With fitness credentials, dietitians can reach out to new markets for comprehensive lifestyle management services.

“Exercise and eat right.” Everyone knows this is the key to losing and maintaining weight. Many individuals seek the services of a personal trainer or participate in group fitness classes to exercise. Increasingly, overweight and obese Americans frustrated by fad diets are turning to nutritional counseling to learn how to “eat right.” It makes sense, then, that having the skills and experience to help others both “exercise and eat right” would be a huge advantage in the competitive market for fitness and nutrition services. Dietitians are uniquely positioned to expand into the fitness business and offer their clients more comprehensive lifestyle management services.

One-Stop Shopping
According to Allison Walker, MS, RD, LD, merging fitness with nutrition is a “complete package” for clients. Walker is an RD with dual bachelor’s degrees in exercise physiology and dietetics/nutrition, plus a master’s degree in sports administration and fitness certifications from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and FiTOUR. Walker offers nutritional consultation packages and individual and group personal training in Mississippi. She also teaches fitness classes and is a motivational speaker on personalized wellness. In her geographic area, she is the only dietitian who offers fitness services with nutritional consultations. “For my clients, it’s one-stop shopping,” says Walker. “A dietitian with a fitness education or certification has a marketing advantage. We are much more qualified than fitness instructors who try to give out diet advice.” She calls a fitness certification “a foot in the door to new markets.” Her education in exercise physiology and fitness certifications have allowed her to offer her clients body composition analysis and resting metabolic rate testing, as well as workout guidance. “I integrate meal planning advice with quality fitness education in my personal consultations,” says Walker. “For the private practice setting, integrating fitness with nutrition creates excellent opportunities for business.”

Suzanne Himka, RD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), is both an RD and a personal trainer certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She has combined her fitness and nutrition backgrounds to offer an online personal training service and nutrition analysis. “I saw a strong need for dietitians to be knowledgeable in fitness. It is a wonderful combination and you have a wealth of information to share with others in both fields, since fitness and nutrition blend so beautifully together,” she explains. Himka has experience working in different types of athletic facilities across the United States, from YMCAs to large health clubs such as Bally’s. “I have been more readily hired and desired by clients because I have had both my RD license and my personal trainer certification,” she says. “Many clients would often choose me over other personal trainers because I had a degree in nutrition.” Himka believes her advantage was that potential clients saw her as a “two for the price of one” deal compared with trainers with just a fitness background. “Although people are more likely to hire you as a personal trainer than a dietitian in a fitness club setting, you can still use your nutritional counseling skills to give the highest-quality service to your clients,” says Himka.

Both Walker and Himka have experienced tremendous marketing benefits as dietitians with fitness qualifications. Blending fitness and nutrition services allows a dietitian to:

• market both fitness and nutrition services to various fitness facilities;

• offer seminars to health clubs, community centers, corporate wellness programs, and other groups;

• expand a potential client base;

• combine exercise and nutritional consultation into lifestyle or wellness service packages;

• organize and participate in health fairs by offering nutritional and fitness “check-ups”;

• more effectively address client questions about healthy lifestyle modifications; and
• better help clients with conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and eating disorders.

The Education Plan
For dietitians interested in expanding into the fitness business, Himka and Walker both recommend certification through a reputable training organization (see table on page 65) and taking college courses in exercise physiology, exercise science, or physical education. Walker believes education carries more weight than certification. “Although there are some very credible fitness certifications, a four-year degree is better. If you can go back to school, do it,” she recommends. However, Walker says certifications may offer a more affordable and convenient method of adding fitness qualifications. Some colleges, such as Hofstra University and San Diego University, now offer personal training certification programs in conjunction with educational programs in exercise physiology, kinesiology, and physical education.

Dietitians considering expanding into fitness should be prepared to invest time and money into their efforts. Preparation for written and practical examinations can require long hours of studying or practicing new skills. Attending a workshop or conference, with its associated travel costs, may be necessary. Mentoring with an experienced fitness professional can help dietitians move into the fitness business, but may involve giving up time otherwise spent on one’s own income-generating activities. Once certified, fitness professionals are required to maintain certification by obtaining continuing education credits. Online activities, workshops, home studies, and conferences are readily available for recertification, but can range in cost from $25 to more than $100 per activity. In addition, proof of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification is necessary to maintain a personal training or group fitness certification.

Consider Specialities
Dietitians interested in pursuing fitness certification should first consider the type of certification that will most benefit their career and clients. The two most common fitness certifications are for personal training and group fitness instruction (“aerobics”). However, over the past several years, the number of organizations offering fitness certifications—and the types of certifications offered—have rapidly increased to meet the growing market for fitness services. Personal trainers can specialize in conditioning for athletes or specific sports (golf, tennis), core conditioning (abdominals/back muscles), clinical exercise, or special populations. Several organizations offer certifications geared toward special populations, such as prenatal/postnatal fitness, postrehabilitative exercise, youth fitness, and senior fitness. One emerging specialty area of personal training and group fitness instruction is “clinical exercise,” which focuses on fitness for individuals with medical conditions that may require exercise adaptations or special considerations. In addition to a primary group fitness certification, instructors can complete certifications in different class types, including yoga, pilates, aqua aerobics, tai chi, step aerobics, kickboxing, or indoor cycling.

Several organizations have also begun offering “lifestyle management” and “wellness coaching” certifications, which cover nutrition, exercise, and modification of negative lifestyle habits (eg, smoking, overworking), to assist clients in changing their lifestyle to achieve better health. A weight management certification or specialization may be offered along with lifestyle management and wellness coaching. These types of certifications may hold special appeal for dietitians and be relatively easy to complete successfully since dietitians will already be knowledgeable about nutrition information and counseling clients. Given the increasing prevalence of weight problems, consumer demand for lifestyle management and wellness counseling services is likely to continue growing.

Investigating different types of certifications can help dietitians decide which will provide the most benefits for their career goals. A personal training certification may be advantageous for the private practice dietitian looking to acquire new clients and offer that “one-stop shopping” Walker and Himka both mentioned. For busy nutrition professionals interested in fitness, becoming a certified group fitness instructor can provide benefits with minimal demands on time over the longer term. After an initial time investment to become certified and gain knowledge of group fitness instruction, teaching at a fitness facility a few hours per week can bring financial benefits, such as a free gym membership and opportunities to network and obtain new clients.

Hospital and long-term care dietitians could pursue more specialized certifications, such as senior fitness or clinical exercise, which may better suit their work environment and career options. For dietitians who specialize in pediatric nutrition, a certification in youth fitness would complement and expand services to current and future young clients. Sports nutrition professionals can also use fitness certifications to expand their services to athletic clients. Several fitness organizations offer specialized certifications in sport-specific conditioning, functional training for athletes, endurance fitness, and sport yoga. Dietitians interested in helping clients better manage stress can obtain a mind/body fitness certification, such as yoga or Pilates. Some organizations also offer certifications in holistic health that may address stress and overall wellness. Dietitians with an interest in prenatal/postnatal nutrition may be interested in becoming certified in prenatal/postnatal exercise. Some fitness facilities and community centers offer “baby boot camp” and “strollercise” for new mothers.

Quality Control
Not all certifications are created equal, however. With Internet technology, anyone can get certified in less than one hour for under $100 from numerous organizations that offer online certifications. While an online certification may be appropriate for an experienced fitness professional with other certifications to add knowledge or get continuing education credits, online programs do not provide the “hands-on” training in-person workshops provide. Dietitians seeking to become personal trainers or group fitness instructors will derive the most benefit from certifications conducted as day-long or weekend-long workshops with live instructors, hands-on training exercises, and written and practical examinations. Most larger certifying organizations offer certification workshops in major cities multiple times per year. Fitness conferences offer another opportunity to become certified or take workshops to expand fitness skills and knowledge. For dietitians who cannot travel due to expense or personal or business obligations, many reputable home-study certifications that include video or DVD instruction are available.

Nutrition professionals considering a personal training certification should prepare for the possibility of a future national board examination. In 2003, the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) was established to standardize and lend more credibility to the personal training profession, as well as create a valid and reliable examination to test personal trainer competency. The NBFE was founded in response to a lack of regulations and standards in the fitness industry, the increasing frequency of physicians writing “prescriptions” for exercise (Manson et al, 2004), and the growing emphasis on exercise as preventive medicine. The NBFE board examinations will be similar to those taken by medical professionals and are expected to eventually lead to a licensing process for personal trainers. The NBFE board examinations are currently in beta testing. The NBFE has approved several organizations as provisional affiliates, a temporary status allowing individuals certified through the organization to sit for the NBFE personal trainer board examination. Certification and training programs of NBFE provisional affiliates have been evaluated and determined to meet the standards set by the NBFE. Within the next five years, the NBFE is likely to begin a similar national competency program for group fitness instructors and other fitness professionals.

The fitness industry is growing rapidly, and dietitians considering entering the fitness business have many choices. With the array of reputable certifications now available, dietitians can certainly find one or more programs that will enhance their professional qualifications and fit their career needs.

The following fitness certifying organizations offer multiple certification programs in personal training, group fitness, and/or specialty areas, such as postrehabilitation exercise, clinical exercise, special populations, or wellness coaching.

— Jennifer Sisk, MA, is a certified wellness educator/consultant with the American College of Wellness and a certified fitness instructor with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. She currently teaches in suburban Philadelphia.

Resources
www.suzannehimka.com
www.allisonwalkerrd.com
National Board of Fitness Examiners: www.nbfe.org

Manson JE, Skerrett PJ, Greenland P, et al. The escalating pandemics of obesity and sedentary lifestyle. A call to action for clinicians. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164(3):249-258.

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