Career advice from those working in fitness/medical industries please

[Cluttered]

I wasn't really sure where to ask this, so I'm sorry if this isn't the proper place. I just didn't want my question to get lost in the madness that is often Ends & Pieces.

I've wanted to get involved in the fitness industry for a long time and have been forcing myself to study the (99% absolute bullshit) materials for a personal trainer certification. Lately though, I've been gravitating toward a desire to work with older/geriatric clients, and being able to actually improve their quality of life. I'm not really sure what the best way/career to do this is, though. Do I get a certification and wait a few years and learn more and specialize when I have some experience? Get a degree in exercise biology or something related? Become a physiotherapist with knowledge of strength training? If anyone has any advice on where to go with this, I would really appreciate it.

[veryhrm]

Not career advice, but may be of interest to you if you haven't seen it. Pretty interesting article.
http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...aining_seniors

The author keeps her log on here so you could ping her about it via PM or something ( http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=28028 )

I'm not in the field, but i'll just point out the obvious that (at least in the US, but i think most places) physical therapists are much much more credentialed than strength coaches/physical trainers and thus have more privileges and get paid more and are respected by the rest of the establishment (doctors, insurance companies, patients, etc. ) (That many of them are perhaps not very good at some things is another issue). Of course you have to go to school and jump through hoops to get those credentials and certifications.

Compared to that, becoming a trainer is a snap, but you are not, by default, respected by anyone. You might build your respect w/ some degrees and with experience and such, but from the point of view of "the establishment" you won't be much different than the 19yo working at 24 hour fitness teaching people how to do dumbell curls. Either way if you care about strength you'll have to learn it on your own as "the establishment" seems not so interested in it / not so good at it as has been mentioned in rants that come up in various places around here.

[Cluttered]

Not career advice, but may be of interest to you if you haven't seen it. Pretty interesting article.
http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...aining_seniors

The author keeps her log on here so you could ping her about it via PM or something ( http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=28028 )

I'm not in the field, but i'll just point out the obvious that (at least in the US, but i think most places) physical therapists are much much more credentialed than strength coaches/physical trainers and thus have more privileges and get paid more and are respected by the rest of the establishment (doctors, insurance companies, patients, etc. ) (That many of them are perhaps not very good at some things is another issue). Of course you have to go to school and jump through hoops to get those credentials and certifications.

Compared to that, becoming a trainer is a snap, but you are not, by default, respected by anyone. You might build your respect w/ some degrees and with experience and such, but from the point of view of "the establishment" you won't be much different than the 19yo working at 24 hour fitness teaching people how to do dumbell curls. Either way if you care about strength you'll have to learn it on your own as "the establishment" seems not so interested in it / not so good at it as has been mentioned in rants that come up in various places around here.

Thank you very much for the link to the article. I PMed Gillian and hope she can find the time to give me some advice. The trainer vs. physiotherapist thing is definitely a worry for me. Either way I would like to obtain a degree. The biggest problem i have with becoming a personal trainer is a fear of hurting someone through my own ignorance, as a lot of the study materials are uninformative or flat-out wrong, particularly when it comes to strength training and form.

After more research, it does look like physio doesn't really do much in the way of working directly with clients on lifestyle and health, but focuses more on rehab for sickness, as jon cowie said. (I'm sorry, I don't know how to quote more than one person in a post.) It doesn't seem like that is so much of a fit I guess, so I guess I need to find something in the middle, and obviously continue my education, in school and on my own, in whatever I do. Learning more is never a bad thing. Hopefully Gillian will have the time to respond and steer me in the right direction. Thank you both for your responses, though! Definitely something to think about.