20th Anniversary Savings on Personal Training Certifications

CARPINTERIA, Calif., May. 21 /PRNewswire/ --

CARPINTERIA, Calif., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of their 20th year providing education and certification to personal trainers, the International Sports Sciences Association is demonstrating their commitment to Creating a Stronger, Healthier World(TM) by reducing all certification course prices by $100 through June 9, 2008.

"It's hard to believe that it's our 20th year -- we've certified over 100,000 health and fitness professionals in 84 countries worldwide. Our hope is that each of those students is inspired to impact the quality of life of everyone they come in contact with," says Dr. Fred Hatfield, ISSA's President and Co-Founder. Never before has there been a greater need to help individuals take charge of their health. "Personal trainers help more people every day get in shape and improve the quality of their lives," says Dr. Sal Arria, ISSA's CEO and Co-Founder. "To be able to provide fitness education at a reduced cost during these tough times is fabulous ... it's our way of showing our appreciation for their commitment to help others," says Dr. Arria.

Personal Training Goes Mainstream

Twenty years ago, ISSA was the first organization in the US to provide education and certification for personal trainers. At that time, personal training was a male-dominated industry and clients hired personal trainers that looked the part, but may not have had the necessary education to train others safely and effectively. Times have changed.

Today, ISSA's student body, which represents one of the largest groups of certified personal trainers worldwide, is evenly comprised of men and women that are motivated to make a positive impact on the world around them. These individuals no longer see a career as a personal trainer as the only reason to pursue fitness education -- many of ISSA's Certified Fitness Trainers plan to simply supplement their current income with part-time work as a trainer. Additionally, many students pursue our programs looking to transform their own lives by acquiring the knowledge with which they can better their health.

Professional Credibility Improving

Even though the fitness profession is unregulated, the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE), founded in 2003, was established to create nationally standardized examinations, much like other allied health professions. Personal trainers are voluntarily taking National Board exams to further demonstrate competence. Many national organizations, including ISSA, are adjusting their course material to meet NBFE core curriculum recommendations.

Public Safety

Further, to help assure the public that ISSA's trainers stay current, the ISSA has established a minimum requirement of 20 hours of continuing education every two years, which is in line with the requirements of most allied health professions.

Potential students can find information on all of the ISSA's certification courses (http://www.issaonline.com), inspiration for why the world needs more qualified trainers (http://www.issacertification.com/slideshows/whybeapersonaltrainer.html), their aptitude for a career in fitness (http://www.issaonline.com/trainer_evaluation/index.cfm) and calculate potential income as a part-time personal trainer (http://www.issaonline.com/calculator/careerCalculator.cfm) on ISSAonline.com. Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Dr. Sal Arria https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=67081 Clark Bartram https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=67647