As some of you may have seen in my signature I am currently pursuing my fitness coaching certification through Wellcoaches. I am only in my third week of study and I am really impressed so far!

The other day I did some research on the internet to try to find out if the general population believes that personal trainers are worth their hourly rate. I visited various exercise forums and read the conversations of "average joes" in an attempt to gather their opinions of personal trainers. What I discovered is that (thankfully) the majority of people believe that personal trainers are worth their hourly rates. But what I discovered is that most people do not hire personal trainers for the purpose of program design. (Many people stated that with so much information at their fingertips they did not believe they needed a personal trainer to design an exercise program for them.) What I did find is that many people hire personal trainers because they need someone to motivate them.

Fitness coaching really fills the gap between being a trainer and a teacher. It is routine for personal trainers to discuss with their clients the importance of resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, stretching, and nutrition, but how often do personal trainers sit down and talk with their clients about barriers to exercise adherence and how to overcome them? Motivation is the foundation of every exercise program. If the client is not motivated to exercise they cannot move forward.

I first heard about fitness coaching in one of my classes last year and I have read about it in various publications including IDEA. I truly believe this new trend in personal training will elevate our positions as fitness professionals in the eyes of our clients as well as the healthcare community.

The Wellcoaches Fitness Coach Training Program is completed online and is self-paced. At the end of the course you must complete an exam as well as a 30 minute practical evaluation of your fitness coaching skills. Wellcoaches provides you with all of the items you need including a downloadable manual as well as forms and handouts for your clients. The cost of the program is $300 and it can be broken into a 3 month payment plan. Wellcoaches is endorsed by the ACSM.

Here is the link to the Wellcoach site. Click on Fitness Coach for more information.
http://www.wellcoach.com/