Course Aims:

This advanced personal trainer certification enables fitness professionals to work with individuals with special health concerns and conditions. Millions of people suffer from chronic disease or some form of injury. Most of these people can enhance their quality of life with a well-designed program of physical activity, but should do so under the guidance of someone with in-depth knowledge of the appropriate type of activity that will most benefit them, taking their limitations into consideration. On completion of this course, participants will be able to:

·          Take a leadership role in helping clients with special conditions continue to improve their fitness levels and overall health.

·          Create specialized programs for individuals with a focus on strengthening, physical conditioning, proprioceptive training, improving range of motion, neuromuscular re-education, balancing extremity strength, increasing muscular endurance and cardiovascular function.

·          Form an important bridge between rehabilitation and a health club- or home-based exercise program.

·          In conjunction with other healthcare professionals, help design, implement and manage appropriate exercise and lifestyle programs for individuals following treatment or rehabilitation for clinically documented chronic disease, musculoskeletal injury and/or disability.

Course Contents:

The course focuses on the basic blocks of personal training such as client screening and assessment, program design, implementation and management as they apply to the following health and medical conditions:

·          Cardiovascular disease - including hypertension, coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and other CV disorders such as valvular disease or clients with pacemakers

·          Pulomonary disease - including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

·          Metabolic diseases - such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and blood lipid (cholesterol) disorders

·          Immunological and Hematological diseases such as cancer, arthritis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and others such as anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome and Lupus

·          Neurological disorders - such as fibromyalgia, gait and balance, selected other disorders such as those resulting from stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, spinal chord injuries, cerebral palsy, etc.

·          Exercise following orthopedic rehabilitation - stemming from lower-back pain, osteoporosis or musculoskeletal challenges - for example strains, sprains, shoulder or rotator cuff impingement, ACL reconstruction, epicondylitis, plantar fasciitis. 

·          Special cases - including visually impaired clients, intellectual disabilities, psychological disorders and frailty.

Eligibility:

The following eligibility requirements have been implemented for the ACE Clinical Exercise Specialist certification exam:

You must have 300 hours of work experience designing and implementing personal exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and/or high-risk individuals, as documented by a qualified professional.

You must have a four-year (bachelor's) degree in an Exercise Science or related field, a current ACE Personal Trainer certification or a NCCA-accredited certification. Registrants must submit documentation supporting completion of Exercise Science-related coursework at the time of registration.

Class size:

            Class size will be limited to 8 participants per class. A minimum of 4 participants is required to start a class.