Your Inclusive Fitness Specialist Certificate & Where It Can Take You

The fitness industry is a growing field — earning an ACSM/NCHPAD Inclusive Fitness Specialist Certificate will separate you from the competition and give you the tools to assist critically underserved populations. Learn about the prerequisites for earning this certificate, how to earn it, and what career opportunities open up once its earned. Infographic and specialist course created […]

Shielding Yourself from Legal Liability

It’s an unfortunate fact that working in the fitness industry can put you at legal risk. Whether you own a facility, manage one or merely work with clients, you could find yourself in the crosshairs of a lawsuit — or worse.  Respondeat superior  For instance, did you know that facility managers can be held liable […]

Continuing Education for Professional Growth

As the associate vice president of certification and credentialing at ACSM, one area I am most passionate about is supporting ACSM’s exercise professionals in navigating their career goals. I have had the distinct pleasure of connecting with numerous stakeholders across the spectrum of the exercise profession: students starting their careers in the exercise sciences, professors […]

A Ph.D. Student’s Take on ACSM’s Leadership & Diversity Training Program

Rafael Alamilla’s affiliation with ACSM’s Leadership & Diversity Training Program (LDTP) began with an interesting coincidence. An IU President’s Doctoral Fellow in Indiana University’s Department of Health Sciences, Alamilla had heard about ACSM’s LDTP somewhat by chance — whether it was from ACSM social media, an email, or some other communication, he can’t exactly recall. […]

Coaching Skills for Deep Empathy

This infographic describes the three types of empathy and five ways to incorporate empathy into your work as a fitness professional, health coach, or medical practitioner.

Working Across Generations

In a hurried culture that places a high value on youthfulness, outcomes and technology, there are a few key perspectives fitness professionals should have when working with older population clients to honor their time, contributions and needs.

Stepping up Your Fitness Career: From Frontline to Management

When enthusiastic fitness professionals get certified as either a personal trainer, group exercise instructor and/or exercise physiologist, they are usually eager to get started helping others with their health and fitness goals. While many fitness professionals knew they wanted to be in this field from high school or college, others decided to change career paths […]

A Not-So-Traditional Path to a Career as a Certified Wellness Professional

As a society, we are facing ballooning rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, conditions that drive up health costs, decrease productivity and erode quality of life. Exercise can have a positive impact on all of these conditions, yet many people don’t have access to informed, competent professionals who can […]

Camínalo*: My LDTP Pathway

It was during the third year of my Ph.D. work at Boston University when I received a call from my undergraduate mentor at the University of Puerto Rico, and now colleague and friend, Julio Morales, Ph.D. Dr. Morales had a suggestion, he said “you should apply for the ACSM’s leadership program for minorities.” He explained […]

GSSI Pre-Conference

The Physiology of Hydration: More Than Water Alone

This session explores the physiology of hydration through an integrated lens—examining how carbohydrate, sodium, flavor, and fluid interact to influence intake, absorption, retention, and performance. We’ll review current research on fluid balance, osmotic drivers, and palatability, highlighting mechanisms that underpin voluntary intake and thermoregulation. Attendees will gain insight into individualized strategies, including sweat profiling and timing approaches, to optimize euhydration and mitigate performance decrements associated with >2% body-mass loss. Practical applications will be linked to laboratory- and field-based research, ensuring translation from bench to field. This pre-conference equips you with evidence-based tools to support athlete hydration across diverse environments and sporting contexts. 

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  • Session 1: Sweating the detail: New insights on hydration considerations for athlete performance
    • Lewis James, PhD, Associate Professor in Human Nutrition in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University
  • Session 2: Functional ingredients in fluid replacement beverages for athletes
    • Lindsay Baker, PhD, Director at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute
  • Session 3: The hydration toolkit: Practical approaches to athlete support
    • Floris Wardenaar, PhD, Associate Professor at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University