If you're interested in becoming a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, health coach, or medical exercise specialist, it's critical that you first get certified. Attempting to enter the field without a certification will significantly limit your career opportunities, income and clientele. Here are 6 reasons why you need a health & fitness certification:
6 reasons why certification is crucial
Competent & Qualified
Earning a professional certification confirms you are competent and ready for the job. It gives employers and clients confidence that you have the knowledge and skills to design and deliver individualized programs to meet each client's unique health and fitness needs. In an industry where many people use titles they have not earned, having an accredited certification will set you apart from the competition.
Confidence & Safety
With proven science-based knowledge to analyze movements, assess fitness, listen actively, and create unique exercise and health coaching programs, you'll have the confidence to ensure clients can safely achieve their goals. It's imperative that your clients and more importantly, you, feel confident in your abilities to guide them through safe and effective programs that achieve results.
Liability
When it comes to helping clients manage their weight, build strength and change habits, a certification shows you are professionally trained to know the DO's and DON'T's of what's safe for your clients, reducing the risks of injuries that can happen under your watch. Plus, whether you decide to work in healthcare, for a fitness company, or be self-employed, many insurance providers will charge a lower rate if you are certified.
Employment
Most, if not all, health and fitness employers require an accredited certification as proof that you are qualified to coach clients. Whether it's a role as a personal trainer, health coach, group fitness instructor, or medical exercise specialist, you'll need a certification if you seek employment in any type of facility including health clubs, gyms, healthcare centers, corporate settings, campuses, and more.
Respect & Credibility
Your clients, other health coaches and exercise professionals, and employers will have much respect for you because you had the discipline and commitment to invest in yourself by getting certified. By holding an accredited certification, you demonstrate that you are a competent and credible source for health and fitness information and services.
Standards & Professionalism
As exercise professionals and health coaches become poised to be more closely aligned with healthcare, they are continually being held to high standards, including holding a professional certifications that is of similar quality as those held by healthcare professionals. An accredited certification helps open doors for advanced opportunities, including those in healthcare, disease prevention and more.
What is Accreditation?
The health and fitness industry is largely unregulated and anyone can claim to be an exercise professional or health coach. Accreditation of certification programs is focused on the quality, validity and reliability of the program, its competency-based assessments, and its ability to differentiate individuals who are qualified to practice in a given profession from those who are not qualified.
Earning an accredited certification provides verification that you have met the criteria to work as a qualified professional.
All certifications are not created equal
BE WARY! There are more than 100 organizations, educators, and fly-by-night operators that offer certifications or certificates that are not accredited, do little to prepare you for a lasting career and may not be accepted by employers. Make sure to do your research!
Want to get certified and
pursue a health & fitness career?
See how an ACE Certification qualifies you to be among
the most respected and sought-after professionals in the industry.