January—a month of new beginnings—is also a time to look forward to what is coming in the new year. Every year since 2006 the American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Journal has surveyed exercise professionals around the world about their predictions for health & fitness industry trends in the coming year.
Year after year, hiring certified exercise professionals who hold accredited certifications is a top worldwide trend. In fact, some version of “educated, experienced, certified fitness professionals” has landed in the top ten fitness trends every single year since 2006—with the exception of 2021 and 2022 when it was #13, crowded out by online and virtual training during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, It is back in the top ten, at #9.
What are accredited certifications? Certifications demonstrate mastery of knowledge, skills and competencies. Accreditation validates certification programs and ensures that they meet certain standards. Accreditation of certification programs through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the standard for many allied health and medical professions in the United States. It is also the standard for membership eligibility in the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals® (CREP®) and inclusion within the U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals® (USREPS)®.
Exercise professionals believe that accredited certifications are an important fitness trend that is here to stay. CREP® believes that third-party accredited certifications help protect the public and promote the ongoing growth and development of the exercise profession.
Check out our registry to find an exercise professional near you that holds an NCCA-accredited exercise certification.
