I recently completed the Brain Health Trainer Certification and here’s my Review.

I recently completed the Brain Health Trainer Certification, which is a program that  promises to significantly transform your understanding of the brain, its relationship to exercise, and how to leverage them to slow cognitive decline in the individuals that need it most. Having gone through the program, I can say unequivocally, they deliver on that promise!

Brain Health Training for Older Clients

If you have clients who are 50 plus, (or want to break into that market), this program should definitely become part of your professional development success track. With the median age rising, the boomer demographic will be the dominant opportunity for many Trainers as they look at career longevity in the fitness industry. Most people in the fifty plus age demographic are not looking for the six pack or the booty. Many are unconditioned and may have underlying health factors which precludes them from participating in vigorous activities like HIIT, CrossFit and spin. However, they are still looking for guidance, their focus is more on wellness, longevity, and cognitive health. This is where the Brain Health Trainer program becomes such a value, it provides the learner with the foundational knowledge to assess and prescribe an exercise and physical activity plan that best suits the cognitive function goals of the client. And recent studies have shown exercise to be effective to increase cognitive function in older adults, no matter what the baseline and status of the participants!

Help Increase Mental Processing Speed for Athletes

Brain health is not just a concern of the older population, your athlete clients can also benefit from you having this knowledge. One reason? Mental Processing Speed. That’s the speed at which your brain senses and processes incoming information and decides upon the best course of action. Athletes make split second decisions based on incoming stimuli, often while under extreme pressure, such as a hockey goalie stopping a shot. If they wait too long or are too slow to process the incoming speed of the puck, the other team has scored a goal; nearly every athlete depends on quick mental processing to make quick decision for moments that matter.  In a recent article by scientists at the University of Montreal, they discussed how the  trait of being able to process complex, dynamic visual scenes set skilled athletes apart from their competitors. With the foundational knowledge from the Brain Health Trainer Certification, you will be able to design activities to help your athlete clients to improve the processing speed for better athletic outcomes.

The Brain Health Trainer Certification is for Health, Fitness, Wellness and Medical Professionals who are interested in learning more about the effects of exercise on the brain, mood, and cognition. The program takes your knowledge to the next level by demonstrating how to practically apply these learnings to an EPAP, (Exercise and Physical Activity Plan). You take the knowledge from your current training /modality and layer in this new elevated knowledge gained through the Brain Health Trainer Certification program; this will allow you to offer additional services and create even more targeted plans for any clients who are concerned with any aspects of their cognitive health.

How the Course is Delivered.

The course is comprised of 4 Modules with 4 to 12 sections in each Module, and quizzes, which allow you to test your knowledge at the end of the Module. The program is delivered online; each lesson has a mix of interactive multimedia experiences including text, videos, flashcards, matching terms and more. It is designed to keep you engaged, and at the same time to test your knowledge as you proceed. No long boring videos, the average time is only about 5 minutes. There is also suggested recommended research in addition to the course materials that will further deepen your knowledge.

You can stop and start again as many times as you want. The course outline suggests that it takes 6 to 8 hours to complete, depending on how fast you read and how much time you need to study, revisit, and absorb the course materials and content. I probably spent closer to 10 hours and most of that time was spent in the first two Modules where the scientific foundation for the program is concentrated. It’s powerfully intensive and can be enjoyably challenging depending on your level of knowledge going into the program. The technical terminology is explained throughout the program, often via flashcards and other multimedia experiences which makes it easier to absorb. In the remaining two Modules the information is applied in a practical manner with examples.

As part of the certification, you are also given forms that you can use with clients to help determine areas they may have concerns in; for example, is it memory, cloudy thinking, mood, and/or reaction time? Using the forms will also help you to flag if a client should be referred out to other Professionals, for example if they indicate they are depressed, or they may have had a recent fall because their balance is off. A Brain Health Trainer (BHT) is part of the client’s health care team, working toward their client’s best outcome.

What You will Learn in the Brain Health Trainer Certification:

• The Course and Neuroscience of Cognitive Aging
  • Cognitive Decline and Cognitive Reserve
  • The Cognitive Domains of Attention, Memory, & Executive Functions
  • Functional Brain Networks and Neuroanatomy
  • Differential Effects of Exercise on the Brain & Cognition
  • Combining Exercise with Cognitive Stimuli

There is also a cognitive physical exercise library with suggested exercises based on the clients’ goals, and even recommendations for how to build your brain focused medical fitness practice.

The Brain Health Trainer certification provides meaningful continuing education, and is recognized by many organizations such as NASM, AFAA, ACE, ACSM, Canfitpro and more.

Whether you want to be the go-to Professional in the dramatically growing market of active aging, work with athletic clients, or make a difference by helping those at risk for or with dementia, this course will significantly transform your understanding of the brain, its relationship to exercise, and how to leverage them to slow cognitive decline in the individuals that need it most.

For more information on the Brain Health Certification Program Click HERE.

You can Save $200.00 using code CAN200 at checkout!

Course Authors:

Ryan Glatt, MSC, CPT, NBHWC:  Ryan is a Personal Trainer and Health Coach with a strong background in exercise science and human health and develops curriculum for the health and fitness industry on health neuroscience, and coaching individuals towards optimal brain health. He has a B.Sc. in Exercise Science and is a graduate of the Master’s of Applied Neuroscience program at the King’s College of London. Ryan actively consults for brain-based technology companies like SMARTFit, and assists in operating a Brain Health Center within the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA.

Dr. Sarah McEwen

Dr. Sarah McEwen is an experienced PhD Research Cognitive Psychologist with 14 years clinical research experience and a demonstrated track-record of grants and publications while at top tier academic universities, including UCLA and UCSD. She is skilled in MRI, Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Research with mental health populations, specifically those at risk for or diagnosed with dementia.

She is the Co-Founder of a UCSD Qualcomm Institute-based start-up, Genius Gyms, which is developing an innovative platform that integrates emerging technologies and neuroscience games to help older adults improve their cognitive and physical health and promote successful aging through exercise.

She currently serves as the Director of Research and programming of the Brain Health Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, and works with some of country’s most esteemed geriatric psychiatrists, diagnostic technologies, and develops cutting edge information for the prevention and remediation of dementia.

For more information on the Brain Health Certification Program Click HERE.

 

About the Reviewer: Heather Creamer is the co-author of the Natural Nutrition Coach Advanced Qualification, a Cancer Exercise Specialist and a Brain Health Trainer. She is a co-founder of MedeXN fitness INSTITUTE.