ACSM Credential Descriptions
Current ACSM Credentials:
The ACSM Certified Personal
TrainerSM is designed for a fitness professional
involved in developing and implementing an individualized approach to
exercise leadership in healthy populations and/or those individuals with
medical clearance to exercise.
The ACSM Health/Fitness
Instructor® is designed primarily for leaders
of preventive health programs in corporate, commercial, and community
settings aimed at low- to moderate- risk individuals or persons with
controlled diseases, such as hypertension, obesity or asthma.
For professionals exercise testing and
training clients with cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic diseases,
ACSM offers the ACSM Exercise
Specialist® certification. ACSM Exercise
Specialists® are competent in graded exercise testing
and exercise prescription, performing emergency procedures, and
providing health and fitness counseling for patients in clinical
settings.
In addition, the ACSM Registered
Clinical Exercise Physiologist® provides
exercise management for patients with a broad spectrum of chronic
diseases or disabilities. This national registry for clinical exercise
physiologists catalogues allied health professionals who work in the
preventive or rehabilitative application of exercise and physical
activity for populations where exercise has been shown to provide a
therapeutic or functional benefit.
Past ACSM Credentials:
The ACSM Exercise Leader is a
professional involved in group exercise leadership. Using a
variety of teaching techniques, the Exercise Leader is proficient in
leading and demonstrating safe and effective methods of exercise by
applying the fundamental principles of exercise science. The
Exercise Leader is familiar with all forms of group exercise including
traditional, low, high, mixed, and step aerobics; slide, stationary
indoor cycling, interval, circuit, water, muscle conditioning, and
flexibility training.
The ACSM Exercise Tech
Technologist certification provides recognition for trained
professionals who have demonstrated the knowledge, competence, and
skills necessary to deliver safe and valid exercise-related tests in a
clinical health care environment.
The ACSM Program
Director credential was directed toward professionals whose
primary responsibilities are developing and directing safe and effective
clinical exercise programs. The Program Director certification
requires a significant increase in breadth and depth of knowledge and
experience beyond that of an Exercise Specialist
The ACSM Health/Fitness Director
certification provides professionals with recognition of their practical
experience and demonstrated competence as an administrative leader of
health and fitness programs in the corporate, commercial, or community
setting in which apparently healthy individuals and individuals with
controlled disease participate in health promotion and fitness-related
activities. The professional responsibilities of a Health/Fitness
Director encompass an advanced knowledge of applied exercise physiology,
exercise programming, emergency procedures and safety, program
administration, staff training and supervision, as well as overall
facility and program management.
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