How to Become a Group Fitness Instructor II – Get Group Fitness Certified
Step II: Get Group Fitness Certified
As we now know, the first thing to do if you want to become a group fitness instructor is get CPR/AED certified. I was able to complete the course in a 5-hour class with a Red Cross-approved training company for $65.
The next step in becoming a group fitness instructor is to become group fitness certified. There are two major organizations that certify group fitness instructors and personal trainers – ACE (American Council on Exercise) and AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America).
If you have a particular gym or studio you’d like to work at or a favorite group fitness instructor, ask which certification the gym, studio, or instructor recommends. Some gyms require all group fitness instructors to also be certified personal trainers.
My Zumba instructor recommended getting both AFAA and ACE certified. ACE is more widely recognized and more difficult to get so I chose to get ACE certified first.
ACE’s Group Fitness Instructor Certification process involves studying the ACE Group Fitness Instructor Manual and Master the Manual Study Guide to pass the ACE Group Fitness Instructor Certification Exam. I ordered the Basic Group Fitness Instructor Home Study Program for $139.95 + $18 s&h. You can also order these materials individually through ACE or Amazon.
The ACE Group Fitness Certification Exam can be computer-based or pencil-and-paper, although the CBT is offered much more often than the traditional method test. There is a $259 charge to take the CBT exam.
AFAA offers a Group Exercise certification. The AFAA certification process involves a full-day workshop including written and practical exams. The cost of the study guides, workshop, and exam is $299.
Don’t be shy! Let your gym, studio, and instructors know you’re pursing the instructor certification – they could give you advice and it could get you a job when you complete your certification.
More to come on this topic! See also, How to Become a Group Fitness Instructor I – Get CPR/AED Certified.
Filed under exercise, group fitness, interests | Tags: ACE, aerobic, aerobics instructor, AFAA, america, american, association, certification, council, exam, exercise, Fitness, group, group fitness instructor, instructor, Zumba, zumba instructor | Comments (3)How to Become a Group Fitness Instructor I – Get CPR/AED Certified
Step I: Get CPR/AED Certified
The first thing to do if you want to become a group fitness instructor is get CPR/AED certified. CPR stands for CardioPulmonary Resuscitation. AED stands for Automatic External Defibrillator.
I found a CPR/AED certification class by visiting the American Red Cross webpage for my area, the Twin Cities. The class cost $65. It was held in a private home by a Red Cross-approved private training company for 5 hours on a Saturday.
The first 4 hours were CPR training. We watched video segments and the instructor embellished on the content. We practiced CPR on the Resusci Anne mannequins and took a short, multiple-choice written exam to be Red Cross CPR certified.
The last hour was AED training. Again, we watched video segments and we practiced using simulation AED equipment on the Resusci Anne teaching mannequins. There was another short, multiple-choice written exam to be Red Cross AED certified.
Zumba: Great Workout, Silly Name
I recently canceled my Snap Fitness 24-7 gym membership to join an independent gym called Fitness Crossroads. For $10/month more, the independent gym provides showers, lockers, towel service, and best of all – group fitness classes!
Being a dancer, I have always loved group fitness classes. I’ve often thought I was born too late and missed my true calling of being a aerobics instructor in the 1980’s. In fact, when asked my dream job, I often respond “aerobics instructor slash dog walker.” (Watch Eric Prydz’s Call On Me Video here. If you haven’t seen it before, it’s racy and nsfw.)
I had been away from the group fitness scene for a few years while I lived in Europe and while I held mini-gym memberships here in the States. After I joined my new gym in March, I soon saw an announcement that they were adding two “Zumba” classes to the group fitness schedule. Zumba? It sounded silly, but I decided to Google it.
The Zumba workout is based on latin rhythms and dance moves. It is like going out to a nightclub dancing, but with the freedom of not caring how you look and getting sweaty in the comfort of your own gym!
I loved Zumba from the very first minute. I was a member of the pom pon squad in high school and the dance team in college. Each song in Zumba is a mini dance routine, much like danceline. The instructor breaks down the moves first and then brings the moves up to speed. The moves are intuitive and easy-to-follow. The main goal is to keep moving.
One thing I especially love about Zumba is that each class participant can increase or decrease intensity according to their comfort level, which makes it suitable for all ages and fitness levels. In fact, many of the participants in my daytime class are 65 and over! I love to see the older men and women smiling, laughing, and dancing up a storm! Zumba Gold was designed specifically for older adults. I hope I am still dancing at age 70!
I highly recommend looking for Zumba classes at your local gym or community center, regardless of the silly name. It is so much fun, it’s like working out without working out! I love Zumba so much, and Zumba is so much fun to me, I am becoming a certified group fitness instructor through ACE (American Council on Exercise) in order to become a certified Zumba instructor.
Ditch the workout, join the party!
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