[Sportsandrec] Health, Fitness, Nutrition for Justin

[Thornbury, Kelly]

Hi Justin and all,

The first thing is to decide on your short-term goal in health, fitness, or 
nutrition instruction...For example, a personal trainer is not legally 
allowed to give detailed nutritional advice or recommendations, and there 
are significant differences between working with clients interested in 
health-related components of exercise and fitness-related components (Do I 
want to be able to run a faster 5k versus do I not want to fall over dead 
from a heart attack). While health, fitness, and nutrition are all related, 
it takes a while to be certified and proficient in all areas, so deciding 
which areas you want to certify in first is important.

Typically, depending on your current level of knowledge in the subject, a 
personal trainer (PT) or group fitness instructor (GFI) certification can be 
accomplished in a matter of weeks (a 16-week course, or semester long class, 
is typical). As for a "certification" in nutrition, where you can legally 
give specific nutritional advice and diet planning, you need to be a 
registered dietitian ...a four-year degree in an accredited program.

I just completed my PT and GFI certifications with the American Council on 
Exercise (ACE). This organization was very accessible for this level of 
certification, with testing accommodations (for me a reader and scribe for 
the written exam), and the PT book was available through RFBD (although, I 
think the new edition of the PT text comes out this summer, so RFBD may soon 
be one edition behind, and some of the differences in standards are 
significant). RFBD should also soon have the GFI book available (I've sent 
the current edition to them to be read).

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) exams were also accessible, 
but to prepare for this exam I did take several kinesiology courses through 
the university (about four semester's worth). Some of the older editions of 
the books for their PT exam (and maybe for their Health and Fitness 
Instructor (HFI) certifications) may also be available through RFBD.

If you are looking for a more all-round education, and are willing to head 
back to school, many college and university kinesiology programs will 
provide education in health, fitness, and nutrition areas, but while you may 
walk away with your bachelor's degree in "kinesiology," you will still lack 
the "certifications" most employers in the field are looking for.

Feel free to contact me off-list if you have any more questions or need any 
more details.

Kelly
kthornbury at bresnan.net