All Certifications Are Not Created Equal – continued
When health club fitness directors make out their schedules, you notice a common thread of staple programming no matter where you go, anywhere in the world. Yoga, Pilates, Indoor Cycling, Elastic Resistance Strength Training, Step, Bosu, Stability Ball, Water Fitness, and Walking--tried, true and tested over a period of many years. All utilized the right channels of providing continuing education to fitness instructors and personal trainers in order to market these programs and practices. Soon after, consumers embrace them.
There are many products and programs out there that don’t make it to the bottom of the hourglass. For example, you don’t see many of the products on television in health clubs. That’s because some of those products and trends are not well researched, and therefore not accepted as legitimate.
It’s not easy to be accepted as legitimate in the fitness or health club industry, or as a continuing education provider because of firm standards for safety and the administration of education. Finding a vein from the top into the narrow part of the hourglass, like an artery to acceptance, does not come without research, experience and compliance.
The top of the hourglass is full with programming trend hopefuls, some with excellent instructors, trainers and fitness marketers to lead all these efforts, with many similar competing programs vying for a vein to the bottom of the hourglass. It really does come down to a situation where if the fitness practice is genuinely identified as good for the public, then of the many competing programs in that genre, which ones really are the best?
Most health clubs and responsible fitness program developers hold injury prevention as their primary objective. Therefore, whichever programs this director chooses to offer and promote are typically from the bottom of the hourglass. Directors already know these programs have been through the rigors of an industry that scrutinizes every word, exercise and fitness practice for accuracy and safety.
Nordic Walk Now is one of those programming hopefuls. We offered our first training in March of 2006. Today we have 450 Nordic Walk Now trained instructors in North America. We are successfully teaching people to Nordic walk safely and proficiently.
You may have noticed we do not refer to our programs as “certifications”. That’s for two reasons. First, to take our Instructor Training we require an accredited certification, like those from the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine, or a related four-year degree. This way, we are assured of a certain level of knowledge, teaching proficiency, professional practice and ethic toward injury prevention. Second is because we do not offer a sit down proctored exam, which is what real accreditation requires. A “certification” without accreditation is like showing up to a snow ski lesson in scuba gear. This often limits the capabilities of these programmers at the top of the hourglass.
Fitness instructors and personal trainers usually can’t get a job at a health club unless certified by an accredited organization that specializes in fitness, health and wellness. Reputable health clubs regard this certification as necessary to keep their members safe and insurance dollars down. Nordic Walk Now requires the same level of training as health clubs to participate in our Instructor Training Certificate Program.
The American Council on Exercise is one of few organizations that offers accredited fitness exams under the umbrella of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The NCCA is the ‘governing body’ for the most reputable exam processes including university level exams and provides accredited certification programs for many types of allied healthcare professions, including ACE fitness professionals. An NCCA-accredited exam goes through a rigorous process and must meet stringent standards to ensure that it is a reliable, unbiased, and valid measure of professional competence. This is in contrast to the many so-called certification programs that are essentially continuing education workshops that may or may not conclude with an exam.
Becoming a continuing education provider for ACE has become an accepted practice to make it to the bottom of the hourglass. There are many continuing education providers accepted to provide continuing education credits for the purpose of maintaining ACE certifications.
On July 29, 2008 ACE published and sent a letter outlining a new policy that ACE continuing education providers discontinue the use of the word “certification” in conjunction with their programs by January 1, 2009. The letter—The Difference Between Certification and Continuing Education—was issued to all existing continuing education providers and to potential new ones. This new policy is the result of many programmers and providers referring to their workshops and training programs as “certifications”. This mandate comes with industry-wide support that we must maintain and improve the quality of our professional ethic and the safety information we are putting forth to the public. Excerpts of that letter are included in this article.
“There seems to be a significant amount of confusion surrounding the difference between continuing education and certification. An accredited certification represents an unbiased measure of an individual’s knowledge and competence in a given area. Continuing education provides the professional with an opportunity to increase his/her knowledge and skills. ACE believes strongly that establishing a legitimate standard for credentialing while upholding separate rigorous requirements for continuing education is essential to providing the highest level of service to consumers and enhancing the image of our industry’s professionals.”
There is also the misconception amongst consumers that a “certification” qualifies the instructor as more proficient when in reality if there is no accredited test of this proficiency, there is no guarantee of programming excellence or safety.
Nordic Walk Now does not offer an accredited exam; therefore we have never referred to our programs as “certifications”. Ours are “certificate programs” which offer all of the same attributes of programs called certifications, and we are a continuing education provider for the American Council on Exercise.
We proud of our affiliation with the American Council on Exercise as a continuing education provider. We have been in compliance with this new policy since our inception and wholeheartedly support these values to maintain excellence in our own education, but also industry-wide. ACE’s new policy ensures the highest ethic of proficiency possible for fitness industry programs and practices.
“Continuing education is a valuable tool for professional growth and is required to maintain ACE certifications. Quality continuing education ensures that our fitness professionals stay on top of the field and continually advance their knowledge and skills. ACE continuing education providers are a valued partner in the growth and development of ACE fitness professionals.”
Nordic Walk Now is a high quality program development and educational organization dedicated to providing safety, updated fitness and skill development information. We created the new North American Low Impact Method to guide Nordic walkers safety through the processes of learning and becoming proficient. We are also dedicated to taking Nordic walking to new markets such as older adults, kids and for athletic training. We believe the safest path to a life long passion is to start with low or no impact and build intensity options from there.
If you hold the misconception that certification equals quality, it is your responsibility to learn the difference. While some “certifications” do offer quality education, some do not. While some “certificate programs” also offer quality education, the same is true that some do not. It comes down to the organization’s affiliations for professional practice. Who are they connected with that brings about their legitimacy? What is their experience as leaders in the fitness industry? Is the fitness information presented done so under the umbrella and ethic of recognized safe fitness practices? What is the standard requirement for fitness industry instructors and trainers to participate?
Another step Nordic Walk Now is taking in 2009 to enhance credibility regards fitness professionals who would like to take our Instructor Training. We will require a professional liability policy. If you are a fitness industry certified instructor but don’t have your policy, don’t panic! We will provide all the resources and in 2009, we will allow you to take our program without, but require you to have this policy within six months of the completion of the Nordic Walk Now Instructor Training Program. At about $200 a year, a one million dollar professional liability policy is standard and says you are serious about your career and care immensely about your students and training clients.
As the new ACE policy ripples throughout the North American fitness industry and eventually around the world, Nordic Walk Now, continues to stay on top of the trend and promises to bring you the best, most cutting edge methodology and the safest health, wellness, fitness and training practices.
If you are interested to learn about becoming a fitness professional, or about standardized, safe and accepted fitness practices, please visit www.acefitness.org. Tell ‘em Nordic Walk Now sent you!
