Without a doubt, the public's knowledge of certified trainers has grown tremendously in the last few years. As a health and fitness director I am asked at least once a day whether I am certified. And while certification is a perceived standard to which all credible trainers must achieve, the public has very little knowledge in the different types of certifications.

In my experience, club owners, fitness directors and even trainers possess little knowledge about the ever-changing world of certifications. So let's discuss the advantages of and different views on certification within the health and fitness industry.

The purpose of certifications is to develop a system for consumers and professionals to measure competence of individuals in a profession. In an industry with so many different certification organizations, this rationale can become blurred. Public and the industry perceptions of what having a certification means have helped and hurt certification organizations.

More than a dozen national certification organizations in the United States have certified more than 80,000 trainers (IDEA Personal Trainer, March/April 1996) as of April 1996. These numbers do not take into account independent certifications that are not at the national level such as in -house certifications offered by stand-alone and multiple clubs. Sabarass George, the personal training director for the Hurley Health and Fitness Center, located in Flint, Mich, says "There is no one certification that I would recommend. We have developed our own system, and no matter what type of certification a trainer has at the time of hire, he or she must still fulfill our in-house standards"

Therein lies one of the disadvantages of certifications. Trainers spend money on a certification only to be told that they must comply with in-house training standards in order to work at a facility. Barbara Gallagher, fitness director for Sport and Health in McClan, Va., believes that certification is absolutely essential. "It shows me that [a person] is serious about training and would be more likely to commit to the organization." These two comments reflect the inconsistency within the industry regarding certification organizations as valuable assets.

The perception of some fitness professionals is that certifications are necessary, while others believe that in-house staff training is far more complete. This difference in opinion among fitness professionals is splitting the industry into two categories -- those with and those without national certifications. How does the public feel bout certifications? "It is a minimum standard that I look for in a trainer. I have had five trainers in the last three years," says 51-year-old business executive Carl Atachley. "I travel a lot and found out the hard way that personal trainers are no different than any other profession -- you have some that are good and others that need a career change before they hurt someone."

The public's perception about fitness is changing. The market is maturing and along with that maturity comes a more sophisticated consumer. The buyers are requesting that trainers be certified and they are requesting references from those who are.

A certification is the document stating that a person has met specified requirements for teaching. Currently, seven of 14 national certification organizations require a practical portion to evaluate a candidate's ability to relate to a client, as well as provide accurate instruction - in addition to a written test. The practical portion offers a great benefit to the candidate; there are several areas that simply cannot be tested without a practical approach. For consistency, however, certification organizations might consider making uniform standards for the different types of certifications offered.

The definition of licensure is "The act or practice of granting licenses, as to practice a profession." In July 1996, Louisiana passed the first state enactment requiring licensure of clinical exercise physiologists ("First state licenses exercise physiologists," FITNESS MANAGEMENT, Oct. 95, pp. 32-34.) To qualify for a license, applicants must be 21 years old, of good moral character, and not be in violation of the law or the rules and regulations adopted thereunder. They must have a master of science or a master of education in an exercise studies curriculum from an accredited school that is approved by the American College of Sports Medicine or the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners at the time of graduation. The individual must also have successfully completed an internship of 300 hours in exercise physiology under the supervision of a licensed exercise physiologist, pass an examination, and complete course work as required by, and to the satisfaction of, the Board. Current practitioners who were practicing clinical exercise physiology for a period of at least 12 months prior to August 1, 1995, can obtain a license by meeting any three of the five criteria and would be "grandfathered," provided that they apply for a licensure prior to August 1, 1996.

The future of personal training and its marketable services remains to be seen. Some trainers believe there are too many certification organizations that detract from the credibility of the profession. Others contend that certified personal trainers should unite to control the fee structure at clubs across the country. Still others believe that they must push toward licensure. This, they contend, would allow personal trainers the opportunity to compete for the healthcare dollar.

A problem with licensing personal trainers, using Louisiana as a model, is the amount of time it would require to prepare for such a license. If a trainer participated in an internship 30 hours per week, it would still take 10 weeks to complete. This would not take into account a normal work week, unless it were a paid internship. The internship should include observation, hands-on experience, a little bit of accounting and marketing, an practicing interpersonal communication skills.

Another issue in developing a nationally accepted licensure is deciding who would take the lead. Unlike exercise physiology where the American College of Sports Medicine is the primary governing body, the health and fitness industry has at least 14 national certification organizations. Who decides what organization takes the lead? Also, once a licensure program is completed, personal trainers would be looking for jobs where compensation reflects the new level of professional experience. The going rate for a fitness floor staff (who cleans, provides orientations and instructs in the use of equipment) is between $6 and $9 per hour. The going rate for personal training is between $20 and $50 per hour after the split with the house. Would owners and fitness directors be willing to pay more for a licensed personal trainer?

The average salary for an exercise physiologist (unlicensed) varies from $32,000 - $43,000, depending on the type of facility and job responsibilities. Many personal trainers earn more than $50,000 per year. Personal trainers would need to decide if a license would be worth the sacrifices and how much extra income they would expect to account for the additional training.

The trainer's career goal will determine whether to become certified. If one of the goals is to move into club management, then the academic focus should be on acquiring accounting, financial and marketing skills. Specialty certifications (weight management, arthritis, seniors, etc.) are helpful if trainers are looking for a marketing niche or if they have a genuine interest in these groups. Remember that with any certification, it is only the tip of the iceberg -- there is only so much knowledge that can be tested in two to four hours. And while a four-year degree is not a must, exploring some continuing education courses at the college level would be helpful. Health sciences or business-related courses are helpful in dealing with clients and in managing a personal training business.