Does Your Personal Trainer Possess Proper Certification?

The field of fitness is highly subjective and competitive. Complicating matters even further is the fact that today there are over 400 organizations offering a dizzying array of certifications to fitness enthusiasts looking to start a career in health and fitness.

If you are interested in hiring a personal trainer to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals you must first strive to understand what the different types of certifications entail. This, in turn, will help you determine which personal trainers are qualified to help you meet your specific goals.

The following is a short list of the top 6 accredited fitness organizations and the types of certificates they offer fitness enthusiasts looking to become fitness professionals. All of these programs are NCCA accredited.

National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)

NCCA is the accreditation body of the National Organization for Competency Assurance. the NCCA accreditation process serves as a basis for how fitness organizations should conduct certification. With more than 400 fitness certification programs available to fitness enthusiasts, the NCCA accreditation of a given certification program serves as a basis with which we can discriminate between qualified and unqualified fitness professionals.

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

Today, NASM is the worldwide leader in providing evidence-based certifications programs and advanced credentials to dedicated health and fitness professionals. NASM certified fitness professionals are also placed on a progressive career track with access to advanced specializations such as Sports Performance (PES), Injury Prevention (CES), continuing education courses and accredited Bachelor and Masters degree programs.

The NASM’s Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) program is one of the most comprehensive, and versatile personal training programs on the market today. to prepare for the exam applicants are taught such health and fitness principles as the scientific rationale for integrated training, basic exercise science, the basics of the cardio-respiratory system, human movement science, conducting proper fitness assessments, flexibility training concepts, cardio-respiratory training concepts, core training concepts, balance training concepts, power and agility training concepts, resistance training concepts, nutrition, behavior modification, and fitness program design concepts for all individuals including special population members such as pregnant women, the elderly and Cancer patients.

In addition to all this, NASM also offers its members professional development tips, job placement help, health insurance, accidental medical insurance and professional liability insurance.

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

As the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, ACSM offers seven distinct certification programs including the prestigious Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist (RCEP) certification and the Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer (CET) certification.

To be admitted into the ACSM certified professionals continued education programs, applicants are often required to possess a Bachelors Degree in an allied health field such as nursing, physician assistant, physical education, kinesiology, or physical therapy.

Due to this organization’s dedication to exercise science and sports medicine, ACSM certified professionals are highly qualified to take on clients who suffer from an array of health problems including cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, or neuro-muscular diseases.

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

ACE is the world’s largest nonprofit fitness certification organization. As such, ACE certified individuals are part of the biggest and most active community of fitness professionals. Because of ACE’s commitment to helping communities throughout the United States adapt healthier lifestyles ACE certified personal trainers, group fitness instructors and lifestyle and weight management consultants are highly qualified to work with your entire family helping you reach your fitness goals, collectively.

International Fitness Professionals’ Association (IFPA)

Today, IFPA offers the widest selection of specialized training programs to individuals aspiring to become personal fitness trainers. Individuals who wish to be certified through IFPA can choose from a list of over 40 specialized certification programs. These certification programs range anywhere from the Military Fitness Specialist program to the highly popular lower back Disorder Specialist certification.

Due to the fact that IFPA splits its fields of specialization into so many sub-categories it is important that you ask any given IFPA certified personal trainer which specific type of certification he/she has completed before deciding whether or not he/she is right for you. For example, if you are interested in improving your overall strength and agility through bootcamp-style bodyweight exercises you need to make sure that your IFPA certified personal trainer holds a Military Fitness Specialist certificate and not a Pre and Post-Natal Trainer certificate.

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

As the most respected authority on strength and conditioning, the goal of the NSCA is to pool together the collective knowledge of a diverse group of professionals from such fields as sports science, allied health and fitness in order to create highly effective strength training and conditioning programs.

To achieve this goal NSCA offers a variety of certification programs including the highly sought-after Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification and the NSCA Strength and Conditioning Coach certification. to be admitted into these certification programs applicants must hold a Bachelors Degree in exercise science or related field and/or hold a degree in chiropractic medicine.

Due to these, and a variety of other reasons, NSCA certified individuals are most qualified to work with athletes, such as pro-bodybuilders, whose primary fitness goal is to focus on strength training.

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)

ISSA’s certification program is similar to ACSM’s certification program in the sense that both programs focus on the needs of clients who suffer from an array of health problems. the main difference between the two programs lies in the fact that the ISSA program imposes no residency restrictions on its applicants and conducts most of its certification classes through distance learning. In fact, the ISSA certification program is one of the few programs accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), which is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency, and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Because of the nature of their studies ISSA certified individuals are highly capable of providing alternative personal training services such as online personal training services.

Can a Vegetarian Go For a Diet Meal?

As more people are becoming health conscious and setting better nutritional goals, some are choosing to become vegetarian. this may be a drastic change for some people and it can be very hard to go against the flow. Living a healthier life by being a vegetarian is not an option for many people, as they do not want to give up eating meat. not everyone has the willpower to stay away from meat, especially if they have enjoyed eating it for several years. however, when a vegetarian decides to lose weight, they can do it even easier with a physician developed meal because this diet also caters to meatless diets.

Since vegetarians do not eat meat, they have to have another source of protein and amino acids. with a physician developed meal, the nutrients are already figured into the meal plan. They simply select their desired vegetarian meal plans. a complete list of vegetarian plans is readily available on the Internet. you do not need to look for another type of food, especially not junk food, to eat during a physician monitored diet plan. in addition, you never need to worry about trying to figure out what to eat since everything you need to be eating is in the foods your diet provides you. Stick with it and have fun dieting, even if you are a vegetarian.

With a physician-designed meal plan, vegetarians can substitute the meatless options for the protein portion as well as choosing from countless vegetables to eat. if you want to look at meatless options, the Internet provides lots of information about meatless protein alternatives in the form of a lean options list. Once you have skimmed through the food, you can write down which ones you would like to include in your diet. Afterwards, you can either buy the pre-made meals online or buy alternatives in the store so that you can start dieting. Change the meals every so often so that you do not get tired of eating the same thing repeatedly.

For the vegetarians who are conscious when it comes to eating carbohydrates, you can choose low carbohydrate vegetables in your physician developed diet. you can see this in the vegetable list in books or online. Vegetables are truly nature’s gift to dieters because they help maintain the healthiness in each person. The more vegetables you eat, the better the chances for you to live a healthy life. however, you still have to consider eating vegetables in moderation so that a well-rounded diet is maintained. as they say, too much of anything can be bad.

As you can see, a physician controlled diet is not only for everyday people. it is also applicable to vegetarians. They too have the need to lose weight so this diet helps them reach their weight loss goals. there may not be too many changes in their lives since they are already not eating meat; still, they have to make sure that they follow the instructions of the meal plan. a little patience and determination is all you need to lose weight. have faith and believe in yourself that you can finish this endeavor and prove to others that a vegetarian can accomplish the same weight loss achievements that meat-eaters can.

This may not be an easy road, but in the end you will be able to rejoice and reap the rewards of your sacrifice and hard work!

The Benefits of Melatonin Sleep Aid

With the latest medical developments, even the most severe cases of insomnia can now be remedied. The release in the market of different kinds of melatonin sleep aid products has given new hope for better sleep conditions for the millions of insomniacs around the world.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a naturally occurring substance that is synthesized from serotonin and produced by the pineal gland. Melatonin production is highest at night and naturally signals the body that it is time to sleep. In other words, melatonin manages people’s perceptions and natural reactions to night and day. People with insomnia naturally lack this natural substance; hence their bodies will not shift to a restful sleep phase at night. A good melatonin sleep aid that is available over the counter contains real sleep regulating melatonin.

Nature’s Way

Before the age of industrialization, the disappearance of sunlight was enough signal for the pineal gland to produce melatonin to induce sleep. Getting enough sleep is essential because it is through sleep that the body can repair itself. It is believed that aside from its sleep inducing properties, melatonin can also fight free radicals at night while an individual is asleep. This is why sleep is so essential and this is also why insomniacs need a melatonin sleep aid for good health.

Modern Life

Evidences suggest that some people are responsible for an increased need for a melatonin sleep aid. Nature has equipped us with enough melatonin producing capabilities but certain circumstances promote the need for a melatonin sleep aid.

Other factors that reduce the production of melatonin include old age and illnesses. Stressful life conditions and lifestyles however are man made causes for the decrease in melatonin levels. Irregular sleep patterns due to modern lifestyles, stressful occupations and long working hours can all derail normal melatonin production creating the need for a melatonin sleep aid.

Melatonin Supplement

Taking a safe and trusted melatonin sleep aid can help an insomniac get enough sleep. A melatonin sleep aid does more than just promote sleep. It also reinforces the body’s capacity to make more of its own melatonin again. As the body adjusts to a normal sleep pattern, it can begin to produce melatonin on its own. This means that a melatonin sleep aid works exactly on an opposite path as addiction. The more you use a good melatonin product the lesser you will need it in the future. The good thing about a melatonin product is its lack of negative side effects. It can even promote better immunity.

Free Radicals and Cancer

More than a sleep aid, melatonin is now also know to help prevent and cure breast cancer. It is believed that in industrialized countries, the use of artificial light can disrupt melatonin levels and can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Studies in animals show that cancer cells were inversely proportional to the levels of melatonin. Although further studies are required, present studies seem to suggest that melatonin may be developed for cancer treatment too.