Career in Personal Training

"Employment of personal fitness professionals is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. An increasing number of people spend more time and money on fitness, and more businesses are recognizing the benefits of health and fitness programs and other services such as wellness programs for their employees." - U.S. Department of Labor

Who hires Personal Fitness Trainers?

Private health clubs

Schools and colleges

Professional athletes

Actors

Dancers

Medical facilities

Nonprofit health programs

Police departments

Fire departments

Athletic teams

AFAA Personal Trainer Certification in Six Easy Steps

Here's some basic steps to follow to become an AFAA Personal Trainer. Source: EHow.com

1. Step 1

Learn CPR. All AFAA-certified personal trainers must also be certified to administer CPR.

2. Step 2

Register for the certification workshop as early as possible so you can receive the study guide and review what will be required for certification.

3. Step 3

Order the textbook Personal Fitness Training: Theory and Practice from the AFAA. This is the text used for the class as well as being an excellent resource for you later on.

4. Step 4

Study. The workshop comprises three days of lectures and practical exercises followed by the certification exam. By learning as much as possible before the workshop begins, you can concentrate on the material presented at the workshops.

5. Step 5

Take up weight training. Experience in weight training and the use of weight room equipment is strongly recommended.

6. Step 6

Attend the workshop and take the certification exam.

To see the full article, click here. Or to get certified, click here.

AFAA on Facebook and Twitter

AFAA is proud to introduce its online presence with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

AFAA -- the world leader in fitness certification, continuing education and Telefitness education -- has always been committed to great customer service and a reputable fitness education through workshops and e-learning (AFAA's new Distance Education Center and E-AFAA.com).

Expect to see AFAA's latest announcements on services and products through our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Click here to follow our conversations on Twitter or go to: twitter.com/afaa_fit

Click here and become a fan of AFAA on Facebook.

And if you are a Personal Trainer certified with AFAA, drop us a line.

Personal Trainer Certifications go bilingual

For the first time ever, AFAA is offering Personal Trainer Certifications in Spanish.

As part of AFAA's premier $99-a-day, per-program event, APEX September 2009 now includes several workshops presented in Spanish in Florida and California. APEX en Español will be on the weekend of September 18, 19 and 20 at the following locations:

Personal Fitness Trainer Certification (workshop locations and dates)

Bally Total Fitness, 13069 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, CA on Sept. 18, 19 and 20

Bally Total Fitness, 1901 West 39th Street, Hialeah, FL on Sept. 18, 19 and 20

Primary Group Exercise Certification (workshop locations and dates)

Fairfield Family YMCA, 4949 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA on Saturday, Sept. 19

Fairfield Family YMCA, 4949 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA on Sunday, Sept. 20

Bally Total Fitness, 8851 SW 107th Ave., Miami, FL on Saturday, Sept. 19

Bally Total Fitness, 8851 SW 107th Ave., Miami, FL on Saturday, Sept. 20

For more information, visit http://www.afaaapex.com or call us at 800-446-2322.

Online Personal Trainer Education

The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America has expanded its educational opportunities for personal trainers through its new Distance Education Center.

The DEC allows participants to study select online courses from any Internet-enabled computer and interact with AFAA's instructors and guest lecturers through forums, chat and teleconferencing capabilities.

The core mission of the AFAA DEC is to provide comprehensive cognitive and practical education for fitness professionals, grounded in research, reflecting a commitment to quality distance education that upholds safe and effective fitness practice.

The DEC currently offers two courses now available for enrollment:

1. Personal Fitness Trainer Online Preparatory Course
2. Telexercise® Resistance Training Course.

With the enrollment in either course, participants are offered a host of online study tools that can help them prepare and successfully complete the course. The educational support includes:

• Multitraining Live™ a technologically driven study group resource to assist the participant in preparing for their course(s) with full-featured, flexible web conferencing software, video chat server, and webinar training applications
• DEC Forums — a technology platform that allows comprehensive interactions between participants and AFAA instructors.
• Library — along with references within course materials, AFAA has provided additional databases and resources for full-text journal articles, online and through local libraries.

Upon successful completion, each course is worth 18 AFAA Study Units. To learn more, view AFAA's Distance Education Catalog: http://www.afaadistanceeducation.com/pdf/dec-catalog.pdf

Or visit http://www.afaadistanceeducation.com to enroll.