There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when wanting to become a personal trainer and get your certification. Being a CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) is a highly rewarding job that can bring a deep sense of satisfaction. For people who are passionate about health and fitness and also want to see others succeed, few lines of work can prove to be as satisfying. That being said, becoming a personal trainer takes a considerable amount of work to accomplish.
Not only do you have to acquire the kind of skill and knowledge necessary to help others reach their goals, but you have to master certification exams to become certified. The truth of the matter is that both the amount of education you need to pass the exams and the exams themselves can be rather daunting. The NASM CPT exam in particular is one of the more difficult certification exams in the industry.
If you are passionate about becoming a personal trainer, these exams can be something that you overcome. Yes, they are difficult, but with the right tools, a reliable study schedule, and a hard work ethic you can pass your certifications and become a professional CPT.
Studying Smarter – Not Harder
One of the most difficult aspects of passing the NASM CPT is preparing and studying well for it. The exam itself has a pass rate of about 64%. This isn’t a horrible pass rate, however, it does indicate a level of commitment if you want to ensure that you do in fact pass. The study schedule you adopt, the tools that you use, and the rhythms you set up to prepare for the exam will determine how you do on test day.
If you plan and study well, you won’t have to fight so hard to get a passing grade. This is where you need to focus on working smarter, and not harder. One tool that can help you do that is the NASM practice test. Using a practice test not only allows you to assess your current knowledge of the material but also helps to bring structure to your study plan. Using your practice tests strategically, you can gauge your knowledge leading up to an exam which can help you understand where you are strong, or where you are weak and need to focus more.
Why Fitness Helps With Test Anxiety
One way that you can work smarter and not harder is by mitigating as much anxiety as possible during your studying phase. Anxiety and stress have been shown to actually negatively impact memory, and not improve it. This is because it is thought that both anxiety and stress can impact a person’s memory negatively. There are several ways to help mitigate or reduce stress and anxiety, and one of them is through regular exercising.
In fact, one of the major benefits of pursuing your health and fitness journey is that it can help you not only feel better, but it can help to reduce anxiety. This mostly happens because it gives your body a way to deal with stress and anxiety that is healthy. Exercise isn’t necessarily a way to mitigate, but rather to correctly handle the anxiety and stress that life throughs at you.
What are Stress and Anxiety?
It may sound odd in today’s hyper-health-focused culture to say that stress is good – but the simple truth is, that life wouldn’t be able to exist without stress. Anxiety and stress are natural responses from the sympathetic nervous system that has a very specific purpose. They are brought on by hormones like cortisol that are meant to help your body through fight or flight situations.
Without stress or anxiety, people wouldn’t be able to handle situations where they have to make quick decisions. When a person is presented with danger, this part of their nervous system kicks in and gives an individual the ability to make a lightning-fast decision over whether to stay or run/avoid.
The problem is that feelings of anxiety and stress can happen to a person when they are in no physical danger. Things like anxiety about a huge test like the NASM, can cause a stress response. However, because the body is not active, it can turn into harmful anxiety and worry.
Conclusion
Exercise gives the body a way to naturally, and healthy deal with the hormones of stress. The body needs to be active to deal with the flight or fight response, and the gym or a light run, or even a walk can help it do this. When a person experiences anxiety over an exam, it’s good to go exercise those feelings out.
It may seem counterintuitive to spend time exercising when you feel like every waking moment should be spent studying, but by reducing your anxiety you actually improve your recall ability. When you have less stress, your quality of life increases, and so do your chances of getting the exam score that you want!