This course is designed for those personal trainers who have clients with unique disabilities and chronic diseases for which they have specific exercise goals along with accompanying contraindications. The course addresses working with special populations who have received medical clearance to exercise in non-clinical settings (e.g. fitness facilities, personal training studios) but remain afflicted with hypertension, heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, diabetes, orthopedic concerns, neurological disorders, COPD, asthma, etc. and their associated risks.

The course, which is conducted at the Institute of Human Performance, presents advanced concepts related to clinical anatomy as well as assessment techniques beyond that learned in the Fitness Testing Specialist course. Emphasis is placed upon post-rehab protocols that are within the scope of practice of personal trainers. Protocols include assessment forms, functional assessment scales, program formats, specific precautions, and progression guidelines.

Upon meeting course prerequisites and successful completion of the written and practical exam process, students are awarded a certificate as a ‘Special Populations/Post-Rehabilitation Specialist’. Prerequisites for enrollment are either attendance of the other specialty courses or a degree in exercise science from an accredited university with the ability to successfully pass a comprehensive test of the knowledge base expected of a Certified Personal Training Specialist (CPTS®). Certificates are only awarded to those with the CPTS® credential or those graduates of an accredited degree program who have passed the comprehensive CPTS® exam.

As the largest segment of the population now availing themselves of fitness facilities and personal training is the over-fifty group, it stands to reason that trainers will be working with more higher risk clients and their special needs that are addressed in this course. From all indications, this course is the only comprehensive course of its kind in the State of Florida and, therefore, provides its graduates with specialized skills making them not only more effective trainers but also more marketable.