Corrective Exercise Specialist

I am now a certified Corrective Exercise Specialist.

   Last spring I finished updating my Personal Fitness Training certificate from Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to a diploma. The final course that I took was in corrective exercise. This gave diploma graduates the optional follow up to challenge the exam for the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) as a Corrective Exercise Specialist. NASM is one of the most credible Fitness Trainer learning agencies in the U.S.A.
   Corrective Exercise should be a foundation for any fitness training program.

• The majority of people, whether active or not, usually have muscular imbalances. 
• Some muscle groups may be overactive or tight. Other muscle groups may be underactive or weak.
• You often see people with stooped shoulders, sway back posture, externally rotated  knees or foot pronation. They can have one or many such postural misalignments.
• Many fitness training clients are returning from injuries due to postural dysfunction. The injury has healed but the anatomical cause has not been fixed.
• Putting such clients on a cookie cutter training program may reinforce muscular imbalances leading to further dysfunction or even injury.

   A Corrective Exercise Specialist uses static, transitional and dynamic assessments to determine  if the client has postural issues such as:

• Weak muscle agonists.
• Overly dominant muscle synergists.
• Overactive muscle antagonists.

 The Corrective Exercise Exercise specialist can then determine remedial action.

• Overactive muscles are inhibited by pressure using manual pressure or a foam roller.
• Overactive muscles can then be lengthened by static stretching. 
• Strengthening overactive muscles just makes the dysfunction worse.
• Underactive muscles can be re-educated using isolated strengthening techniques. 
• Inhibiting or stretching underactive muscles is counterproductive at this stage. 
• An integrated dynamic movement can then be included to train the body to move in synergy.

  The Corrective Exercise Specialist can then progress the client along the exercise spectrum as muscular balance and posture improves. Exercises can be progressed in complexity or regressed depending on how the client responds to the training program.
   A corrective exercise assessment should precede any fitness training program! 

I also appreciate the fact that this certificate does not expire. The Corrective Exercise Specialist is expected to take continuing education courses and stay updated on current knowledge.

Little Bobby Strong
B.A.
PFT College Diploma
Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology - Certified Personal Trainer
NASM - Corrective Exercise Specialist
All this but I still have to pay $3.50 to get on a city bus??


Links

www.fitnwell.com
www.hwsafaris.ca

www.rabbitview.com