I’m interested in getting certified as a fitness instructor (yoga, pilates, personal trainer, etc.) but I want to hear from people who have been through it before. What certification did you get? What advice do you have for people who are considering starting the certification. What things did you wish you knew before you started? What mistakes have you made? Did the certification help you get a better job? Was it worth the effort? What were the most helpful tools to help get certified (products, training, books…please be specific). How much money did you spend to get certified, how much time? Thank you.
-
Recent Posts
- Foods and Techniques for Longevity, Life Extension, Reducing the Risk of Age-Related Disease.
- Kristen Bell talks about healthy livings
- Posit Science & Fox News Report
- Aging & Alzheimer’s Disease, Part 1
- Dr. Weil’s Reasons for Downsizing
- Saving Our Parents- Introduction
- How Effective are the Anti Aging Vitamin Tablets?
- Talking Sexual Health and Aging Out
- Jusuru – Healthy Aging, Active Joints, Younger Looking Skin – Anti Aging Documentary
- Aging Gracefully : Become Immune to the Passage of Time
- A Plan to Stay Young – the Anti-aging Diet
- Anti-Aging or Simply Healthy Living
- Saving Our Parents- Chicken Soup Authors
- Longevity and Age Defiance Through Proper Nutrition
- Enjoy Yoga For Health As You Age
Archives
Blogroll
There are many certifications out there, but you want to get one that is recognized by most fitness industry professionals. Each certification has it’s focus of interest such as sports specific training, aerobic training, lifestyle modification and so on. Another factor is that just because you have a respected certification does not mean that you may be good at training others. There are some great trainers without any certification, but I do recommend finding one who is certified, listens to you first, understands how to be specific with your needs and respects the professional standards of our industry. Anyone who is ACE, AFFA, ACSM, CSCS, CHEK, ISSA or the like should be a good start. Most certifications will require personal home study and a weekend course and test. This will cost you approximately $500 or more depending on the organization. If you are serious about this profession you do need to get a quality certification. It is a very competitive field so the better you look on paper and the more professional you appear in person the higher your chances of getting a position. Most jobs are purely commision based so if you may need as much as a year to build up a good client base to support yourself. You absolutely have to be a good listener and an inspirational communicater. Once you do well with a few people asking for refferals and pursuing them will do more than any amount of business cards or flyers (give these out like theres no tommorow, but they are inferior to someone who has a big mouth and likes your work.) Finally avoid studying the trendy fad articles that you typically find in mags. Instead find accomplished professionals in your chosen niche and study them. Paul Chek has great info, but is a little dry in presentation, Juan Carlos Casteneda is also a great functional trainer.
For Yoga I would recommend researching styles and teachers on YogaAlliance.com. Actually some of the best yoga teachers and of course the founding fathers and mothers of Yoga were never certified. The purpose is to clarify an accepted standard of learning and practice so that teachers are qualified enough to teach others without harm.
Most yoga certification places take about a month. And that means you’ve got to leave your job for that long. I went through yogafit because they let you do it on weekends over a span of time so I didn’t have to miss out on my day job. You don’t have to get certified in yoga to teach it. Most yoga instructors out there (surprisingly) don’t have any training. I would suggested getting training though because it would make you more informed and a better teacher. You don’t need the certification unless the gym or studio that you’re intending to teach at requires it of you.
How much did it cost ? Close to $2000. Was it worth it? Yes because I can safely say that with the training, I’ve become a much better person as well as a much better instructor.
I only have one thing to add to the first response (which is great, by the way). You either have to already be certified in CPR/First Aid or able to get certified by the time you complete your study course. I’m IFA certified right now and soon to be NASM. IFA was a great start and our local YMCA recognizes it. I’m also a CPR/First Aid Instructor (not through the IFA…but American Heart). Also, you have to be 18 years old or older. I got certified to better my understanding of nutrition and fitness and it’s been very helpful. I even set up programs for friends and am working on programs for the fire department I’m a member of. Good luck!