Ramapo will be hosting the Personal Training Institute of America for a two-day event this upcoming weekend, during which participants will be prepared for careers as certified personal trainers.
"I think it's great that Ramapo is hosting the training institute because it is something that will interest a lot of students and help them learn something," said freshman Taylor Gilson. "I love how Ramapo always offers something for students to do on the weekends, especially when it comes to bettering their futures."
Back by popular demand, the program will feature 16 hours of lecture, training and hands-on experiences, all of which will be held in the Bradley Center. There are no required prerequisites for participants.
"Getting my personal trainer's certification is definitely something I would be interested in because I've always been very exercise-oriented and have actually been thinking about getting my personal trainer's certificate for the past year or so," said junior Megan McLeod. "It's something that I enjoy doing on my own, and I would be very excited to help someone make it a staple part of their life as well."
After the long, intensive weekend of learning, participants must take an online final exam and receive CPR certification in order to become a certified personal trainer. Once the exam and CPR certification are completed, students then must shadow a personal trainer, or intern at a fitness center, for 10 hours to learn how personal trainers work on a business and clientele level.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, personal trainers and other fitness instructors comprise around 267,000 jobs in locations such as spas, gyms, country clubs, hospitals, colleges and client residences. Employment of fitness trainers is expected to rise by 13 percent from 2012 to 2022.
To sign up for the weekend program, students must register and pay the $499 tuition before the first day of class. Students must also buy the course textbook and materials, which cost around $65, and must be paid by cash or check prior to or on the day class starts.
Several students within the Ramapo community feel that this is a great way to get involved and support others that need help when it comes to adopting a healthy state of mind and learning how to maintain a lifestyle and proper workout with certified assistance.
"I think it's a great thing to offer because since college started, I haven't been as active as I was when I was still in high school, and even though it's nice not to have a mandatory physical education course, it still had great benefits when it comes to staying healthy," said sophomore Brandon Molina. "By offering this, it's a great way to get involved with people who are encouraged to be active and are given an incentive to do so, making it out to be a great cause to help out people who need a personal trainer's help."
jwrixon@ramapo.edu
