Welcome to the IFPA course offerings sections. The IFPA is the recognized leader in practical fitness, health and nutrition education and certification. The IFPA has made a commitment to the fitness industry, fitness professionals and the community who relies on fitness professionals, to "raise the bar" and increase the knowledge and professionalism of all fitness professionals. In order to accomplish this goal, the IFPA is constantly adding new certification and continuing education courses.

Most people in the fitness industry separate fitness professionals into two tracks: (1) Personal Training and (2) Group Exercise (Group Fitness). The IFPA makes no such distinction. Both Personal Trainers and Group Exercise Instructors are fitness professionals. The courses offered in this section are appropriate for all fitness professionals.

While many of you went through the Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructors Certifications to get a job in the fitness industry, you can grow much more rapidly in your chosen career by increasing your knowledge with the advanced courses you find in this section.

For those of you that went through the IFPA Personal Trainer Certification course, you learned that professional status is based on three criteria: (1) advanced education and training; (2) dedication in serving the community and (3) strict ethical guidelines. The courses in this section supply you the opportunity to gain the requisite advanced education and training you will need to attain professional status.

In all honesty, the competency levels of many Personal Trainers are significantly below where they need to be. This must change. Our communities deserve better. Our nation needs better. With obesity levels now at epidemic proportions action must be taken.

The medical community has tried to solve this crisis and failed. Medical and healthcare costs now exceed over one trillion dollars per year, 80% of these costs are a direct result of the lifestyle choices Americans make. The IFPA calls this the "anti-lifestyle": (1) lack of physical activity, (2) poor nutrition habits, (3) smoking, (4) substance abuse and (5) stress. What is even worse is that our children are in nearly the same poor fitness condition as adults. Children are participating in the "anti-lifestyle" almost to the same extent as their parents. This is no surprise to anyone. The poor role-model of today's parents are having a devastating impact on our children. The unfortunate consequences of children's "anti-lifestyle" results in irreparable harm to the child's development, inability to achieve maximum potential and serious medical and healthcare problems (we are now seeing children with adult-onset diabetes and cardio-vascular disease) diseases that until now, normally affected the aging population.

Since the medical community has failed it is now up to the fitness community to solve this crisis. If the doctors of today know nothing about exercise and nutrition, then the exercise and nutrition experts of today will become the doctors of tomorrow.

The courses you have at your disposal here today are designed to make you an expert in exercise and nutrition. It is the IFPA's sincere hope that you take advantage of these courses and drive toward excellence in your chosen career. Do not settle for average, do not settle for mediocrity strive to be the best you can be.

The following quote is the mantra the IFPA uses for our reason for being. It hangs in the corporate headquarters in Tampa, FL. The IFPA hopes that you adopt this as your mantra!

These courses are here so that we at the IFPA can pass our torch on to you.