Certification is required for group exercise instructor, gym floor staff or personal trainer employment at most American health clubs, community centers and private studios. While Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries boast highly respectable fitness instructor certification programs, applicants for facilities in the United States must have an American-based certification.
Choosing a Program
The American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise and the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America were amongst the first fitness instructor certifications in the United States. Aspiring instructors now have hundreds of programs to choose from, but some have more clout, while others are preferred by a particular facility. While most American certification programs cover all aspects of fitness instruction, some have a particular focus, such as group exercise or medically related fitness. The latter may require more technical knowledge, which is useful if you want to work with that type of client. If not, choose a program that delves less into medical terms, and more into choreography and program design.
Accreditation
American fitness instructor certification was a relatively simple process until 2006, when the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association recommended that fitness center managers only hire fitness staff who have certifications from organizations that have obtained third-party accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. Accepted programs usually require applicants to have CPR certification before taking the exam, and have stringent continuing education requirements for maintaining certification. A chart on the Starting a Personal Training Business website shows a high correlation between accreditation and industry recognition.
American Council on Exercise
The American Council on Exercise, or ACE, offers an accredited fitness instructor certification. The program, founded in 1985, is the certification arm of the International Dance Exercise Association, or IDEA. This is a huge benefit for ACE-certified instructors. Throughout the year, IDEA holds multiple conferences in different locations, making it easy for ACE-certified instructors to earn continuing education credits. The American Council on Exercise offers group-exercise and personal training certifications, with optional specialties in lifestyle and weight management coaching.
American College of Sports Medicine
Established in 1954, the American College of Sports Medicine or ACSM is the oldest certification program in the United States. While they revised their guidelines in 2007 to include strength-training, the American College of Sports Medicine focuses primarily on cardiovascular fitness and special populations. Instructors wishing to work in hospital-based programs will benefit from this accredited certification. Their basic certification programs include group exercise instructor and personal training. Higher level ASCM certifications, such as Health and Fitness Specialist, Cancer Exercise Specialist and Inclusive Exercise Specialist, for instructors who want to work with people with disabilities, require more medical knowledge, and advanced understanding of exercise physiology.
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