As a fitness instructor, it is part of your job to regularly update your fitness facility staff and members with knowledge of the recent developments in the fitness industry, advancements, and technology that is emerging in the fitness industry. This is also extremely important for establishing a strong sense of expertise and respect within your community. It helps you build a reputation and earn credibility as a fitness trainer.
For a fitness instructor, the Internet is filled with websites, blogs, and social media channels that provide information related to fitness for you but oftentimes, fitness instructors are overwhelmed and perplexed by the vast amount of information available. Many times information provided is not backed by research and science. The information you give us as fitness instructors must be authentic and relevant. Hence, here is when fitness organizations come into the picture. Fitness organizations can be a valuable resource for information for you and your customers. Gaining insights important to survive in the fitness industry. Thankfully there are some good resource- and research-providing organizations within the fitness industry which you can access to remain updated about the latest trends, research, and findings, educate yourself further, or get certified.
In this article, we will discuss what a fitness organization is, why they are important, and then list 10 fitness organizations you can access.
Skip ahead to :
- What are fitness organizations?
- 9 Fitness organizations you should know if you’re in the fitness industry
- Why is it important to join fitness organizations?
What are fitness organizations?
Many fitness organizations in America provide their members with research, education, training, and certification to those who are often gym trainers or owners, dieticians, sports coaches, or just fitness enthusiasts. These fitness organizations are important as they provide information on key developments in the field, insurance to members, and the networking and resources that are critical for career development. To join most fitness organizations, one is required to pay a small group membership fee.
So, yeah you got to spend a little but if you don't think joining a fitness or gym organization is worth your time right now, it's a good idea to keep an eye on their online activity. Most fitness organizations have active social media handles and publish blogs, eBooks, and newsletters. You can look out for it though it is better to take a full-time membership as it comes with extra benefits.
9 Fitness organizations you should know if you’re in the fitness industry
So, before deciding which fitness organizations you want to join, you need to do proper research, and see if it serves your need, is credible, and can benefit your fitness business. We can help you with the research part as here is a list of 7 fitness organizations that you should know about –
01. IHRSA
If you’ve been familiar with the fitness industry for a while, you’ve probably heard of IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. This well-known trade association serves health clubs, gyms, spas, sports clubs, fitness facilities, and fitness suppliers globally. The mission of IHRSA, The Global Health & Fitness Association, is to grow, protect, and promote the health and fitness industry, and to provide its members with the benefits that will help them be more successful. The IHRSA is a fantastic resource for both fitness professionals and companies. Whether you’re a certified personal trainer, a health coach, or a gym owner, you can benefit from their great statistics and research about the current trends in the fitness industry. Every year, they also host several trade shows and conventions that keep you up to date on everything fitness-related, from technology to products and everything in between.
02. ACSM
As a fitness expert, you understand the importance of exercise science and sports medicine in your field. Consider joining the American College of Sports Medicine to keep up with the newest research and developments in the health and fitness sector.
ACSM works to advance and integrate scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine - in short, ACSM-certified professionals strive to help people live longer, healthier lives, which means keeping up with the latest research.
03. ACE
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is one of the fitness non-profit organizations that has been helping the fitness sector for 30 years now. If you want to become an ACE-certified personal trainer, then you’ll have to pass the ACE certification test. They offer five NCCA accredited certification programs, as well as other continuing education courses for CEC opportunities to keep your staff up to date on the knowledge they need. They also offer some valuable resources for the gym operator, such as business growth insights and free webinars. It is a great gym organization to be associated with if you are new to the fitness business.
04. AFS
The Association of Fitness Studios focuses on the financial aspects of the fitness business. The AFS gives you access to influencers and trends, all of which will help you improve your gym's profitability by guiding you through the business side of things. This gym organization can make opening and running a fitness facility a lot easier, and it's especially helpful for smaller gyms.
05. NASM
National Academy of Sports Medicine is a world-renowned certification program known for the quality of its trainers and the scientific rigor of its training program. NASM offers an online certified personal as well as group training program. NASM is part of Ascend Learning, the leader in providing technology-based education and certification solutions. NASM is also a partner of the Athletics and Fitness Association of America and Premier Global in the United Kingdom. NASM specializations can take your training skills to a whole new level. It is a good idea to get associated with this gym organization if you want to upscale your business.
06. NSCA
The National Strength and Conditioning Association is a nonprofit fitness/gym organization with over 45,000 members and certified professionals. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is dedicated to conditioning the skills of fitness trainers and inculcating in them the advancing methods of the industry. NSCA provides three types of certifications to fitness trainers around the globe and each certification is specific to the sort of training the user wishes to go through in their profession. They are “dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning profession around the world.” They provide strength and conditioning professionals with research-based knowledge through research journals, continuing education courses, certifications, and career development services.
07. AFPA
The AFPA, American Fitness Professionals Association is a nationally and globally recognized gym organization providing diverse courses for fitness trainers. Not only people in the US can enroll but also, willing fitness trainers from abroad can apply to AFPA's educational courses due to its remote learning approach. Fitness, health, wellness, and nutrition professionals highly benefit from these courses.
08. Club Industry
Club Industry is a premier media source for fitness professionals. Their content provides news, education, business solutions and strategies, trends, and insights geared towards connecting buyers and sellers in the fitness business.
09. IDEA Health and Fitness
IDEA Health and Fitness is one of the popular fitness organizations because of their most popular conference, the IDEA World Convention, an annual, multi-day conference for everything health-related. The gym organization organizes several conferences throughout the year that are great for fitness professionals looking to network and boast over 275,000 health and fitness professionals.
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Why is it important to join fitness organizations?
It is critical for fitness instructors and personal trainers to continue their education and keep updating themselves. Many newbies to the profession are unaware of the value of continuous learning. But the vital thing to remember is that continued training ensures a fitness educator and trainer stays relevant.
Apart from this, there are several other reasons why fitness organizations can play an important role in your fitness business. Let’s take a look at some of these reasons here:
Knowledge
Even seasoned professionals can become engrossed in their personal life and neglect their professional development. Education keeps you up to date on the most recent developments in fitness, health, and nutrition, ensuring you give your clients the best training possible. It allows you to develop strong communication skills and freshen up your training. Further, continued education makes it easier to build a reputation, as well as expand your business, allowing you to reach a wider range of clients. Fitness organizations can be an amazing channel for new information.
Certification
The fitness industry is highly competitive. There is no shortage of personal trainers and gyms but if you want you and your fitness business to stand out, it’s critical to get certified. Though the fitness industry is self-regulated and like doctors, there are currently no national or state licensing requirements for working as a personal trainer but one cannot get hired as a personal trainer at a reputable gym without it. So, if you want to be successful as a fitness trainer or as a gym owner it’s imperative to get certified by fitness organizations and elevate the level of your fitness business.
Networking
Fitness organizations can provide excellent networking opportunities for you to form new connections and expand your business. A single contact could get you so many leads without much effort. When you join a fitness or a gym organization, you go for a seminar, workshops, and training programs and connect with many fitness enthusiasts and trainers. You get to interact with other fitness professionals in your area, your country, and around the world through conferences, events, and even social media. Conferences are also great ways to earn CECs (Continuing Education Credits).
Remaining Up to date
Fitness organizations can be a great source to remain up-to-date on new trends. This includes technological advancements. You need to be informed of what's coming in the future because technology is driving a lot of change in the sector and the near future going to play an important role. Things like fitness trackers and management software are becoming the norm.
Gym owners can benefit greatly from joining fitness organizations. These fitness organizations will assist you to get certifications for your employees as well as expertise and ideas to help you enhance your fitness business. They will help you connect with fitness professionals and remain up to date on the newest innovations, trends, and insights in the field by joining these fitness organizations.
If you run your own fitness center or are a group fitness instructor, its time for you to switch your business to Bookee app. Bookee is the best fitness management software laced with industry best features and everything your fitness business might need.
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