As a personal trainer, you help people find their deeper motivations, do the hard work, and transform their bodies. Naturally, there may be times when you are faced with an emergency situation when a client experiences a cardiac event, physical trauma, or even a bee sting allergy – which means personal trainers need to be prepared for anything.
Learn more about the requirements for CPR certification for personal trainers – then get started with your certification online!
Personal trainers may be required to earn CPR, First Aid and AED certifications as part of their certification.
Personal trainers need to be prepared for any emergency situation, which is why it is important that they are CPR certified. While not legally required, most personal training certification organizations require a CPR certification program in order to earn and maintain their certifications, with an online option typically available for convenience. Additionally, earning First Aid and AED certifications can help personal trainers become proficient rescuers when unexpected or life-threatening events occur during sessions.
Personal trainers are sought after to help people reach new levels of health and fitness. Whether you are helping someone rehabilitate after a knee replacement or you’re helping a triathlete beat their best PR – and everything in between – you take on the role of an authority figure, teacher, and role model for many.
With so much responsibility, there may come a time when your clients need you to intervene if something goes wrong, such as if a client is injured or has an unexpected, life-threatening event during a workout session.
There is no legal requirement for personal trainers to be CPR certified. However, certifying organizations such as the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the International Sports Sciences Association, and other providers of personal training certification have their own requirements.
In order to earn and maintain your personal trainer certification, you will likely be asked to complete a CPR certification program. The skills you’ll learn in your CPR certification for personal trainers will teach you to recognize and handle life-threatening situations, and to be able to respond in ways that are appropriate for clients of all ages.
Most personal training certification organizations will not require you to complete a hands-on training and, instead, most personal trainers find it convenient to meet their CPR certification requirements with a fully online program.
As a personal trainer, you are expected to be a vigilant observer of your clients’ health and to be a confident rescuer if the situation arises. To be a proficient rescuer in any situation – whether it be cases of choking, allergic reaction, head injury, or something else entirely – personal trainers may be required to earn their CPR, First Aid, and AED certifications as part of their personal trainer certification.
Personal trainers are not considered emergency responders, even if they are the first person to notice a problem, but they still need to be trained in proper CPR, AED, and First Aid so that they can sustain life until emergency personnel arrive. Because of this, the organization overseeing your personal trainer certification will likely require you to complete CPR training. If you are employed at a gym or other organization, your employer may also require you to be certified in First Aid and AED use. This is your course content requirement. Be sure to select a CPR certification for personal trainers that specifically includes all of your content requirements.
Most likely, as a personal trainer your requirements for learning and performing CPR — if you have any requirements — will state that you need to complete a CPR certification program, but that a hands-on portion is not required. This is your course delivery modality requirement. If you do not need to complete a hands-on portion, you can complete a fully online CPR program.
Finally, your certifying organization may have specific course brand requirements. Some organizations require that your CPR training for personal trainers come from a specific brand; others don’t have brand-specific requirements and allow you to complete your training with flexible online providers like ProTrainings.
There may be specific CPR certification requirements and special considerations for Personal Trainers performing CPR according to your state. To learn more about which requirements impact you, select your state on the map below.