Personal trainers are fitness experts who assess, instruct and advise others to help them get fit. Personal trainers must have a wealth of knowledge concerning anatomy, health, safety and injury prevention. While these aspects are important, not all personal trainers will take the same path to learning them. Education to become a personal trainer often depends on the location you wish to work. A gym, spa, hotel or health organization might require different educational elements to become a personal trainer.
Experience
Experience is the part of education in which you personally learn how to stay fit and use new approaches to achieve a desired fitness level. Personal trainers often have spent years pursuing their own training goals and even potentially working with and learning from other personal trainers on the proper ways to train. Some employers might require you to have taken a certain amount of hours of classes or training time on your own before becoming a personal trainer.
Professional Organization Certification
Several certifying organizations offer educational courses and certifying exams for prospective personal trainers. Examples of certifying organizations include the National Council on Strength & Fitness, American Council on Exercise and the National Federation of Professional Trainers. When signing up for the certifying exam, you can purchase study materials, such as books, flashcards and online reading materials, to educate yourself on topics like human movement, nutrition, exercise science and maintaining a professional practice.
CPR and AED Certification
Education on life-saving measures is vital for a personal trainer. Many personal trainers are required to obtain certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED. Hospitals, health care organizations like the American Heart Association and schools often offer educational classes on these techniques. A potential employer or personal trainer certification organization might require you show proof you are CPR- and AED-certified.
College Courses
Although a college degree is not necessarily required to become a personal trainer, larger organizations like a hospital might require a bachelor's degree. This includes pursuing a degree in exercise science or physical education. Courses in this degree might include anatomy/physiology, nutrition and kinesiology. In addition to a bachelor's degree, you also can seek master's and Ph.D. degrees in exercise science. These advanced degrees are suited for personal trainers who one day wish to pursue a job in management of a health facility.
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