Personal Trainers Support National Board Examinations

Last year, a Dan Rather CBS news report titled, Whos Training the Trainers" changed the way society views personal trainers. Over 200 companies offer personal training courses allowing virtually anyone to call themselves a Personal Trainer. In 2003, the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) was founded to set standards and test the competency of trainers in an unbiased, standardized fashion, similar to the Bar exam for the Law Profession.

(PRWEB) March 10, 2004 -- In August of last year, the public, the media, and the medical community changed the way they look at personal trainers, unfortunately for the worse. Largely in part to a Dan Rather CBS news report titled, Whos Training the Trainers?"

Rather reported that there are over 200 companies offering personal training certification courses allowing virtually anyone to call themselves a Personal Trainer, and in some cases, after simply purchasing a $39 book online. The lack of standards and regulations has destroyed the reputation of some very qualified personal trainers; the ones that have devoted their life to becoming educated proficient fitness professionals.

Fortunately, there has been a dramatic change. In 2003, the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) was founded to set standards and test the competency of trainers in an unbiased, standardized fashion -- the same way the medical industry determines the competency of physicians or any allied health professional... even the legal industry uses standardized exams, the Bar.

The National Board will help ensure the public, the medical community, and the fitness industry that the personal trainer of their choice has met a national standardized competency exam, based on their scope of practice not which school they attended." said Dr. Sal Arria, Executive Director of the National Board.

The mission of the NBFE is not only to test the competency of trainers but to educate the medical community and insurance companies about the role fitness professionals can play in preventing disease and advocate they start writing prescriptions for exercise," said Dr. Arria. He went on to say, over the next decade, writing prescriptions for exercise will be as mainstream as writing a prescription for anti-inflammatory medication."

I take my education very seriously, as I hold several certifications from multiple organizations. I get very upset when I see a 'floor trainer holding a certification from a company that I know does not deliver the same quality of education that I hold, and he or she is being treated the same as I am. The National Board levels this playing field and will give the trainers the credibility they deserve," said Dan Renfro, who has been a personal trainer for over 20 years, in Dayton, Ohio. Not only will I be able to increase my clientele base as a result of physicians prescribing exercise, but well see insurance companies getting involved in prevention as well. And most importantly, the patients will benefit by experiencing a positive lifestyle change. Everyone wins."

Its about time! The National Board of Fitness Examiners is probably ten or more years overdue," said Warren Potash a certified Fitness Therapist, trainer to high school and college coaches and author of Safely Training the Female Adolescent Athlete."

Brian Theiss, owner of the Theiss Institute Corporate Training Facility in
Westlake, California said, I have been working with medical doctors for years. A large portion of my business comes from the medical community. One of my biggest problems is locating qualified personal trainers to help me work with my clients. Something I wont have to worry about when all I need to do is ask if theyve passed the National Boards. Hiring qualified trainers based on what school they attended isnt reliable... knowing they passed the National Boards will help us tremendously."

About NBFE: The National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) is a not-for-profit organization; founded in 2003 to ensure to the public that qualified fitness professionals who have successfully passed the National Board examinations have achieved an approved level of competency in the health and fitness industry.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Sal Arria, please email:
Sam Hirschberg at: samuelh@goldteampr.com
or Dr. Arria at: arria@nbfe.org

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