Aquatic Group Fitness Instructor & Aquatic Personal Trainer Certificates (AFIC & APFTC)
Aquatic Group Fitness Instructor Certificate (AFIC)
The Aquatic Group Fitness Instructor certificate prepares students to design and lead comprehensive aquatic classes for clients at various fitness levels. Program graduates are prepared to take the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) national certification examination to become a Certified Aquatic Fitness Professional.
Graduates may be employed by health clubs, corporate fitness centers, recreation programs, hospitals, or senior centers. Job activities may include designing safe aquatic classes, scheduling classes, and assisting clients with goal setting and motivation.
Aquatic Personal Trainer Certificate (APFTC)
The Aquatic Personal Trainer Certificate is designed for experienced personal trainers who want to expand their services by providing personal training for clients in an aquatic environment. Students learn about the effects of water properties on exercise programming, formats for aquatic exercise, and how to monitor exercise intensity in aquatic environments.
Graduates may be employed by health clubs, fitness centers, or wellness centers. Job activities may include fitness testing and risk factor identification, conducting individual and group exercise programs, counseling clients on behavior modifications, and designing individualized fitness programs.
For more information, please contact the Health and Public Safety Division at (513) 569-1670.
To apply for this program at Cincinnati State, visit our Admissions Page
Aquatic Group Fitness Instructor Certificate (AFIC)
Program Prerequisites: Meet with Program Chair.
| Semester 1 | Lec | Lab | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMS 100 | CPR and First Aid for the Health Care Professional | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| HFT 128 | Aquatic Group Fitness Instructor | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Total Credits: | 4 | 2 | 5 | |
Aquatic Personal Trainer Certificate (APFTC)
Program Prerequisites: Meet with Program Chair, and hold a nationally accredited Personal Training Certificate.
| Semester 1 | Lec | Lab | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMS 100 | CPR and First Aid for the Health Care Professional | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| HFT 160 | Aquatic Personal Trainer | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Total Credits: | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
Courses
HFT 116 Pilates Mat Instructor
2 Credits. 1 Lecture Hour. 2 Lab Hours.
A course that prepares students for the National Pilates Mat Certification Examination. Topics include: history and principles of Pilates, levels of exercises, safety guidelines, instructional concepts, and modifications for special populations.
Prerequisites: Must be admitted to the Pilates Mat Instructor Certificate program
HFT 118 Yoga Teacher Training 1
5 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 4 Lab Hours.
A course that prepares students for National Yoga Alliance Certification. Topics include: building a personal practice, instructional concepts, safety guidelines, modifications for special populations, physical anatomy, and yoga techniques and practices.
Prerequisites: Must be admitted to the Yoga Teacher Training Certificate program
HFT 119 Yoga Teacher Training 2
5 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 4 Lab Hours.
A continuation of HFT 118 that prepares students for National Yoga Alliance Certification. Topics include: guidelines, modifications for special populations, anatomy, and yoga techniques and practices.
Prerequisites: HFT 118 and HFT 184
HFT 122 Group Fitness Instructor
4 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.
A course that prepares students for the National Group Fitness Instructor Examination. Topics include: communication skills, instructional concepts, effective exercise design, choreography, safety guidelines, and modifications for special populations.
Prerequisites: Must be admitted to the Group Fitness Instructor Certificate program
HFT 124 Resistance Training Instructor
4 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.
A course on theories and guidelines for designing safe, effective, and efficient resistance training programs. Topics include: evaluation of biomechanical, physiologic, and genetic factors affecting strength and muscle tissue gain.
Prerequisites: Must be admitted to the Resistance Training Certificate
HFT 128 Aquatic Group Fitness Instructor
4 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.
A course on aquatic exercise principles, techniques, and group instruction skills for students pursuing aquatic group fitness instructor certification. Topics include: anatomy and physiology of aquatic exercise, effects of water on the body, movement analysis, and class formats.
Prerequisites: Must be admitted to the Aquatic Group Fitness Instructor Certificate program
HFT 130 Foundations of Health and Wellness Programs
3 Credits. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.
A course on developing fitness and wellness programs for individuals and groups, emphasizing disease prevention and health promotion. Topics include: fitness testing for each fitness component, behavior modification, nutrition, stress management, addictions, sexually transmitted disease, and chronic disease.
Prerequisites: AFL 085 and AFM 092 (minimum grade C for both), or appropriate placement test scores
HFT 151 Personal Fitness Trainer 1
3 Credits. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.
A course on techniques used in the personal training fitness field. Topics include: the body's response to exercise, screening and consultation guidelines, dietary principles, and communication and documentation.
Prerequisites: AFL 085 and AFM 092 (minimum grade C for both) or appropriate placement test scores, and must be admitted to the Personal Fitness Trainer Certificate program
HFT 152 Personal Fitness Trainer 2
3 Credits. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.
A continuation of HFT 151 that prepares students for the National Certified Personal Trainer Exam. Topics include: applying exercise principles, using therapeutic exercise, working with special populations, understanding legal issues, and analyzing and evaluating fitness techniques.
Prerequisites: HFT 151 (minimum grade C)
HFT 156 Establishing a Personal Training Business
3 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 0 Lab Hour.
A course on strategies for promoting personal training services and establishing a client base. Topics include: using resources to build a client base, applying sales processes, networking, analyzing needs, and handling objections.
Prerequisites: HFT 151 (minimum grade C)
HFT 160 Aquatic Personal Trainer
2 Credits. 1 Lecture Hour. 2 Lab Hours.
A course for experienced personal trainers who want to enter the aquatic fitness field. Topics include: effects of water properties on exercise programming, monitoring exercise intensity in aquatic environments, and aquatic exercise formats.
Prerequisites: Must be admitted to the Aquatic Personal Trainer Certificate program
HFT 164 Health and Fitness Across the Life Span 1
3 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 0 Lab Hour.
A course on the impact of exercise on quality of life for older adults and those with chronic health conditions/diseases. Topics include: American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for testing and exercise prescription, and the effects of the aging process and chronic conditions on exercise performance and fitness program development.
Prerequisites: HFT 130, and must be admitted to the Health and Fitness Special Populations Certificate program
HFT 168 Health and Fitness Across the Life Span 2
3 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 0 Lab Hour.
A course on the national guidelines for youth fitness/physical activity and exercise programming throughout a woman's life stages. Topics include program design; childhood obesity; the role of school, family, and community in youth fitness; cultural and gender differences affecting fitness; and women's life stages (adolescence, prenatal, menopause) and conditions that affect exercise.
Prerequisites: HFT 130
Instructor Consent Required
HFT 180 Pilates Mat Practicum
2 Credits. 1 Lecture Hour. 7 Lab Hours.
Students apply Pilates knowledge and skills in a health and fitness setting by observing and assisting in Pilates Mat classes taught by a certified Pilates instructor.
Prerequisites: Must be admitted to the Pilates Mat Instructor Certificate program
HFT 182 Personal Fitness Trainer Practicum
2 Credits. 1 Lecture Hour. 7 Lab Hours.
Students apply personal fitness training knowledge and skills in a health and fitness setting by observing and assisting with classes taught by a professional personal fitness trainer.
Prerequisites: HFT 151 (minimum grade C)
HFT 184 Yoga Internship 1
2 Credits. 1 Lecture Hour. 2 Lab Hours.
Students apply yoga knowledge and skills in a practice setting by observing and assisting in classes taught by a certified Yoga Instructor.
Prerequisites: Must be admitted to the Yoga Teacher Training Certificate program
HFT 185 Yoga Internship 2
2 Credits. 1 Lecture Hour. 2 Lab Hours.
Students apply yoga knowledge and skills in a practice setting by observing and assisting in classes taught by a certified Yoga Instructor.
Prerequisites: HFT 118 and HFT 184
HFT 198 First Year Special Topics in Health and Fitness Technology
1-9 Credits. 0 Lecture Hour. 0 Lab Hour.
A course on selected topics related to Health and Fitness Technology, which gives students opportunities to study information not currently covered in other courses. Grades issued are A, B, C, D, or F.
Prerequisites: AFL 085 and AFM 092 (minimum grade C) or AFM 090 (minimum grade C), or appropriate placement test score
HFT 199 First Year Independent Project in Health and Fitness Technology
1-9 Credits. 0 Lecture Hour. 0 Lab Hour.
A project related to Health and Fitness Technology that is completed by one or more students to meet specific educational goals. Projects must have prior approval and supervision by Health and Fitness Technology faculty. Grades issued are Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
Prerequisites: Vary by section
HFT 250 Exercise Physiology
4 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.
A course on the human body's response and adaptations to exercise and physical training. Topics include: the influence of exercise on body systems, optimal physiological adaptations for improving fitness and performance, and testing and programming related to exercise and fitness.
Prerequisites: BIO 151 and ENG 101 and HFT 130 and MAT 105 (minimum grade C for all)
Instructor Consent Required
HFT 251 Corrective Exercise Specialist
2 Credits. 1 Lecture Hour. 2 Lab Hours.
A course that prepares experienced fitness trainers/instructors to successfully prevent injuries and recondition clients of all levels, and to take the National Academy of Sports Medicine Corrective Exercise Specialist exam. Topics include: fundamentals of corrective exercise, and developing and implementing integrated strategies to improve common movement impairments.
Prerequisites: Currently enrolled in HFT 152, or earned Cincinnati State certificate in Personal Fitness Trainer or Group Fitness Instructor, or have a comparable current national accreditation or certification
Instructor Consent Required
HFT 255 Anatomical Kinesiology
3 Credits. 3 Lecture Hours. 0 Lab Hour.
A course on principles of human anatomy and motion as they relate to physical activity and skill performance. Topics include: the function of the skeletal, muscle, and nervous systems in generation and maintenance of human movement.
Prerequisites: HFT 130
HFT 260 Health and Fitness Program Design
3 Credits. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours.
A course on skills for identifying, assessing, designing, promoting, implementing, and evaluating programs for health and fitness in various settings. Topics include: needs assessment, funding, marketing, and using tools for evaluating program outcomes.
Prerequisites: HFT 250 (minimum grade C)
HFT 294 Internship: Health and Fitness Technology
2 Credits. 1 Lecture Hour. 40 Lab Hours.
Students seeking an associate's degree participate in an unpaid field learning experience related to their degree. Students must follow applicable policies and procedures to earn credit. Grades issued are Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
Prerequisites: HFT 250 and EMS 100 (minimum grade C for both), and instructor consent
Instructor Consent Required
HFT 298 Second Year Special Topics in Health and Fitness Technology
1-9 Credits. 0 Lecture Hour. 0 Lab Hour.
A course on selected topics related to Health and Fitness Technology, which gives students opportunities to study information not currently covered in other courses. Grades issued are A, B, C, D, or F.
Prerequisites: None
HFT 299 Second Year Independent Project in Health and Fitness Technology
1-9 Credits. 0 Lecture Hour. 0 Lab Hour.
A project related to Health and Fitness Technology that is completed by one or more students to meet specific educational goals. Projects must have prior approval and supervision by Health and Fitness Technology faculty. Grades issued are Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
Prerequisites: Vary by section
Faculty
Advisor
Melinda (Mindy) Piles, MEd, ACSM EP-C, CPT
melinda.piles@cincinnatistate.edu