7 Secrets to Achieve Fitness Trainer Certification for Special Needs Population

When you’re trying to incorporate yourself into a new community, it can seem like people are speaking a different language, that there are secrets abound. You may want to immerse yourself in the special needs community because you have good intentions (you want to help people!), but the special needs community can be difficult to tap into because caregivers can be suspicious of people who don’t have experience with special needs. But then, if that’s the case, how can you get experience in the first place? Here are the 7 secrets to achieve fitness trainer certification for special needs population.

Secret #1: Integrate Yourself into the Special Needs Community

The best way to discover what your clientele needs is to integrate yourself into the special needs community. You’ll be able to see firsthand where our ableist society has failed those with disabilities and make adjustments accordingly. This can also serve as real-world motivation for propelling yourself through the process of getting a special needs fitness certification.

Secret #2: Offer Free Services When You Can

Now that you’ve integrated yourself into the community, you’ve probably quickly discovered that there are next to no special needs gyms. To get the experience you need to be a true special needs personal trainer, you may offer free services to those in the special needs community. Not only is this a big help to the community, but it’s also a great way to get people in the door for your services.

Secret #3: Find a Special Population Exercise Program That Speaks to YOU

Getting certified first requires you to find the right program. Although the special needs fitness community is small, you do still have options! For example, you may want a personal training certification or you could want a group fitness certification for special needs. The options are out there. You just have to find the program that speaks to you.

Secret #4: Speak Your Own Love Language

In other words: Be gentle with yourself. If you’re trying to achieve fitness trainer certification for special needs population, you’re probably established in a full-time career at this point. Maybe you even have a family. The point is: You’re likely trying to squeeze in this education on top of your other responsibilities. Don’t rush the process.

Secret #5: Keep Your Goal Top of Mind

Stay motivated and you’ll cross the finish line sooner than you think. In fact, motivation may be the very thing that gets you to cross the finish line at all. Hard work has many enemies. Getting in touch with the reason you started this process in the first place can help you achieve your goal.

Secret #6: Understand Your Learning Style

To successfully learn the material, you’ll need to understand your learning style and the environment in which you retain the most information. Are you a visual or an auditory learner? Do you do your best work when surrounded by other people or when you’re alone and able to concentrate in silence? Find out and make that happen for you, so you can retain what you learn in the program.

Secret #7: Carve Out Time and Buckle Down

Now that you know all the other secrets, the only other secret left to learn is the hardest: The only way to achieve fitness trainer certification for special needs population is to just make time for it and buckle down. Get it done and you’ll be certified before you come up for air.

Strong Education teaches personal trainers, parents, and professionals how to adapt fitness for children, adolescents, and adults with autism, Down syndrome, and other disabilities through our online special needs certification course.