You\u2019ve likely heard the phrase \u201cYou can\u2019t out-train a bad diet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a personal trainer, you know that both physical activity and healthy eating habits contribute to long-term health outcomes. To help your clients fully reach their goals you need to address fitness, lifestyle, and nutrition.<\/p>\n
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This article takes an in-depth look at why personal trainers should consider a nutrition certification. Learn the key differences between a personal trainer and a nutrition coach, the benefits you can gain by having both personal training and nutrition certifications, and important factors in considering a nutritional certification.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n To answer this question, we\u2019ll have to look at each profession\u2019s scope of practice:<\/p>\n What does a certified personal trainer do? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n You’re probably already familiar with this, but let’s recap. Certified personal trainers who have earned their personal training certification work with clients to achieve fitness-related goals (e.g., weight loss, improved body composition, and enhanced athletic performance). Personal trainers create well-designed workout plans based on exercise science and exercise physiology, guide clients on exercise form, and help them progress toward their fitness goals. They also guide clients on corrective exercises for injuries.<\/span><\/p>\n What does a certified nutrition coach do? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n A nutrition coach educates clients on everything from weight management to peak fitness performance based on the most optimal nutrition regimen for their needs. Should you become a certified nutritionist, you\u2019ll do the following:<\/span><\/p>\n In most cases, personal trainers cannot provide tailored nutritional advice to their clients without <\/em>going out of their scope of practice \u2014 which is a big no-no. On the other hand, certified nutritionists can<\/em> design personalized meal plans focused on optimal nutrition to help clients meet their overall wellness needs.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that there is still a limit to a certified nutritionist\u2019s scope of practice. Nutrition coaches are not<\/em> registered dietitians.<\/p>\n For context, a registered dietitian (RD) is an individual who:<\/p>\n This rigorous process qualifies those who successfully earn the title “registered dietitian” to offer medical nutritional therapy (MNT). MNT is an evidence-based, individualized nutrition process meant to help treat<\/em> certain medical conditions and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and digestive conditions.<\/p>\n Even after completing a nutrition certification and becoming a certified nutrition coach, personal trainers cannot<\/em> legally:<\/p>\n For a more comprehensive view of a certified nutritionist\u2019s limitations in providing nutrition advice, <\/span>check out the latest guidelines in your state<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n Good news: while there are limitations as to what you can provide as a certified nutritionist, there is still a long list of services you can<\/em> offer.<\/p>\n In general, so long as you steer clear of \u201cprescribing\u201d, \u201cdiagnosing\u201d, and \u201ctreating\u201d (i.e., anything MNT-related), there\u2019s plenty to do within your scope of practice., Here\u2019s what you can expect to do as a nutrition coach:<\/p>\n And being able to do all this could benefit you, a certified personal trainer, in three ways.<\/p>\n Your clients can improve their health, overall wellness, and fitness performance through physical training, without any dietary changes. But research makes it clear that they\u2019d see much better results from making positive changes to their diet and<\/em> exercise regimens.<\/p>\n \u201cBetter results\u201d \u2014 what are we talking about specifically, though?<\/p>\n A 2014 systematic review published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics<\/em> found that, on average, combined behavioral weight management programs (BWMPs)\u00a0 involving both fitness and nutrition intervention produced greater weight loss results than diet-only or physical activity-only interventions.<\/p>\n Your clients cannot \u201cout-exercise\u201d a poor diet. Neither can they ward off disease simply through healthy eating.<\/p>\n Those are the findings of a recent 2022 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n After examining data from nearly 350,000 participants collected from the U.K. Biobank, the researchers found that people with higher levels of physical activity and<\/em> better-quality diets had the lowest mortality risk.<\/p>\n Several past studies<\/span> have also found that combining fitness and nutrition changes is <\/span>one of the most effective ways<\/span> to reduce an individual\u2019s risk of heart disease.<\/p>\n While proper training has the greatest potential to increase your client\u2019s athletic performance, recent studies have increasingly begun to highlight just how much food also fuels better sports performance and post-exercise recovery:<\/p>\n Regular physical activity can have a <\/span>profoundly positive impact<\/span> on your clients’ mental health and emotional well-being.<\/span> You know that. But did you also know that research has found a correlation between poor dietary habits and poor mental health?<\/p>\n Take this <\/span>2017 review<\/span> of 21 studies published in Psychiatry Research<\/em>, for instance.<\/p>\n Its researchers found that a healthful dietary pattern \u2014 characterized by high intakes of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, low-fat dairy, and antioxidants, along with low intakes of animal foods \u2014 was associated with a reduced risk of depression.<\/p>\n Ultimately, a 2020 study published in Nutrients puts it best: \u201c… [both] nutrition and<\/em> physical activity seem to play an important role in maintaining good mental health \u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n OK, so if you were to offer fitness and <\/em>nutrition coaching to your existing clients, they could expect:<\/p>\n But what\u2019s in it for you? Better client success equals increased client satisfaction, which is closely tied to client retention.<\/p>\n And when you have a higher client retention rate, you can expect the following:<\/p>\n Becoming a certified nutritionist, and offering both fitness and nutrition coaching, allows you to grow your client list<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n Instead of being limited to the average certified personal trainer\u2019s \u201cnormal demographic\u201d of clients looking to meet their fitness-related goals, you\u2019re able to attract people who want to:<\/p>\n Also, just because some of these clients aren’t currently focused on fitness, it doesn’t mean they’ll remain uninterested forever. If they see results from nutrition coaching and learn that you also offer personal training, chances are they’ll hop aboard.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how the median annual wage for certified nutritionists stacks up against that of certified personal trainers:<\/p>\n As you can see, you may be able to charge clients higher rates for your nutrition coaching services than for your personal training services.<\/p>\n That, in turn, increases your income.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that you don\u2019t necessarily have to offer nutrition coaching and personal training coaching as two separate services. You could bundle fitness and nutrition coaching services together. For example, instead of charging:<\/p>\n Why not charge $100 per hour for fitness and nutrition coaching services<\/span>? This instantly increases your hourly rate.<\/p>\n Two additional ways you could increase your income include:<\/p>\n Beyond additional fitness certifications, these are key reasons personal trainers should consider a nutrition certification:<\/p>\n Convinced of the value that becoming a certified nutritionist could bring you as a fitness instructor? Then you’re likely already pulling up a new tab, ready to plug \u201cbest nutritional certification\u201d into the search bar.<\/p>\n To help you narrow down your choices \u2014 because, as you\u2019ll soon find out, there are many\u2014 here are six questions to guide you in selecting the best nutritional certification for yourself:<\/p>\n Better yet, AFPA offers a wealth of nutrition certification programs. No matter your aspirations, you\u2019re bound to find a program that meets your needs. If you\u2019d like to work with:<\/p>\nWhat Can a Nutrition Coach Do That Personal Trainers Can\u2019t?<\/h2>\n
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Certified Nutritionist vs. Registered Dietitian: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/h2>\n
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How Will a Nutrition Certification Benefit You?<\/h2>\n
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#1: Help Fitness Clients Achieve Better Results<\/h2>\n
Weight Loss<\/h3>\n
Chronic Disease Prevention<\/h3>\n
Athletic Performance\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Mental Health<\/h3>\n
How Would Helping Clients Achieve Better Results Help You, Though?<\/h3>\n
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#2: Expand Your Target Demographic and Impact<\/h2>\n
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#3: Increase Your Earning Potential<\/h2>\n
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Choosing a Suitable Nutrition Certification<\/h2>\n
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Level up Your Personal Training Business by Becoming a Nutritionist with AFPA<\/h2>\n
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<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nReferences<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n