Courses to supplement personal training

[Rivière]

So, as many know, the UK is currently in lockdown. I work as a personal trainer and fitness coach at a gym.

Before this lockdown ends I want to better myself with some form of additional qualification. I don't want it to be long. Just a short online course that will grant me a good, legal certificate to show off my extra skills. I want to show that I am continuing to better myself despite the current situation we're all in.

I'm the kind of PT that focuses on self-esteem and confidence building. I focus heavily on being an advocate for mental health and mental wellbeing. I'm also really big on injury prevention and corrective exercise.

Originally I was going to see about taking an NVQ in physiotherapy. It doesn't mean I'm a legally qualified physiotherapist. That requires a degree and takes between 4-7 years of educational and practical experience. I wanted to undertake this NVQ to supplement the fact I'm a fully qualified corrective exercise specialist. Some of the techniques I use to help with low back pain, muscular imbalances and so on, are based on a form of physiotherapy.

Having a course under my belt like that could definitely help add weight to my list of skills. It would also make me stand out more against other PT's.

However the course I wanted to take has a few pricing wobbles. Some are £299 but through a legitimate recruiting agency are somehow just £10-19. It seems weird.

However, I was also interested in undertaking a professional psychology course, but the similar issue has arisen.

One good thing is that there is an additional course I could take which relates to counselling and psychotherapy. It's definitely just £19 (excluding tax) and covers the basics in what is involved in counselling. So for example, the types of counselling (like person-centred which I have previously received), the purpose and aims of counselling, as well as the ethics of counselling. It also covers drug addiction counselling, addiction recovery, and so on.

It wouldn't mean that I can legally say I'm a psychotherapist nor a counsellor, but it would add potential weight behind my PT qualification list. It could help add weight in my understanding of mental health-related tools which supplements my 18 years of mental health experience.

The thing is, I don't know if I should go for it. I don't know if it's worth it because we're still in lockdown. And I don't know if it would truly benefit me in a way that can help others. I don't know if I should go for it just because it's currently discounted (it's normally £318).

[DeletedAccount53]

I don't know if a UK tuition-free course could help you, Sarah, but you could register with these people: https://www.edx.org/learn/psychology and see what gives.


EDS-Smart: https://www.edsmart.org/accredited-o...colleges/free/


Would you be prepared to move to another country?


I don't know anything else, but hope what I found could offer you a lead.

[Rivière]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm not intending to move abroad. I have a business to run and I can't just up and leave it.

My intention is to take a short online course that's accredited and can be legally used to help further my business. When lockdown ends, I want to return with some extra knowledge and show that I didn't spend my time stuck on furlough not really doing anything.

Since I'm really big on injury prevention and mental wellbeing, those two courses would be perfect.

I found another course provider that offers physiotherapy and CBT training which would be great. This way I can continue to supplement my knowledge of injury prevention further, and demonstrate more formal qualifications for mental health.

I want to make sure I really stand out from other personal trainers upon my return.

[DeletedAccount53]

I'm sorry about that, but will continue being alert to any possibilities.

[Rivière]

I found one!

Ok well two. But the course provider has mixed reviews depending on what course a person takes. I've decided to go ahead with behavioural therapy. I already work in the gym with those whom have behavioural issues and an unwillingness to change, so this will be a great supplementation.

The next as an introduction to physiotherapy. It's mostly a formality with the title than anything given a lot of the content is already what I know. It never hurts to have a refresher though. I won't be going ahead with it until I've finished this behaviour therapy course and I'm confident the provider is good enough. Especially because it costs more. I don't want to waste money.

[Dawn.]

Originally Posted by Rivière

I found one!

Ok well two. But the course provider has mixed reviews depending on what course a person takes. I've decided to go ahead with behavioural therapy. I already work in the gym with those whom have behavioural issues and an unwillingness to change, so this will be a great supplementation.

The next as an introduction to physiotherapy. It's mostly a formality with the title than anything given a lot of the content is already what I know. It never hurts to have a refresher though. I won't be going ahead with it until I've finished this behaviour therapy course and I'm confident the provider is good enough. Especially because it costs more. I don't want to waste money.

Good to hear you found something! How are you going with it?

[Rivière]

The student portal and everything looks pretty good. The resources are a lot of reading and presentation slides. Though this is to be expected.

I'm looking forward to it.

It's apparently one that can be completed within 50 hours, though with my reading abilities it's probably double that. Then my attention issues, so maybe double again.

Since the Welsh government has set out their plan for the coming weeks, as anticipated, the gyms won't be open any time soon so I have more than enough time to complete it. Maybe even do another before they reopen.

[Celyn]

Glad you found a course!

I've had similar issues before when I was interested in counselling/psychology/mental health and now with my interest in animals and pets. The price varies a lot between £20-£2,000+ and so does the quality.

What I've found helpful is thinking about what I want out of it and whether I'd feel comfortable going for the more expensive courses, if I felt it was worth it, or whether the cheaper courses are of competitive quality. Another good option is to see if it is CPD accredited or if the centre that offers the courses is CPD approved. You can do this by checking on the CPD website https://cpduk.co.uk/ This is especially helpful if you plan on adding this to your CV, but not necessary if you just want to gain some extra knowledge. There are other bodies and organisations as well but I imagine the CPD one is the most well known.

Hope this helps a bit and enjoy your learning!

Edited to add: MindEd https://www.minded.org.uk/ is also a very good resource for mental health. They have short but very informative courses, for free, and I think you also get a little certificate for each course you complete. It is aimed at England, but still

[Rivière]

I wanted to make sure it was CPD approved before I enrolled. Thankfully both courses I'm interested in are. Though I have years of experience dealing with the mental health system, and being actively involved with people with differing mental health concerns, I think anybody can make claims like that (even though mine are quite true). I want a formal qualification to supplement it. I think this course will be great.

Thank you for that link! Doesn't matter if it's related to England, it's all part of the UK either way.

[DeletedAccount53]

I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but you might be able to qualify for a tuition-free Bachelor's degree in Scotland.


One of our yacht crew is Scottish and did a Bachelor's degree that got her the job as 1st Officer, so this could be worth inquiring about. Sorry I don't have available info at present, but if it's possible to get a degree course up there, you'll be quids in Scot free (pun intended)

[Dawn.]

Originally Posted by Rivière

The student portal and everything looks pretty good. The resources are a lot of reading and presentation slides. Though this is to be expected.

I'm looking forward to it.

It's apparently one that can be completed within 50 hours, though with my reading abilities it's probably double that. Then my attention issues, so maybe double again.

Since the Welsh government has set out their plan for the coming weeks, as anticipated, the gyms won't be open any time soon so I have more than enough time to complete it. Maybe even do another before they reopen.

Sounds awesome!

[Celyn]

I know this is really old but just wanted to add that for courses that state they are actual qualifications (not CPD), it's worth checking with the qualifications regulatory bodies in the UK. Usually that's Qualifications Wales, OFQUAL (England) or SQA (Scotland). You may be able to search their websites to make sure that courses are legit

[Naughty Dog]

Originally Posted by Rivière

Thanks for your reply.

I'm not intending to move abroad. I have a business to run and I can't just up and leave it.

My intention is to take a short online course that's accredited and can be legally used to help further my business. When lockdown ends, I want to return with some extra knowledge and show that I didn't spend my time stuck on furlough not really doing anything.

Since I'm really big on injury prevention and mental wellbeing, those two courses would be perfect.

I found another course provider that offers physiotherapy and CBT training which would be great. This way I can continue to supplement my knowledge of injury prevention further, and demonstrate more formal qualifications for mental health.

I want to make sure I really stand out from other personal trainers upon my return.

I would recommend to have a look at Coursera and Khan Academy. In terms of online courses and user interface of the apps these 2 platforms are the best on the market, my opinion.

[Ariel008]

You can find any course you want on the torrent. I started studying cryptocurrency during the lockdown. I took a couple of paid courses, but then I got tired and decided to save money. [EDITED] I downloaded several more courses that turned out to be no worse than the ones I bought

[Rivière]

Originally Posted by Celyn

I know this is really old but just wanted to add that for courses that state they are actual qualifications (not CPD), it's worth checking with the qualifications regulatory bodies in the UK. Usually that's Qualifications Wales, OFQUAL (England) or SQA (Scotland). You may be able to search their websites to make sure that courses are legit

I ended up going for a certification (which I passed!) in the end. I just wanted something a little extra to look good on the marketing side of my job.

Thank you for the additional information though. I had considered going for another in the future but due to my financial situation and whatnot, I ended up putting it all on hold. Just as well I suppose. Especially if I want something with a lot more 'oomph' and to help properly further my knowledge.