ACSM offers comprehensive certifications for personal trainers, including specialized certifications for cancer patients, physically or mentally challenged clients, and public health. Certification can help trainers gain employment and highlight their knowledge of exercise and the human body. All ACSM certifications are accredited by the NCAA.
Many organizations certify personal trainers, but few are as comprehensive as the certifications given by the American College of Sports Medicine, also known as ACSM. Certification allows a trainer to highlight their knowledge of exercise and the human body. There are several types of ACSM certification exams that trainers can take.
A personal trainer is a healthcare professional whose job it is to help clients exercise more efficiently. Taking a client’s needs into consideration, he or she will create sets of exercises that help the client reach their goals as quickly as possible. Trainers also work with their clients to ensure the client is completing each exercise correctly.
Certification can help a trainer gain work at a gym or with private clients. Some gyms or health clubs may require a personal trainer to be certified as a condition of employment. Different types of certification can be obtained, depending in part on the type of client a personal trainer plans to work with.
The basic ACSM certification for personal trainers is called ACSM Certified Personal TrainerSM. Covers the basics of creating an exercise plan and working with clients. To apply for this basic certification, an individual must be at least 18 years old, currently hold a high school diploma or a GED, and have a current CPR card. The CPR class should have a hands-on skills component.
Once the minimum requirements are met, a person can take the ACSM Certified Personal TrainerSM exam. Self-study and face-to-face courses are available. There is a higher level of general ACSM certification that does not depend on a specialty area. This ACSM certification is known as an ACSM Certified Fitness Specialist.
Clinical professionals can obtain special certifications. If the candidate has an undergraduate degree in a clinical field, then he or she can earn the ACSM certification known as an ACSM Certified Clinical Practice Specialist. If the applicant has a graduate degree, he or she may obtain an ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist certification.
In addition to the ACSM certifications listed above, there are several specialized ACSM certifications. An instructor must be ACSM Certified Personal TrainerSM before they can register to take a specialty exam. The ACSM/ACS Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer (CET) certification is for trainers interested in working with cancer patients. Trainers interested in working with the physically or mentally challenged can become an ACSM/NCPAD (CIFT) Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer. The ACSM/NSPAPPH Physical Activity Specialist in Public Health (PAPHS) certification is for trainers interested in working in the public health sector.
An instructor does not need to join the American College of Sports Medicine to take a certification exam. If an instructor chooses to join, however, he or she will get a discount on exam costs. All ACSM certifications are accredited by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCAA).
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