National Fitness Board Announces Personal Trainer Standards
by Anonymous

Santa Barbara, CA February 14, 2004--Virtually all medical and health care providers must pass National competency exams to be recognized as professionals. And now, personal trainers must do the same. That is, if they want the medical community to accept them as a truly regulated profession.

“With more than 200 possible certifications and no state or federal licensing requirements, it's difficult knowing just who is a ‘qualified’ personal trainer,” according to a recent New York Post report (Exercise Caution, January 6, 2004).

In response to the fragmented, unregulated state of the fitness industry, the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) was commissioned in 2003 to address the public and industry demands for standards and regulations in the fitness profession. Personal trainers will be assessed by nationally approved, unbiased examinations that will ensure to the public that qualified fitness professionals have successfully completed a standardized level of competency.

“Since 1915, the medical profession has used the National Board of Medical Examiners to test the competency of physicians, no matter what medical school they attended,” said Dr. Arria, Executive Director of the National Board of Fitness Examiners. “The fitness profession has experienced tremendous growth over the past 10 years. Numerous organizations offering personal trainers education have popped up, some very good and some not so good,” Dr. Arria said.

Personal trainers help hundreds of thousands of clients every day achieve their fitness goals. However, because there are no regulations or standards for evaluating a personal trainers’ competency, few physicians write prescriptions for exercise.

“Besides assuring the public that trainers meet a Nationally recognized level of competency, the NBFE will lobby that all doctors write prescriptions for exercise. This will have a huge impact on preventing most diseases simultaneously benefiting the insurance companies, the doctors, the trainers, and the health clubs,” Dr. Arria reported.

The NBFE will announce their plans and objectives for implementing the National Board examinations at a press conference in Las Vegas, NV on March 20, 2004.

For more information on the National Board of Fitness Examiners, or to schedule an interview with Dr. Sal Arria, please email arria@nbfe.org, or sam@goldteampr.com



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