Why I Became an NASM Personal Trainer Again

Early on in my career, before an MS diagnosis was even a thought, I made the choice to become a personal trainer as I was really interested in the fitness industry and was always in the gym. I was a gym rat. I was addicted to working hard and and was always trying to beat weight gain, I had always been overweight since being a teenager. There were periods in my life when I would lose but it was always a roller coaster ride for me.

Fast forward to now, having a seven-year-old and being in the gym kicking my butt every day. It seems like a lot but when you know what you’re doing and you’re validated, you’re not as worried.

I got recertified as a personal trainer, through the national Academy of sports medicine. If you watch me in the gym, you would see me move threw it on a path. Because I have the training, I know exactly what machines are right for me, and what I’m going to get the most bang out of my book for. I’m not afraid of injuring myself in the gym, and I’m not hesitant because I have the knowledge. This is because I am a trainer. You would never guess that I am a nationally certified personal trainer walking with crutches around the gym but when you see me on a machine and take my crutches out of the equation you know that I know what I’m doing. And for me, I need to keep moving.

I’ve always had a passion for fitness, so I validated it with a certification. I have a new certification for this body of knowledge makes me in authority. It validates my knowledge. I am also a support group leader for the MS Society, so whenever I talk about fitness, there’s no question that I know what I’m talking about. I really want to help others with my knowledge, so the only way I could do that was to validate it.

Knowledge never goes to waste, and I still have a brain. I may have some cognitive issues later in the day when I can’t find words to say what I wanna say or if I’m overheated on, the best time of day for me is early morning as I voice text this into my iPhone at 4:28 AM. Right after this I will finish my apple and head to the gym. So I’ve got Apple on my lap, iPhone, an apple in my mouth.

The reason I wanted to validate my knowledge was so that I could serve others, not just keep myself from injury, but because I am a group leader, and people count on me. I’m also blogging again and I want to serve in the best way possible that I can so if I talk about fitness, there’s no question where it’s coming from. I also enjoy researching topics like muscle growth, or hypertrophy, to always keep on top of the ever-growing body of knowledge. It might be always growing with more science, especially in the area of MS and exercise.  Because of my expertise in the area of fitness, with MS, I even participated in a study for Kessler Institute,

When I switched to Ocrevus with Hackensack Meridian Hospital from tech for Dara with another practice, I was interviewed for my story by the marketing department of the hospital. They liked my story so much and knew that I was into fitness and knowledgeable, so they had a whole campaign where they featured me. It was crazy to see myself on a billboard and people coming up to me saying they saw me. But more than that in another post.

My point here today is to say that whatever you’re passionate about no matter how small, validate that knowledge somehow and become an expert. It will empower you and you have no idea what doors will open for you. Opportunity will come and it’s never too late to learn something new. Even if you’re just brushing up on skills like studying for it from a textbook, find out what it is that the experts in the area of your knowledge have and validate that.

I might have a chronic illness, but it does not define me. Having this specific knowledge base and a certificate for it that is nationally recognized means the world to me. It takes it to a higher level that I never thought possible. I’d love to hear your thoughts on what your passion is and see if you can just hit the ground running and try to become an authority. i’d ove to hear it!