She Works Hard for the Money

My job, like many others, requires active certifications to attest for my knowledge and ability in the fitness field. These certifications, like many others, are not cheap, and require a certain number of Continuing Education credits each year or two. If the CEC's aren't accrued, then the certification expires, and I have to shell out even more money to re-certify.

Obviously, I don't like this.

I understand that cutting-edge is money in my field. What good am I if I'm giving the same old generic fitness advice that was given back in the 1950's? But I feel that my career would take care of my lack of knowledge by itself- I don't need certifications to do that for me. For example, the new guidelines for cardio exercise stress intervals and high intensity (in terms of increased levels of fitness and weight loss- not achieving or maintaining general heart health). If my exercise prescriptions (which don't exist now because we don't offer personal training where I currently work) went off the old-school low intensity, longer duration for the generally healty, based on the premise of the much heard about "fat burning zone", then I would lose clients and eventually lose enough money that I would have to either reevaluate my training methods based on more current research, or find a different career. Or starve to death.

Bottom line? I think CEC's are useless as a requirement. That being said, I am open to learning new things, and I do appreciate the motivation that they can sometimes provide. I just don't like that they're required and that they are so expensive. Through my certifications, I am lucky in that I have to renew them every other year, on alternating years. And the courses I have to take can count towards both of my certifications.

So my morning today was spent reading about Women, Exercise & Metabolism and Nutrition & Weight Control. Which are both topics with which I would hope any fitness professional with any sort of certification or education would already be very familiar. Each cost me $20. So now I'm $40 poorer for the reassurance that I know what I'm supposed to know, and already did.