Setting Professional Licensing Standards - Should We ?

Perhaps you've seen the news, bills in Georgia and Texas are the latest legislation that has been introduced relating to personal trainer licensing.This, along with other pending legislative initiatives, are opposed by IHRSA, which said in a recent statement regarding one of the bills, "“The legislation, SB 695, would be extremely detrimental to the industry and would have the dual effect of reducing the number of personal trainers and group exercise instructors and the number of consumers who are able to use their services to pursue healthier lifestyles." Really ? So is the answer to battle each legisltative issue state by state and assume there should NOT be a minimum standard ? (see follow up post from Helen Drukin below cliarfying IHRSA position).

This morning I read an article by Elaine Platt, owner of Smart Workout, titled "We Need To Set The Standard For Licensing Legislation". In the article Elaine writes:

From what I’ve read, it appears that the umbrella organizations of our industry are against requiring licensing. It is from this position that I respectfully dissent. I believe that licensing is much needed and would be positive for the industry. I implore these organizations to re-deploy their lobbying efforts. Instead of trying to defeat this legislation, they should endeavor to ensure their own participation in the licensing process. Our industry organizations should work with legislators to formulate legislation providing that certifications from agencies recommended by them would become the criteria for obtaining a license. States don’t know how to measure competency in the fitness field. They need industry groups to provide them with standards.

Isn't Elain right ? How can we move the fitness industry forward to become a meaningful solution to the sick care crisis without uniform minimal certification standards ? Do you think doctors are going to be comfotrable referring their patients to facilities without standards ? Many of the industrialized countries around the world have these requirements. As an article titled "Dangerous Personal Trainers pointed out in Women's Health:

Trainers don't need to meet any federal or state requirements. Even the woman who waxes your upper lip may have had more training--and she is certainly subject to more legal oversight--than the one who pushes your cardiovascular, muscular, and nervous systems; jacks up your heart rate and blood pressure; and strains your joints and ligaments.

Why do you think organization's like IHRSA oppose minimum fitness trainer certification standards ? Please write me Bryan O'Rourke, and share your views. What's keeping the fitness industry from helping to create a solution to this problem and elevate the industry ? What do you think ?

About the author:

Bryan O’Rourke is a health club industry expert, technologist, financier, and shareholder and executive in several fitness companies. He consults with global brands, serves as a member of the GGFA Think Tank is Chair of the Medical Fitness Association’s Education Committee, is President of the Fitness Industry Technology Council and a partner in Fitmarc, Integerus, Fitsomo and the Flywheel Group. To learn more contact Bryan here today .

Update on 2011-05-12 13:04 by Bryan K. O'Rourke

I contacted Helen Durkin, JD, who is Executive VP of Public Policy at the International Health Racquet and Sport Club Association. She kindly took a moment to clarify IHRSA's position.

Hi Bryan,

The Club Industry article is a bit misleading. Most of the legislation mentioned in the article was just bad legislation. The worse for example is NJ which would have create one private company in NJ that would be the only company that could do the training for personal training. It was our believe that it would it would effectively kill the personal training industry in NJ.

Here is the Board position on personal training

IHRSA recommends that clubs hire personal trainers who hold either a current certification from a certifying body that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or have a training certificate or degree from an educational institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education.

Before coming to this position, the Board worked with a large group of personal training organizations over a couple of years to examine three different models for personal training regulation. The third party certification method captured in the language above.  This is the same basic model we use for lawyers in the US. (An example close to home.) This is the same kind of model that is going on with the health club facility standards being developed by NSF.

IHRSA isn't apposed to all legislation. We support legislation in Massachusetts, which would serve to establish minimum standards, protect against ill conceived licensure, and ensure that the first personal trainer law to go on the books in the country reflects our board position.

I also have to say on a personal level, after working with state government administering the consumer protection laws and other regulations on clubs, I don't believe that state governments would do a good job at licensing personal trainers. Bottomline, I think IHRSA does support standards for personal trainers, just not state licensing.  I'm happy to discuss this if you would like.

Thanks for clarifying this point Helen.

Cancer and The Lack Of Integrative Care - Why ?

When Celebrities like  Michael Douglas announce a cancer diagnosis , as he did last September, it catches people's attention. Thankfully Michael had a good reaction to treatment and his stage 4 throat cancer tumor was gone in January of 2011. Fortunately Mr. Douglas lives in an area that offers some of the best treatment options available. Not everyone is so lucky.

I successfully (knock on wood) navigated through cancer in the past few years (see my talk on cancer below) I know first hand that many in the traditional sick care system still do not offer integrative wellness services for cancer patients. Despite having the most advanced radiation and chemo therapies available, I was unable to receive alternative therapies that would have helped me to cope and recover from traditional treatment methods. An example is acupuncture therapy. It simply was not readily available where I live.

Working in fitness and wellness this really made me wonder, Why? When I mentioned to my surgeon and oncologist about my work out regimens and how I had lost all of my energy and was unable to be physically active, there was never a mention of alternative therapies I could have used. Essentially there was NO integrative care available to either myself or the many other souls suffering around me.

The good news is that many alternative therapies are becoming more available. Trouble is for the clear majority of patients, they are not available. Furthermore, because these therapies are largely private pay, for most people without financial means they simply could not benefit from them if they were available. It cost too much.

So please tell me, Bryan O'Rourke, why aren't alternative therapies more readily available ? Let me know your thoughts about creating a "Circle of Health" that encompasses traditional and preventative therapies.

Bryan K. O'Rourke On His Cancer Experience from Bryan ORourke on Vimeo.

With IHRSA Promoting Primary Prevention In Washington D.C.

Three years of my life were spent in the Washington D.C. suburbs growing up. I love Washington, D.C., so it was great to be there last week during IHRSA's 9th Annual Summit For A Healthier America.

I visited the offices of four Senators and two Congressional leaders in the House around IHRSA's legislative agenda. Speaking with aides and leaders themselves is interesting. Its almost unbelievable that the notion of primary prevention has not been more central to the recently passed Affordable Care Act ; there isn't a single mention of primary prevention in the legislation . What a shame. The fitness industry has got to become a more integral part of the solution to the sick care crisis.

Sharing time with the IHRSA staff behind the lobbying effort as well as industry leaders like Michael Raymond of Curves, Art Curtis of Millennium Partners, and Karen Jashinsky of O2 Max, among many others, is always fun and enlightening.

Get involved in the IHRSA public policy movement.  Learn more here. We need your help. Check out the video from the event as well. You might find it interesting and amusing. So what do you think about IHRSA and its public policy initiatives ? Write me, Bryan O'Rourke, and share your views. Could we be doing more and how ?

Zeitgeist - Thinking Of The Future Of Your Business & Your Life

When I talk about a revolution happening in all businesses, industries, institutions, governments and people's lives, I really mean it. This is particularly true for the fitness and health club industry. Hearing from great thought leaders is inspiring because it reassures me that I might not be totally nuts, although I get that deer in the headlight look sometimes from people. That is why I am excited about the upcoming annual Zeitgeist event.

On May 15, 2011, the Zeitgiest Partner Forum will again be on in London. Zeitgeist is Google’s annual event held just outside London, currently in its 6th year, bringing together around 400 business and thought leaders from across Europe. Watch Don Tapscott discuss the revolution during last years event. Facts are our institutions are broken and they require completely new ways of thinking to completely replace their old methodologies. Its worth the 20 minutes I promise you. After you watch it tell me, Bryan O'Rourke, what do you think ? Are you reinventing your industry, organization or life around the rapid change that is occurring now and which will only accelerate ?

Technology's Increasing Role In A New World Of Fitness & Wellness

Attending NAYDO 2011 last week, I saw an example, meeting with Gene Theslof, CEO of Gluco Fit Club. Later in the week, visiting Robert Hallock of Wellness Layers, I witnessed it again: the emergence of technologies that address diseases by incorporating physical activities, monitoring, and encouraging social interactions both physically and digitally. When people speak about the obesity crisis, these solutions are going to be central to making real progress in the battle as they will for diabetes and other conditions.

Recently in Sydney Australia at FILEX 2011 My Presentation On Technologies Impact On The Future Of The Fitness Industry, started with concepts of Ray Kurzweil, a futurist, author and inventor. His books address an important concept, the law of accelerating returns. As he rightly views it, technology is NOT progressing in a linear fashion but exponentially, resulting in very rapid change. The implications for the fitness and wellness industries are significant.

I share two clips below for your consideration. The first is a movie trailer of Transcedent Man, which features Ray Kurzweil, and the second is an interview by Charlie Rose of Mr. Kurzweil. Tell me, Bryan O'Rourke, what do you think about technology and its impact on the fitness and health club industry ? How are you preparing for the Law of Accelerating Returns ?