Thursday, April 3, 2008

CBS News Casts a Dark Shadow on the Fitness World

Yesterday, the CBS Early Show aired a story called “Certified Trainers Ungoverned” which made some blanket statements questioning the validity of the entire fitness industry. The “certified” trainers responsible for the injuries reported in this piece should be questioned, but casting a shadow over the entire industry is uncalled for. Interestingly, not once did the story mention the facilities that hired these “certified” trainers. In fact, one of the trainers mentioned did not have any certification at all. Shame on the facility for not hiring qualified staff – and kudos to the many, many fitness centers, clubs, gyms and personal training studios who do hire real, certified, educated, qualified trainers and instructors.

What does certified really mean? As investigative reporter Susan Koeppen proved, anyone can get a “certification” as a personal trainer. She got one on the Internet in 45 minutes for less than $50 – scary!

When I entered the industry after completion of my undergraduate degree in health promotion/wellness, I obtained a certification from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as a Health Fitness Instructor (HFI), a fitness degree (BA/BS) is required to sit for the test. When my professional career shifted more towards sports conditioning and I was working with more athletes, I obtained a certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). This certification also requires a degree. Both of these organizations require regular continuing education credits, publish professional research journals and are highly respected in the industry. There are other respected certifying bodies in the industry that also have rigorous standards for certification (and continuing education), but since I’m not a member of any other organization, I’ll stick to what I know to be true.

The word “certified” is not meaningless to me or to anyone who has worked hard to acquire and maintain this level of professionalism. I agree that the industry does need to be licensed. But even licensing does not guarantee the safety or the sanctity of the profession. Case in point, a Registered Dietitian (RD) is the only professional licensed to write a diet – but yet, the market is flooded with diet books written by people without the letters “RD” behind their name. I have seen people call themselves “nutritionist” without being an RD, DTR or even having a degree in nutrition and I think it stinks! In the CBS story, Marc Rabinoff, Ed.D., Chair of the Department of Human Performance And Sport at Metro State College said that the fitness industry is the “wild, wild west” and at the extremes, I guess he’s right. But there is something we can do!

A Call to Action! Business owners, club managers, hiring managers and anyone involved in the fitness industry – please consider industry best practice. Following the ACSM Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines is a must. Hiring degreed, certified (ACSM, NSCA or other large, known certifying agency) fitness staff is best practice, and should be the only practice. Contact your local college or university and find out what training programs and degree programs are available for would-be personal trainers in your area. In remote or rural areas, finding trainers with college degrees may not be realistic, but certified and qualified is still possible.

How to find qualified trainers. Please do your homework – don’t just hire someone because they look good or can talk a good game. Here’s a great place to look for highly qualified staff – your local YMCA or community college. In the Phoenix area, the Maricopa Community College District fitness centers are open to the public and all of the fitness instructors have a bachelor’s degree and many have a master’s in a fitness related field. I know other community colleges across the nation have similar programs. YMCA’s and community colleges are also affordable and don’t require long-term contracts. As far as clubs and gyms are concerned, find out if they are a member of the International Health and Racquet Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). IHRSA’s mission is to grow, protect and promote the health and fitness industry. If the club is not an IHRSA member, ask if they follow the ACSM facility guidelines – if the answer is no, walk out the door and don’t go back.

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