With an ageing population and a childhood obesity crisis, now is the time to capitalise on the growing demand for specialist fitness professionals.

A large swathe of the population is in desperate need of the services of specialist fitness professionals. Yet most personal trainers continue to focus on individuals who are already committed to exercising regularly.

With people living longer, growing public concern about mental health problems and record levels of inactivity among children and young people, there is a huge opportunity for personal trainers to expand their services by engaging with targeted demographic groups. Investing in specialist training allows fitness professionals to diversify and expand their portfolio of services. This will not only help to increase their client base, boost their earnings and their long term career prospects but will also attract new users to our facilities and create new revenue streams.

Youth inactivity
Our children are more inactive than they have ever been. Current strategies to get them moving are not proving effective. In fact, research published this summer by The Sport and Recreation Alliance found that since 1977, despite considerable effort and significant investment, "activity levels (among children and young people) have at best stayed the same, and at worst declined significantly".

Something needs to change. Children are not simply young adults; they are motivated by different stimuli and respond to different inputs. As a result, bespoke engagement techniques have to be created for this group.

Premier Global NASM’s Youth Exercise Specialist (YES) programme has been developed to give fitness professionals the skills to do just that.

The programmes aim to educate health and fitness professionals on how to design safe, effective and fun training programmes for youngsters aged between six and 19 years of age. It includes fitness and nutrition as well as the science behind the programme and precautions for this age group.

The specialist course uses NASM’s Optimum Performance Training™ (OPT™) model to give fitness professionals the knowledge, skills and confidence to assist youth clients in attaining their health and fitness goals while keeping them active and healthy.

Specialising in seniors
The UK’s population is getting older, thanks to improvements in healthcare and changes to lifestyles. In 2016, 18 per cent of people were aged 65 and over and 2.4 per cent were aged 85 and over, according to the Office for National Statistics. In some regions, as many as one in three people are aged over 65.

This presents a massive opportunity for the health and fitness sector.  Specialist fitness professionals can play a vital role in keeping this growing segment of the population fit and healthy.

Premier Global NASM’s Senior Fitness Specialisation has been developed to meet the growing demand for physical fitness experts for seniors. The programme takes into account the specific fitness needs of ageing bodies when designing exercise programmes that use NASM’s OPT™ programme.

The course equips fitness professionals with skills to create appropriate and effective programmes that help fend off the onset of the most chronic illnesses and conditions associated with seniors. Students learn how to better understand the physiological and anatomical considerations of ageing including its limitations, common medical conditions, and the frequent fitness obstacles that seniors will begin to encounter with age.

As specialists in senior fitness, personal trainers can help older adults reduce their risk of falls – the number one reason older people are taken to the emergency department in a hospital – and help them maintain independence in later life.

You only have to take a quick look at the national headlines to see the huge demand for specialist fitness professionals in today’s society. From rising levels of preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes and the increasing prevalence of mental health problems to youth inactivity and the ageing population, the needs of our population are changing.

Fitness professionals can serve these groups and more by expanding their knowledge and skills with specialist education that will take their careers to the next level and open the doors to a new wave of health and fitness consumers who are in need of their expertise and services.

To find out more about the specialist training modules available, please visit www.premierglobal.co.uk