Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States
IntroductionGrowth in the field of clinical exercise science and the potential impacts on overall health and wellbeing have driven the need for qualified, clinically trained, exercise professionals. And yet, it is not well understood what specific credentials employers are seeking when hiring exerci...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1338658/full |
| _version_ | 1797352565331984384 |
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| author | Rachele Pojednic Rachele Pojednic Rachele Pojednic Devin P. O’Neill Molly G. Flanagan Alexis Bartlett Byron LaGary Carter Mary A. Kennedy Mary A. Kennedy |
| author_facet | Rachele Pojednic Rachele Pojednic Rachele Pojednic Devin P. O’Neill Molly G. Flanagan Alexis Bartlett Byron LaGary Carter Mary A. Kennedy Mary A. Kennedy |
| author_sort | Rachele Pojednic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionGrowth in the field of clinical exercise science and the potential impacts on overall health and wellbeing have driven the need for qualified, clinically trained, exercise professionals. And yet, it is not well understood what specific credentials employers are seeking when hiring exercise professionals.PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine the qualification requirements for professionals seeking employment in exercise science, exercise physiology, kinesiology or equivalent fields.MethodsSearch platforms Indeed.com and USAJobs.gov were examined within a two week period in 2022. Search terms included “Exercise Physiology”, “Exercise Science”, “Exercise Professional”, “Exercise Prescription”, “Exercise Specialist”, and “Kinesiology”.ResultsA total of n = 739 jobs were retrieved and n = 615 jobs were included: Exercise Science (n = 227), Kinesiology (n = 210), Exercise Physiology (n = 91), Exercise specialist (n = 53), and Exercise prescription (n = 32). Over 70% of the jobs analyzed required a bachelor's degree with the remainder requiring various levels of education. The primary certification required was personal trainer (n = 94), followed by strength and conditioning specialist (n = 33), clinical exercise physiologist (n = 26), group exercise (n = 17), exercise specialist (n = 10), and exercise physiologist (n = 5). Four job focus areas were determined: academic teaching and research, general fitness and worksite wellness, athletic performance and rehabilitation, clinical exercise specialist all with varying levels of degree and certification requirements.DiscussionJob postings related to exercise related professions are varied across the United States with wide-ranging education, credentialing and certification requirements. These findings indicate the timely need for outreach to employers to highlight changing credentialing requirements due to evolving accreditation standards. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:18:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-877ee40990f2469c99e86a32b367f9b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-9367 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:18:40Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| spelling | doaj.art-877ee40990f2469c99e86a32b367f9b12024-01-18T04:34:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672024-01-01610.3389/fspor.2024.13386581338658Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United StatesRachele Pojednic0Rachele Pojednic1Rachele Pojednic2Devin P. O’Neill3Molly G. Flanagan4Alexis Bartlett5Byron LaGary Carter6Mary A. Kennedy7Mary A. Kennedy8Department of Health and Human Performance, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, United StatesNutritionand Health Innovation Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, AustraliaInstitute of Lifestyle Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Health and Human Performance, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, United StatesDepartment of Health and Human Performance, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, United StatesDepartment of Health and Human Performance, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, United StatesCollege of Health & Human Services, Troy University, Troy, AL, United StatesNutritionand Health Innovation Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, AustraliaInstitute of Lifestyle Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesIntroductionGrowth in the field of clinical exercise science and the potential impacts on overall health and wellbeing have driven the need for qualified, clinically trained, exercise professionals. And yet, it is not well understood what specific credentials employers are seeking when hiring exercise professionals.PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine the qualification requirements for professionals seeking employment in exercise science, exercise physiology, kinesiology or equivalent fields.MethodsSearch platforms Indeed.com and USAJobs.gov were examined within a two week period in 2022. Search terms included “Exercise Physiology”, “Exercise Science”, “Exercise Professional”, “Exercise Prescription”, “Exercise Specialist”, and “Kinesiology”.ResultsA total of n = 739 jobs were retrieved and n = 615 jobs were included: Exercise Science (n = 227), Kinesiology (n = 210), Exercise Physiology (n = 91), Exercise specialist (n = 53), and Exercise prescription (n = 32). Over 70% of the jobs analyzed required a bachelor's degree with the remainder requiring various levels of education. The primary certification required was personal trainer (n = 94), followed by strength and conditioning specialist (n = 33), clinical exercise physiologist (n = 26), group exercise (n = 17), exercise specialist (n = 10), and exercise physiologist (n = 5). Four job focus areas were determined: academic teaching and research, general fitness and worksite wellness, athletic performance and rehabilitation, clinical exercise specialist all with varying levels of degree and certification requirements.DiscussionJob postings related to exercise related professions are varied across the United States with wide-ranging education, credentialing and certification requirements. These findings indicate the timely need for outreach to employers to highlight changing credentialing requirements due to evolving accreditation standards.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1338658/fullexerciseexercise science educationexercise professionalsexercise physiologistcurriculum |
| spellingShingle | Rachele Pojednic Rachele Pojednic Rachele Pojednic Devin P. O’Neill Molly G. Flanagan Alexis Bartlett Byron LaGary Carter Mary A. Kennedy Mary A. Kennedy Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States Frontiers in Sports and Active Living exercise exercise science education exercise professionals exercise physiologist curriculum |
| title | Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States |
| title_full | Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States |
| title_fullStr | Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States |
| title_short | Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States |
| title_sort | exercise professional education qualifications and certifications a content analysis of job postings in the united states |
| topic | exercise exercise science education exercise professionals exercise physiologist curriculum |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1338658/full |
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