ACSM CERTIFICATION
A Health Fitness Professional,
Group Exercise Instructor, and Clinical
Exercise Physiologist Walk into a
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Fitness Facility…
by Paul M. Gallo, Ed.D., FACSM, ACSM-EP, ACSM-CEP, ACSM-GEI
INTRODUCTION SCOPE AND ROLE OF A HEALTH
n many occasions, students and professionals may have FITNESS PROFESSIONAL
O confusion with the scope and role of health fitness pro-
fessionals (i.e., personal trainers and group exercise in-
structors) and clinical exercise physiologists. In addition, it is not
always an easy decision to determine which certification is the
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook
Handbook, the health fitness professional’s role is to conduct client
consultations and goal setting, fitness assessments, and exercise
programming for the health-related components of fitness (3),
best option for a person’s career goals. This column aims to give as well as motivate the client through individual or group train-
a general overview of the differences in the professional scope ing sessions (1). The clientele of the health fitness professional
and role of the health fitness professional and clinical exercise includes people of all ages and fitness levels who are healthy
physiologist, to highlight available certifications for each profes- or have medically controlled chronic disease. The U.S. Depart-
sion through ACSM, and to provide an update on salary and ment of Labor includes personal “fitness” trainers and group fit-
job forecasts (1). ness instructors in this category and describes their work setting
In addition to education, general certification demonstrates as being health clubs, fitness/recreation centers, gyms, and group
that a person has met the minimum competencies for entry- fitness studios (1).
level employment as determined by ACSM’s job task analysis
for each certification (2). Although some of the certifications re-
quire a high school diploma as a minimum qualification, each
candidate should consider formal educational training and the It is projected that between the years 2016
completion of a certificate and/or minimum of an associate’s and 2026, there will be a 10% growth for
degree. Depending on the career goal, the timing to complete
a certification may assist with enhanced work/internship op- health fitness professionals because of
portunities. For example, an individual studying to become a increased population health needs that can
clinical exercise physiologist may benefit from taking a health be controlled with physical activity and
fitness certification that will result in employment ahead of
graduation or greater hands-on opportunities at an internship exercise. This equates to an additional
that can provide experience with managing clients. Each sec- 30,000 jobs during this time, described by
tion below will go into detail regarding the different roles of the U.S. Department of Labor as a profession
each professional and the appropriate ACSM certification
within each role. growing “faster than average” (1).
It is projected that between the years 2016 and 2026, there
will be a 10% growth for health fitness professionals because
of increased population health needs that can be controlled with
physical activity and exercise. This equates to an additional
30,000 jobs during this time, described by the U.S. Department
of Labor as a profession growing “faster than average” (1).
40 ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal ® March/April 2020
Copyright © 2020 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
TABLE: ACSM Health Fitness and Clinical Certifications Eligibility Criteria
CECs
Credential Eligibility of Candidatea Requiredb
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer® • 18 years of age or older 45
(ACSM-CPT) • High school diploma or equivalent
ACSM Certified Group Exercise • 18 years of age or older 45
Instructor® (ACSM-GEI) • High school diploma or equivalent
ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist® • Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, or Kinesiology 60
(ACSM-EP)
ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise • Master’s degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology or equivalent and 600 hours of hands-on 60
Physiologist® (ACSM-CEP) clinical experience
or
• Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, or equivalent and 1,200 hours of
hands-on clinical experience.
and
• Submission of completed application form
a
All certifications require current CPR certification with hands-on practical skills component.
b
Continuing Education Credits (CECs) required for maintenance/renewal of certification every 3 years.
The median salary for this profession is $39,820, with typi- class sessions, and motivating clients toward positive behavior
cal entry-level education being a high school diploma or equiv- change for a healthy lifestyle. The more advanced ACSM
alency and at least one recognized certification. health fitness credential is the ACSM Certified Exercise Physiol-
ACSM has three health fitness certifications with different ogist® (ACSM-EP). The ACSM-EP certified professional is able
eligibility requirements as described in the Table (2). The ACSM to work with clients who have medically controlled diseases or
Certified Personal Trainer® (ACSM-CPT) allows qualified disabilities. The ACSM-EP is skilled to perform preparticipa-
individuals to execute the general scope of practice in a one-on- tion screening and risk assessment, administer exercise assess-
one training setting with healthy and medically cleared clients. ments, and provide client education to help promote behavior
An ACSM-CPT also may provide programming for motor skill- modification and healthy lifestyles.
related components of fitness (3) such as balance, agility, and coor-
dination. ACSM Certified Group Exercise Instructors® (ACSM-GEI) SCOPE AND ROLE OF A CLINICAL
are able to lead group exercise sessions with apparently healthy EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST
and medically cleared individuals, and those with disability and The clinical exercise physiologist is an allied health care profes-
disease who can exercise independently. The ACSM-GEI is sional who typically works full-time in hospitals and outpa-
proficient in group exercise techniques, designing and leading tient clinics, alongside other health care providers, and can be
Volume 24 | Number 2 www.acsm-healthfitness.org 41
Copyright © 2020 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
ACSM CERTIFICATION
self-employed (1). According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Oc- prevention and management, there is a blatant need for quali-
cupational Outlook Handbook, the clinical exercise physiologist is fied health fitness professionals and clinical exercise physiologists.
able to administer exercise tests and develop fitness programs Understanding the scope and general requirements of each pro-
that assist patients in the recovery and current management of fessional is important as the field continues to grow and we ad-
chronic disease and disabilities (1). These conditions include, vocate for our scope of practice in health fitness and health care.
but are not limited to cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, or- In addition to choosing the correct academic program, the dif-
thopedic, and musculoskeletal diseases. A clinical exercise phys- ferent ACSM certifications need to be considered along with
iologist also can provide education and programming to help each individual’s career goals and aspirations.
with the prevention of disease (primary) and management of risk Feel free to contact Dr. Gallo at [email protected] if you have any
factors associated with disease (secondary) in people of all pop- questions pertaining to this column.
ulations and ages (2). Clinical exercise physiologists typically
have entry-level education of a bachelor’s degree in exercise 1. U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2019 [cited 2019
September 1]. Available from: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
science or kinesiology and clinical experience (1). The U.S.
2. American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM Get Certified. 2019 [cited 2019
Department of Labor forecasts a 13% growth between the September 1]. Available from: https://www.acsm.org/get-stay-certified/get-
years 2016 and 2026, resulting in an additional 2,000 clinical certified.
jobs (1). The median pay for the clinical exercise physiologist 3. ACSM. ACSM’s Guidelines to Exercise Testing and Prescription. 10th ed.
Philadelphia (PA): Wolters Kluwer Health; 2018. p. 2.
is $49,270, with salary being slightly higher for those profes-
4. Clinical Exercise Physiology Association. Registry [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2019
sionals who have a graduate degree (1). September 4]. Available from: https://www.acsm-cepa.org/content.aspx?page_
As one of the most widely recognized certifications, ACSM id=22&club_id=324409&module_id=319786.
offers the Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist® (ACSM-
CEP) credential that indicates entry-level competencies to de-
liver the scope of the clinical exercise physiologist (2). The
Table discusses the differences in eligibility criteria for those
individuals who have a bachelor’s versus master’s degree (2).
Regardless of the level of education, an exam candidate is re-
quired to complete an application and provide documentation Paul M. Gallo, Ed.D., FACSM, ACSM-EP,
of clinical experience (2). All ACSM-CEPs also are encouraged ACSM-CEP, ACSM-GEI, is the director of
to become members of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Associ- Exercise Science and Wellness at Norwalk
ation (CEPA) where they will be eligible to apply to the Clinical Community College, Norwalk, CT; adjunct
Exercise Physiologist Registry (4). The CEPA Registry is the faculty at Teachers College, Columbia Uni-
only national registry that promotes and advocates for the ad- versity, New York, NY; and the current pres-
vancement of ACSM-CEPs. It affords employers and other ident of ACSM’s New England Chapter.
health care professionals a tool to find qualified clinical exercise Dr. Gallo is an ACSM Certified Exercise
physiologists for referral by searching in geographic regions. For Physiologist®, an ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiolo-
more information on CEPA and the national registry, please gist®, and an ACSM Certified Group Exercise Instructor®. He
visit www.acsm-cepa.org. strongly believes in the importance of translating science to
With an increasing demand for health and physical activity evidence-based practice within the health fitness and exercise
promotion and recognition that exercise can help with disease science fields.
42 ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal ® March/April 2020
Copyright © 2020 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
