ISSA Fitness Therapy Certification vs. Personal Trainer Certifications

by Monica

ISSA Certified Fitness Therapist since 2004

ISSA Certified Fitness Therapist since 2004

I get emails about becoming a certified trainer a lot so I thought I would write a quick post about why I chose to become an ISSA Certified Fitness Therapist vs. NASM, NSCA ACE or NESTA personal trainer.

When I first got certified in 2000 I chose IFPA because it was fast, easy, and cheap. They claim to be the leader in PRACTICAL fitness education and I can tell you that is true. IFPA provided me with enough knowledge to review and write about exercise dvd's, weightloss and fitness books, and other fitness products for bellaonline.com. It also got me a part time job at Bally's when I first moved to AZ but....

I knew IFPA was only a starter cert and that if I decided to become a full time trainer or start my own training business I would need something much better so I looked into ACE, NASM, NSCA NESTA, CHEK, and ISSA personal trainer certifications.

I chose ISSA Fitness Therapy for a variety of reasons but mainly because it allowed me to specialize from the start. Initially when I started training I thought I wanted to work with other moms struggling to lose post pregnancy weight. Turns out I'm much better at working with older folks who seek out training for fatloss as well as a variety of serious issues including pain, cancer, arthritis, posture correction, depression, chronic fatigue, breathing problems, insomnia, etc.

No other entry level certification trains you to handle special needs like the ISSA Fitness Therapy cert. In addition to this ISSA places a lot of value on all CHEK courses that are required to become a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach and CHEK Exercise Coach/Practitioner which is what I saw myself doing in the future (finally have all my pre-reqs for both).

So my choice had a lot to do with a bigger plan and not just getting a job as a trainer. Of course a lot has changed since then and I'm not working with clients 8-10 hours a day anymore because I'm spending a majority of my time running this site but all of the courses I've taken over the years to maintain my cert are what give me a unique perspective on fitness that you won't find on many other small blogs/sites like mine.

My education and experience working with the special needs population is what has made FreeWorkoutsGuide.com one of the most highly ranked sites online and what draws visitors ages 35-65 on a regular basis (most sites/blogs like mine cater to a much younger crowd).

So my advice when choosing a certification is to plan ahead and think of the bigger picture. What do you want to do with your life beyond getting your first training "job". Once you know that your decision will be much easier. There really is no best certification and any good fitness expert will tell you that it's continuing education that actually matters most...but there is a cert that is best for you and that all depends on your goals.

What certification did you choose and why? How is that working out for you and do you have any questions for other trainers or advice for people looking to get certified? Please feel free to share below.

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ISSA Fitness Therapy Certification vs. Personal Trainer Certifications

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starstarstarstarstar 		Occupational Therapy and Fitness/Exercise Therapy
by: Theresa Pham

Hi,
I really like your website , I've learned a lot from your articles and workout moves as well.
I am studying to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant. I wanted to enroll to the ISSA Personal Trainer program but then their Fitness/Exercise Therapy came to mind. I would like to ask your opinion about which program i should go with. In my mind, I think the Fitness/ Exercise Therapy program is pretty much the same techniques and principles with Occupational Therapy, then should I enroll to this program or go for the Personal Trainer program?
Thank you for your time .
Regards,
Theresa Pham
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starstarstarstarstar 		difference between ISSA pt and ft cert
by: Monica

Hi Theresa

I'm probably not going to be much help but what you're asking is a very tough question since I don't know what you learn in OT or how you plan to combine OT with fitness training.

My gut feeling says that you're right and you should go with a personal trainer cert. especially if you need to learn the basics of training clients.

The personal trainer cert covers:
basic anatomy and physiology
basic kinesiology and biomechanics
strength theory
fitness theory
training systems
training applications
basic fitness nutrition
weight loss
weight training
sports and fitness exercises
flexibility development
working with clients
working with special populations
sports medicine

I got the personal trainer course materials for free with my fitness therapy cert and can go take the live course any time I want to. It was included with my f.t. cert but not sure if they still do that.

The fitness therapy cert cover:
fitness as therapy
functional fitness
fitness therapy fundamentals
contraindicated exercises
cardio respiratory conditions
metabolic conditions
neurological conditions
orthopedic conditions (this is what I deal with most)
programming for balance and perceptual motor skills
programming for cardio fitness
programming for flexibility and range of motion
programming for strength and endurance
programming for aquatics
emergency procedures
first aid
common medications
medical referrals

You may just want to call ISSA and ask one of their reps (they are very nice people to talk to) and you may also want to find out from potential employers what certs they prefer. You definitely want a cert that is going to get you the job you want : )

I hope all this helps and let me know what you decide.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Thank you !
by: Theresa Pham

Thanks for taking your time to respond to my post. I will do some more research about these two programs. I am tempting to get both of them though.
Thank you !
Theresa
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starstarstarstarstar 		Seeking Career in Exercise & Nutrition for Mental Illness and Addiction
by: Meghan

I have been working in Sales and Marketing for many years and recently have been looking for a career change. Through my own experience I decided that I would like to work with people who are struggling with Mental Illness and/or Addiction and help them through Nutrition and Exercise. I'm not exactly sure where I should begin, what courses or certifications I should look into. Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Meghan
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starstarstarstarstar 		Fitness/Exercise Therapy Certification
by: Neil

Hi Monica,

I'm really interest in completing the exercise therapy certification, please can you help me with a couple of queries.
Does the qualification allow you to set up your own business targeting disabled clientele, without having level 3 personal training qualification? Is the qualification accepted in the U.K? And finally, does it allow you to design programs for individuals with learning disabilities? I hope you can help me and look forward to your guidance and support.

Kind regards
Neil Stansfield
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		psych/social worker options for trainers
by: monica

Hi Meghan

In order to work with individuals with mental illness/addictions you actually need to be a licensed social worker or counselor of some sort. Not sure if you need a degree in Psychology or other related area first then work on getting your social worker license then get your specialty trainer cert after that.

I actually have a degree in psychology and looked into those types of jobs a long time ago but had no desire to do the LSW training and so chose to go in a different direction with my training. You may be able to find the info you need at allpsychologycareers.com or psychologydegreeguide.org

One of my yoga instructors did this type of work and he says it was mentally draining so be sure you consider your options carefully : )
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		chek institute education programs
by: Anonymous

Hi Neil

I don't think ISSA is accepted outside the U.S. but it does allow you to open your own business and cater to all types of individuals including those with disabilities here in the U.S.

You may want to contact an organization like CHEK Institute and see if they offer what you need. They have outstanding courses and teachers that travel the world and I know of many CHEK practitioners who practice all over the world with a variety of special needs clients (rehab, holistic health, corrective exercise, etc.).

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