Best Health & Fitness Certifications (My Favorites After 17+ Years in the Industry)
Sharing a collection of my favorite health and fitness certifications if you’re considering becoming a health professional. Check out all the details below!
Hello friends! How are you? I hope you are having an amazing week so far! Mine is BUSY with client calls and podcast interviews, but I’m looking forward to a long, relaxing Easter weekend with the family.
In today’s post, I wanted to talk a little bit about health and wellness certifications, especially now that I’m working on two new tracks: High Performance Health and Level 3 Integrated Health Worker.
I LOVE learning, and over the past 17 years in the health industry, I have completed several health and fitness certifications. I won’t mention them all here (they’re all on the About page!), but I definitely have favorites. 😉
I thought I’d share my top certification options if you’re thinking of expanding your knowledge in the area of health and wellness, teaching fitness, or pursuing a new career.
Whether you want to coach clients, teach classes, immerse yourself in the working life, or simply deepen your own knowledge, there are many amazing programs out there.
Best Health & Fitness Certifications
One of the biggest questions I get is: Where do I start?
The answer really depends on your goals.
Do you want to:
Work 1:1 with customers?
Teach fitness classes?
Building an online health business?
Or just learn more for yourself and your family?
I’ve broken this down into several categories to help you find the best fit.
Health Coach / Practitioner Certificates
If you want to help clients get to the root of health disparities, functional lab testing is the BIGGEST game changer.
If you can run labs, analyze them, and recommend appropriate protocols, it’s a great way to help clients on a deeper level.
(A friendly reminder that we don’t push, we don’t give, we don’t cure. We want to eliminate toxins—and how to support the body back to normal.)
Integrative Health Practitioner (IHP) Institute
This is my favorite certificate.
I have completed Level 1 and Level 2, and am currently working on High Performance Health and Level 3. I am not exaggerating when I say that IHP has completely changed my life.
It has allowed me to help clients in a more profound way, and to apply the principles and protocols to myself and our family. It was a big part of my healing journey.
What I love most about IHP:
It combines Eastern and Western methods
You learn to read and interpret practical lab tests
You are given clear protocols to use
It is extremely user-friendly and user-friendly
If you’re interested in working with clients, using labs, or really understanding causal health, this is one I recommend over and over again.
You can check it out here and use the code FITNESSISTA for a huge discount.
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDNP)
I don’t have this certification myself, but I have many friends who have completed it and gone on to build thriving online practices.
From what I understand, it is similar to IHP in that you learn how to be a “health detective” and look for patterns in the body using functional labs.
The curriculum and assessment options are the same, and the goal is the same: to help clients get to the root of what they’re experiencing instead of just managing the symptoms. You can check the details here.
Nutrition Coach Certifications
Please note that this is VERY different from a Registered Dietitian.
Only a licensed RD can tell you what to eat or give you a specific meal plan. A nutritionist can provide you with guidance, education, great support, and balanced recommendations based on your goals, but they can’t prescribe an individualized treatment for healthy eating.
Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN)
I don’t have this certificate, but this is what I considered.
One of the biggest benefits is that you can specialize based on your interests, whether that’s plant-based eating, Paleo, hormone health, or other diets.
It’s a great option if you’re looking for a comprehensive, comprehensive introduction to fitness training and want flexibility in how you use it.
Precision Nutrition
I completed Precision Nutrition a few years ago and thought the curriculum was straightforward and effective.
My favorite:
Learning how to calculate macros based on individual goals
Understanding nutrient timing and heating techniques
Going deeper into specific goals like endurance training or fat loss
Coaching techniques and behavior change
This is a great option if you want a solid foundation in nutrition training, especially if your focus is fitness, body composition, or performance. You can read more here.
Biohacking Certificate
High Performance Health (HPH)
I am currently working on this certification and I LOVE it.
It includes topics such as:
increase cardio capacity
brain health and cognitive function
improved nutritional strategies
biohacking tools and stacks
taking an already healthy routine to the next level
This is a great option if you are already in the health field and want to go deeper into development and performance. Read more about HPH here.
A little blast from the past from the Zumba days. Bring on the baaaack!
Certificates of Eligibility
If you want to work in a gym, train clients, or teach classes, a fitness certificate is essential.
NASM Personal Trainer
I have been a NASM certified personal trainer for many years, and I really appreciate how in-depth and science-based the curriculum is.
It includes:
anatomy and physiology
program design
to prevent injury
client evaluation
I also have to maintain continuing education credits and CPR certification to stay current, which I think is very important.
This certification took my personal training to the next level.
AFAA Group Fitness
This is a group fitness certification that I received years and years ago, and it is the one I would recommend if you are considering teaching group fitness.
It focuses on:
class structure
trapping and training
security and changes
creating an engaging experience
If you love the power of group classes, this is a great place to start.
Special Eligibility
If you want to reduce or increase your donations, special certificates can be a great addition.
Some of them I have completed:
NASM Exercise Correction
NASM Women’s Fitness Specialist
NASM Weight Loss Specialist
BODY PUMP
This allows you to:
work with certain people
correct the damage or imbalance
create customized programs
Yoga (RYT)
If you are interested in teaching yoga, the Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) certification is standard.
Besides teaching, it is also an amazing personal development experience that deepens your understanding of movement, breath, and mind. Your local yoga studio will likely offer 200-hour certificate programs. Get certified in the studio of your choice!
Barre
Barre is a little different because there aren’t many certifications that are widely accepted around the world.
If you are interested in teaching barre, I recommend that you reach out to a specific studio that you would like to teach at. Many studios offer in-house training programs.
The best thing to do is take as many classes there as possible, because each studio tends to have its own unique approach and style.
If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this:
Start with something that really makes you happy.
You don’t have to do everything at once. You don’t need 10 certificates to get started!
One certificate can open a door, and you can build from there.
to me, Continuing education has been one of the most rewarding parts of this job. It has allowed me to grow, change, and serve others in a deeper way.
If you’re thinking about scuba diving, I encourage you and if you have any questions about these certifications, I’m always happy to help!
no
Try again later
