Recreation Services offers courses to become a trainer

Southeast Missouri State University offers both group fitness classes and personal fitness trainers. The trainers for both options can become certified without having a major in fitness.

Danny Provencio, the graduate assistant for Fitness and Wellness at the Recreational Center-North, helped organize the course that starts on Tuesday, Sept. 24 and the personal trainer course that will begin in the spring. Registration can be done at the Recreation Center-North's main office, and the registration fee for the course is $25. The course is an eight week program and will teach all the necessary skills in order to pass the test for certification.

"If you have an interest getting into any type of this field or just wanting to learn how you can live a healthier lifestyle, this course is a great way to do that." Provencio said.

The certification for both group fitness instructors and personal fitness instructors are through numerous organizations such as American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). Those who would like to become trainers but are not yet certified can still apply for auditions. Auditions for group fitness instructors will be on Tuesday on Nov. 19 at 3:30 p.m.

"We can hire people without them taking the course or getting their certification," Provencio said. "Once hired on and they start, they have six months to get their certification."

Provencio also said that the $25 dollar registration fee is cheaper than other courses because other courses would charge for books along with fees.

"This course really prepares you for the certification test that you have to pass in order to teach the class." JoEllen Crain, a group fitness instructor and a personal trainer at Southeast, said.

For those who want to be only a personal trainer, they will have a separate course offered in the spring of 2014.

"Basically if you take the course, you are going to learn everything you need to teach the course, but it takes a lot of practice after the course itself," said Sam Irvin, also a group fitness instructor and a personal trainer at Southeast.