Personal Training Courses: Helping Others Defeat Obesity

Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States, with more than one-third of adults in the country considered clinically obese. As obesity rates continue to rise, health problems linked to obesity are also on the increase, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and several forms of cancer.

The good news is obesity can be defeated through a program of healthy eating and exercise. This is great news for the fitness industry; as more and more people seek out the one-on-one assistance of trainers, becoming a personal fitness trainer has become a very lucrative career path. The personal fitness trainer program at Southern California Health Institute career school (SOCHi) offers a wide range of personal training courses geared to not only prepare you in general to handle fitness and nutrition training and education, but also to specifically assist clients who are struggling with obesity.

Careers in personal fitness and nutrition have steadily risen in recent years, becoming a lucrative career track.

Obese, or Not Obese … That is the Question

Understanding what is, and what is not true obesity may seem obvious, but in fact the clinical definition of obesity is a bit deeper than that. Obesity does not mean the same as being overweight. When someone is overweight, it simply means that they weigh too much, but that weight is based on the entire body. People with denser muscles or a lot of excess water may have a higher weight in proportion to their height, but may be quite healthy.

Obesity, on the other hand, means that the percentage of fat in the body is too high. Several factors can contribute to this increase in fat, including your genetic history; overeating; eating the wrong foods, especially foods high in “bad” fats; and, of course, not being physically active enough. Obesity occurs when you consume more calories during the course of a day than you need. Every individual has an in-and-out balance that they must maintain for good health, and your physician will help you to determine what that is. In all cases, though, conquering obesity means getting up and getting active.

Get Trained, Get Fit, Get Healthy

If you’ve chosen to pursue a career as a personal fitness trainer or fitness nutrition specialist, you know that you may have the opportunity to help obese clients along the way. SOCHi’s personal training program not only provides preparation to complete the exams and learn all the skills needed to assist people at any fitness level, but the personal training courses also equip you with the tips and tools to assist people who are obese in pursuing a safe and healthy pathway to losing weight and getting fit.

For many obese people, overeating and eating the wrong foods are a major part of the problem. That’s why it’s important for personal trainers to take an interest in clients’ individual nutrition habits and to coach them as they pursue a healthier lifestyle.

SOCHi’s program will also teach you how to best get an obese client up and moving safely and effectively. Exercise machines need to be avoided in general in favor of exercises that use your own body weight to tone and sculpt. Low impact cardio, bench exercises and circuit training are all very effective for obese individuals in a variety of fitness states.

Obesity may be an epidemic in the U.S., and around the world, but it is not an incurable one. As a personal fitness trainer, you are uniquely equipped to help fight this epidemic on the front lines, coaching and assisting obese people as they work to get healthy, lose the weight and keep it off.

For more information about the Southern California Health Institute, and about SOCHi’s Personal Fitness Trainer program, please visit their website.