multiple-choice test and that's it. And one thing I've learned over 4-1/2 years of teaching week in and week out, as well as developing other personal exercise skills (step aerobics, weight-lifting, etc.), is that words are of finite value in the fitness arena - YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE LANGUAGE IN THE BODY AS WELL.

However, no one over-arching certification can encompass all of the group fitness modes out there in one practical exam. Can you imagine one practical test where you would have to demonstrate sound step, kickboxing, spinning, urban rebounding, aqua, boathouse, boot camp . . . ad infinitum protocols? Every test taker would be there for about three hours.

All of that to say, again, ACE is a good FIRST STEP, and be prepared to take workshops or purchase instructor-oriented tapes in those modes you wish to teach. And be a savvy consumer about these - there is a real Barnum and Bailey element to the group fitness arena, and there are many ways you can go broke as an instructor in the pursuit of training in modes of exercise that are of questionable academic and/or practical value. I stand by my suggestion to Cari from yesterday that IDEA is also a good organization to belong to - you get the "lay of the land" thru that entity.

Good luck on your studies and exam! It's well worth the effort!

Annette