Articles:
- Athletes Can Develop More Speed With Better Alignment
- Athletes Can Make Gains in Performance During the Season
- Be Sure Your Workout Program is Designed for You
- Carbs, Fat & Protein
- Choosing a Health, Fitness, or Sports Training Expert
- Exercise Can Alleviate Prevent Pain in the Lower Back
- Long-term Gains Take Long-Term Training and Practice
- Low Back Pain
- Neurological Training
- Nutritional Guidelines
- Perfect Weight-Lifting Technique Then Add Weight
- Periodization
- Recovery, Weightloss & Gain
- Supplements Aren't the Quick-Fix Answer
- The Female Athlete - Struggling with Self Esteem and Body Image
- Transition From High School to College Athlete Not Always Easy
- Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements
- Weight vs. Technique
- Youth Guidelines
Choosing a Health, Fitness, or Sports Training Expert
Let’s face it, these days finding the right person with the knowledge you are seeking can be a difficult task. This can especially be true when it comes to your health, fitness and sports training needs. It seems as though everywhere you go, someone is eager to offer their advice on what to do or how to train. With more and more people becoming health conscious these days, more people are working out and everyone has their opinion on what works and what doesn’t.
Perhaps I’m spoiled. Having worked in the Collegiate, Professional, and Olympic settings, I had it easy. There was always a team of experts at hand. If someone had a problem or a need, you knew where to turn to. There was a highly skilled and experienced professional in his or her respected profession who could help. We all had our place and our areas of expertise. We would work together, but also understood who was the expert in which area of health and physical performance. We all had a specific role in working with athletes.
Unfortunately, in the public or private sector, the average person and amateur athlete does not have that luxury. There often exists confusion on who to turn to for advice on health, physical fitness and sports related issues. Much of this confusion lies in the fact that most people do not understand the difference between personal trainers, physical therapists, athletic trainers, or strength coaches and what their education, training and areas of expertise are. Therefore I would like to help clear up this confusion and make it simpler for you to understand and choose who to turn to for advice and service when it comes to your health, fitness and sports performance needs.
A Personal Trainer is typically required to be certified as a personal trainer. Most certifications require the individual to have a high school diploma and take a weekend class to become certified. They typically work with individuals looking to improve physique and show individuals how to do their exercises.
A Physical Therapist goes through a great deal of schooling and is licensed by the state and nationally. Their education and role is to provide individuals of all ages and backgrounds with rehabilitation care following injury or surgery.
An Athletic Trainer also is required to go through a great deal of schooling and is licensed nationally and by the state. They are required to perform hundreds and in some cases a thousand hours of supervised practical experience working with and rehabilitating athletes. In sport, they are the first person to see and care for an injured athlete and decide if that athlete needs further medical attention. After injury or surgery, an Athletic Trainer in conjunction with the athlete’s physician decide when the athlete has clearance to return to sport.
A Strength Coach is typically certified as a strength and conditioning specialist and must have a minimum of a Bachelors degree in order to become certified. Most Strength Coaches have a degree in a Sports Science related field and have a Master’s degree. Strength coaches are the only individuals trained and experienced in getting athletes stronger, teaching them to run faster, be more agile, and develop their athletic potential. A strength coach works closely with an Athletic Trainer when an athlete is injured and provides them with a high degree of stimulation and rehabilitation in order to return them to sport. The two primary roles of a Strength Coach are to improve athletic performance in sport and prevent athletes from becoming injured.
Hopefully this information helps all individuals decide who to turn to for advice and service when it comes to meeting your fitness and sporting needs.
NTS-AD located in Stevens Point and Plover, Wisconsin.
Email us today at: info@nts-ad.com or call 715-252-9926