Earlier this week I had the opportunity to finally catch up on some of my reading. If you were to see my office, my shelves are lined with books covering all aspects of health and fitness, with running being my primary focus. But I also subscribe to many fitness publications including the American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Journal.

In the March/April 2010 issue there was a very interesting article raising the question as to whether or not health/fitness and clinical exercise professionals should be licensed. And par for the course, this got me thinking.

I am not aware of any allied medical professional not required to be licensed by the state in which they practice. This goes for Registered Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, Physical Therapists and Registered Dietitians just to name a few. Licensing is a safeguard for the community and for the profession. It requires the taking and passing of a comprehensive exam at the end of his/her studies. Once he/she receives his/ her license to practice, there is usually a yearly or bi-yearly re-licensing fee, along with proof of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) earned between the time of renewals. Not receiving the proper CEUs may lead to a revocation of one's license.

With so many of us turning to personal trainers to help us meet our fitness goals, how do we know if the qualifications our trainer received is appropriate for our needs? When we place our trust in those who will direct us on the proper path to reclaiming our health and fitness, it is important that we have full disclosure of their qualifications.

While many personal trainers are certified, certification is not the same as licensing. Certification just means the individual met the requirements of that particular program of study. That being said, some programs are more comprehensive than others and well exceed the educational standards for personal trainers, while other programs fall quite short in that area.

So why would licensing personal trainers, exercise physiologists and health fitness professionals be of benefit to us?

Licensing would require every individual to take a comprehensive exam at the end of his/her studies to guarantee a standardized qualification of knowledge is obtained regardless of where the individual received his/her education.

Currently the only state to license exercise physiologists is Louisiana. While other states have pursued passing legislation to do the same, so far that has yet to be seen and probably won't for some time. According to those is the industry, it does not appear that licensing will be a requirement any time soon, even though many believe there should be some type of competency exam, both written and practical, given at the end of their course of studies.

Not surprising, in a National Board of Fitness Examiners survey from 2006, of 2730 individuals who responded to the survey "76% agreed or strongly agreed that licensing of personal trainers will increase the perception of professionalism of personal trainers. While 75.4% feel that licensing of personal trainers will facilitate referrals from traditional health care providers, and 61% feel that insurance companies will be more likely to reimburse for services if personal trainers are licensed. 62.7% agree or strongly agree that they would like to be denoted as a licensed personal trainer".

Because licensing is not a current requirement for personal trainers, the next best suggestion is to check the personal trainer's credentials by asking the following questions or you can click on the following link to an article Coach Jen wrote on How to Choose a Personal Trainer.

1. What is their educational background? Do they have a degree in exercise physiology or one of the allied health fields?
2. Are they certified by a respected organization such as the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise or the National Academy of Sports Medicine? If not, where did they receive their certification?
3. How long have they been a personal trainer? Where have they worked? What type of clients have they worked with?
4. Do they keep current on the latest research? In other words, do they actively pursue continuing education opportunities?

For now, without any standards in the industry, it is even more imperative that you do your homework. Make sure the individual you are training with works in conjunction with you and the goals you want to meet.

And should your personal trainer begin to offer advice outside his/her area of expertise, such as specific nutrition or medical advice, this may be the time to rethink your situation. Offering standardized nutritional information such as eating a balanced diet of lean protein, healthy fats, fruits, veggies and whole grains, is well within their guidelines. But for a personal trainer to emphasize the taking of supplements or to recommend specific dietary advice which they are not authorized to do is outside their scope of knowledge, therefore, this may be a red flag to look elsewhere for your personal training advice.

Do you believe personal trainers should be licensed, if not why? Do you believe that by not having a standard in the industry makes it more difficult in choosing a trainer? What qualifications would be important to you when choosing a personal trainer?