Fitness trainers may work one-on-one or with two or three clients at a time in clients' homes, commercial gyms or public spaces such as a park. The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that some employers may require fitness trainers to hold a certification and a bachelor's degree in a field related to health or fitness.
CPR Certification
A certifying organization may require you to attain a cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, certification. CPR training equips you with rescue breathing and chest compression techniques that can save someone having a heart attack. Performing CPR can supply a victim's heart with blood to "buy time" until normal heart functioning resumes. The American Heart Association publishes guidelines for CPR training that will help you follow a coordinated set of actions that follow a "chain-of-survival" when performing CPR.
AED Certification
You may need to acquire an automated external defibrillator, or AED, certification to become a trainer. The defibrillator is a device that measures a person's heart rhythm and administers an electric shock to return the normal heart rhythm in heart attack victims. These machines may include audio and visual prompts to guide you through defibrillation. AED certification usually requires that you already have CPR certification.
Education
You must acquire basic knowledge of health, nutrition and exercise to become a fitness trainer. Your education may cover the client screening process, nutrition, exercise science and exercise programming. A certifying organization may allow you to purchase study materials and prepare for the examination on your own time. The American Council on Exercise recommends preparing for an ACE certifying exam for three to six months.
Examination
Fitness trainers must complete continuing education requirements to retain a certificate. Certificates may expire every one or two years. A certifying organization may conduct courses or seminars that qualify for a particular number of points on a point-based recertification scheme. You may have access to online webinars or quizzes that qualify for continuing education credit. Certifying organizations may approve activities such as independent exercise research for continuing education credit.
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