AFPA Health and Fitness Blog

With an expected job growth rate of 16% through 2024, and a growing client base of consumers who believe food and nutrition play a significant role in maintaining and improving overall health, the need for holistic health coaches won’t be declining any time soon. As more holistic health coaches start their own businesses, the competition also increases. Be sure you set yourself up for success by following these business tips.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published August 2016 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

As a health and fitness enthusiast, you have likely heard of or experienced the green smoothie and juicing trend first-hand. Many researchers and followers claim that adding a green smoothie or juice to your diet can transform your health and your body. Whether you buy into it, there is simply no denying that this trend is booming—and frankly, it's quite delicious. So, the truth is, you don't have to be fully on board to give it a try or even share some recipes with your clients, especially if they are asking you about it.

Newly-certified personal trainers or personal trainers who want to revamp their business have multiple challenges and opportunities ahead of them. 

Editor's Note: This post was originally published January 2015 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Personal training provides individuals with an opportunity to mold healthy and physically active lifestyles, and can be widely appealing for a number of different reasons. But in order to get to this point, a personal trainer must work on their business sense to build up the necessary clientele. Unfortunately, this doesn't always come naturally, so we've come up with a few tips on how to write a personal trainer bio to help you get started on your venture.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published September 2014 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Have you always been passionate about a career in fitness but uncertain of how you could pursue it?

Whether you recently received a health-related degree, official certification, or you don't see a future at your current job; taking the proactive next step is essential to planning your career in fitness. One of the most desirable things about a career in fitness is the endless amount of opportunities. 

In this post, we will share five fitness jobs you can obtain with your certification:

Editor's Note: This post on how to create a weight loss workout plan was originally published September 25, 2014 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Your clients are spending hours and a significant amount of money with you every single week, so nothing can be more frustrating for you and your client than when they aren't seeing the results they are looking for. Unfortunately, this can happen for a number of different reasons:

1. There isn't enough 'variety' in the workout plans for your client.
2. Trouble spots are not being targeted.
3. Clients are only working out with you, and not outside of training days.
4. You are focusing on strength training more than cardio, or vice-versa.

Forging a business in the health and wellness industry isn’t easy, even for certified professionals. Though there’s tremendous competition to secure clients and establish yourself as a health expert, the rewards of helping others (and making a living while doing it) are well worth it for many professional health coaches.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published November 2015 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Although nutrition-related titles may sound similar, they can be very different when it comes to educational requirements, job duties, and typical workplaces.

The two designations that are the most common in the field are certified nutritionist and registered dietician. There are obvious points of overlap, such as providing advice on food and nutrition, but in other ways, each is a distinct career path. Let's look at certified nutritionist vs. registered dietitian:

Editor's Note: This post was originally published September 2014 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

A growing career opportunity for Personal Trainers and Wellness Professionals is becoming a Post Rehabilitation Exercise Specialist.

Between athletes and the average person, everyone always has room for improvement when it comes to their health and fitness levels. A Post Rehab Exercise Specialist dedicates their time to improving health and fitness, as well as specializes in individuals who have various medical conditions. How are they different than a Health and Wellness Specialist or Personal Trainer? In today's post we will break down the essentials on what sets a Post Rehab Exercise Specialist apart from similar health and fitness professions.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published February 2015 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

We are all guilty of saying that we will commit to something that we eventually push to the side or lose the motivation to see all the way through. But when it comes to dramatically changing our lifestyles we need to maintain momentum in order to be successful and ultimately reap the benefits in the short- and long-term.

The truth is, healthy and active people didn't achieve that lifestyle overnight. It's because they adopted the right healthy lifestyle habits that they've found success. And more importantly, they stick to it. So if your clients need a boost in the right direction, don't worry. There's hope.