"This is the first time in the history of the fitness industry that
wešll have national standards for personal trainers," said Dr. Sal
Arria, Executive Director of the NBFE. "Until now, anyone could call
themselves a personal trainer."
Santa Barbara, CA (PRWeb) September 29 -- The National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) announced that they selected Thomson Prometric to assist in the development and deployment of national board examinations for personal trainers.
"We're excited about our collaboration with the National Board of Fitness Examiners," said Alison Indrisano, senior vice president of Global Operations for Thomson Prometric. "Thomson Prometric computer-based testing services offers a proven method for measuring and validating personal trainer skills, and raises the professional bar for the fitness industry nationwide."
The NBFE felt that since Thomson Prometric helped develop and deploy medical national boards, they were the logical choice for the fitness profession.
"This will be the first time in the history of the fitness industry that well have national standards for personal trainers," said Dr. Sal Arria, Executive Director of the NBFE. "Until now, anyone could call themselves a personal trainer. This will help bring a level of competency assurance to the public; simply ask if your personal trainer passed the national boards." Because there are at least one hundred organizations that train personal trainers, and in some instances no education or testing needed to download a certification, the NBFE plans to maintain a registry of board certified trainers that will be made available to the public and physicians.
Virtually all health care professions have standards and utilize national boards to ensure the public that they possess a high level of skills and knowledge, and are competent in their field. "Because personal trainers are responsible for the health and safety of the public, eventually states will require the fitness profession to do the same; have national standards and pass board exams. The fitness industry should set those standards," reports Dr. Arria.
The NBFE will also lobby that physicians recommend that their patients exercise more often, and utilize the services of board registered trainers, as well as the health clubs that employ them. "Physicians are in a perfect position to help their patients get in shape by referring to competent personal trainers," said Dr. Arria. Personal trainers play an instrumental role in prevention and self-help by teaching their patients the importance of exercise and how to enjoy an active lifestyle.
About NBFE
The National Board of Fitness Examiners (www.NBFE.org) is a not-for-profit organization; founded in 2003 to ensure to the public that qualified fitness professionals who have successfully passed the National Board examinations have achieved an approved level of competency in the health and fitness industry.
About Prometric, Inc.
Thomson Prometric (www.prometric.com) is the global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services for academic, professional, government, corporate and information technology markets. Thomson Prometric delivers standardized tests for 300 clients, in 26 languages, over the Web or through a global network of testing centers in 134 countries. Based in Baltimore, Md., Thomson Prometric employs 3,000 employees worldwide.
To schedule an interview with Dr. Sal Arria, please email: Samuel Hirschberg at: samuelh@goldteampr.com
or Dr. Arria at: arria@nbfe.org
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