Brain Health Trainer

Train the Brain—Design Exercise Programs That Promote Brain Health

Worldwide, there is an exponential increase in the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline, constituting a serious epidemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exercise is one of the most evidence-based lifestyle behaviors for preventing and slowing cognitive decline. A majority of individuals are concerned with preventing neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and cognitive decline, but may lack awareness of the specific benefits of exercise on the brain or may wonder if their exercise program is the best possible one for their brain health. As a health and fitness professional, you have the power to close the gap in individualized exercise programming and brain health through improving your comprehension of neuroscience theory and application.

In this course, you’ll discover the fundamentals of neuroscience, such as neuroplasticity, neuroanatomy, cognition, and cognitive reserve, as well as the myriad effects of different types of exercise on the brain. In addition to being provided resources for practically applying these strategies in a health and fitness setting, you’ll also learn how to create exercise programs geared towards brain health outcomes.

Well-designed exercise and physical activity programs can help clients functionally move about the world, but focusing on brain health can address how they interact with the world. It’s one thing to help clients be able to play with their grandkids, but it’s even more impactful to enable them to remember their grandkids’ names.

Career Outlook

Led by Ryan Glatt, a personal trainer and brain-health coach currently working alongside clinicians and researchers to study the effects of cognitively-enhanced and comprehensive exercise plans on brain health, you’ll take your career to the next level by increasing your value as an exercise professional beyond solely providing aesthetic or functional outcomes. By being able to establish and apply the benefits of brain health and exercise, you can add more value to your services, align yourself with a broader range of health and wellness professionals or even work in a medical setting that has vested interest in brain health.

Upon completion, you will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of neuroscience and the benefits of different types of exercise on the brain
• Educate current and prospective clients about brain health and learn the value of referring to allied healthcare providers
• Design individualized exercise programs for brain health goals that will add more value to your services and improve brain health-related outcomes your clients may experience
• Combine cognitive tasks with exercise techniques to enhance engagement during exercise sessions and attract new clients interested in better brain health

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