The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) recently introduced a new approach to weight-loss education for certified personal trainers that may make establishing a weight-loss program with a facility’s current staff an option.
This 15-hour online course is known as the Weight Loss Specialist program and addresses key areas of study, including the psychology and physiology of weight management, how to avoid weight-loss plateaus, dispelling well-known weight-loss myths and outlining methods for lifetime weight-loss success.
“We are cutting through the diet and weight-loss noise, providing certified personal trainers with a new approach to weight loss,” Andrew Wyant, president of the National Academy of Sports Medicine, said in a statement.
The potential for success when incorporating weight-loss programming into a fitness facility can be determined by the quality of resources invested, some consultants and club operators say.
“Most clubs will bring in a nutritionist or registered dietician to do a seminar at the start of a group weight-loss program or [provide] a personal training package with oneon- one sessions with the dietician,” says Kelli Calabrese, personal trainer and president of Calabrese Consulting, Flower Mound, TX.
Other common offerings include online services where clients can manage their weight-loss progress from home. But Chris Palumbo, brand director of Miami-based elements, says a mistake a lot of club owners should avoid is piggybacking off established programs, such as having their personal trainers or instructors also sell weight loss.