Personal Fitness Professional - March 2009 - (Page 22) [NUTRITION SOLUTIONS] BY JJ VIRGIN TO TRAINING LITTLE BY LITTLE ADDING NUTRITION AS personal trainers, our clients rely on us to coach them on all aspects of health. We are commonly asked for real-life guidance and suggestions, such as how to stay fit while travelling or healthy “dining out” options. I discovered during my years of personal training that clients assumed that I was also a nutrition expert, and I decided to capitalize on this demand. Within short order, I began to supplement my background in exercise science with nutrition courses so that I could provide more services and products to my clients. e result: My clients got better results from scientifically grounded exercise programs combined with sound nutrition strategies. My ability to offer more to my clients provided me with not only a competitive advantage in the marketplace but also more bottom-line income from my personal training programs. The potential challenge lies in enhancing your knowledge base while maintaining a busy training schedule. For years, I went to traditional universities, rushing to class in my workout clothes in between client appointments, and then squeezing in homework after hours. This sort of schedule can wreak havoc on your personal life, but at that time, these were the only real options available to me. Thankfully, distance and virtual education programs are now available and require no travel, allowing you to study on your own schedule from the comfort of your home. And as an added bonus, many of these courses and programs offer CEUs, degrees and specialty certifications. e National Association of Nutrition Professionals (www.nanp.org) is one source that has a listing of schools offering both distance and in-classroom education in nutrition. Look them over, and find one that fits your needs. You can incorporate your nutrition education into your training programs little by little. When I first started in the field, I didn’t know much about nutrition and was careful to stick to the basics, use handouts written by experts and refer to nutrition professionals when I felt I was in over my head. is helped to further build my business because once they witnessed my talent as a competent fitness professional, these nutrition professionals began referring clients back to me. As my knowledge and experience increased, I was able to offer more to my clients. Today I continue to maintain a close referral network of nutritionists and trainers who specialize in other areas. When a client who doesn’t fit my niche seeks my help, I pass them along to my referral network — and they gladly return the favor. MARCH2009 WWW.FIT PRO.COM JJ Virgin PhD, CNS, is a celebrity nutrition and fitness expert, author, public speaker and media personality. She is a board member of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (www.nanp.org), a professional organization dedicated to supporting the business growth and legal rights of allied health care JAN FEB2009 WWW.FIT PRO.COM professionals using nutrition in their practices. http://www.sportsfitness.com http://www.sportsfitness.com http://www.nanp.org http://www.sportsfitness.com http://www.nanp.org http://www.fit-pro.com
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