Substance Use Disorder affects a huge number of individuals. More than 20 million Americans are diagnosed with Substance Abuse Disorder.
And with COVID-19, we have seen an increase in alcohol, drugs, and depression. The right education and empathy can help these individuals post-pandemic.
Research has demonstrated that exercise therapy can help these patients a great deal from improving long-term neurological outcomes to relapse prevention.
There are physiological and psychological considerations you must understand to design and implement successful exercise programs for this population.
Our newest course, Drug and Alcohol Recovery Fitness Specialist, will teach you what you need to know.
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This course covers the pathophysiology of Substance and Alcohol Use Disorders and comorbidities which will contribute to orthopedic, physiological, and psychological considerations when working with this population in the fitness/training setting. The course will be broken up into 10 modules and require 12 total hours of course time to complete. The learner will understand how to choose appropriate assessments and create safe and effective programming to meet the unique needs of this population. The learner shall also understand how to support their clients through the immediate recovery (post-detox) phase and in the months or years to follow as a relapse prevention strategy. The learner shall also acquire strategies to apply this knowledge to grow their training business in all settings (in-patient, outpatient/halfway house, community).
Prologue: Welcome to the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Fitness Specialist Course
Module 1: Introduction to Substance and Alcohol Use Disorders
Lesson 1 (M1L1): Introduction to Substance Use Disorders
Lesson 2 (M1L2): The Process of Addiction
Lesson 3 (M1L3): Diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Co-Morbidities
Lesson 4 (M1L4): Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
Lesson 5 (M1L5): Activity – Attend an Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
Module 2: Alcohol
Lesson 6 (M2L1): How Does Alcohol Addiction Begin?
Lesson 7 (M2L2): The Pathophysiology of Alcohol Use Disorder
Lesson 8 (M2L3): Short and Long-Term Effects of Chronic Alcohol Use
Lesson 9 (M2L4): Nutrition Considerations
Lesson 10 (M2L5): Training Considerations for Clients with Alcohol Use Disorder
Lesson 11 (M2L6): Assessment and Program Design for Clients with Alcohol Use Disorder
Lesson 12 (M2L7): Activity – Conduct an Assessment and Create a Program
Module 3: Opiates
Lesson 13 (M3L1): How Does Opiate Addiction Begin?
Lesson 14 (M3L2): The Pathophysiology of Opiate Use Disorder
Lesson 15 (M3L3): Short and Long-Term Effects of Chronic Opiate Abuse
Lesson 16 (M3L4): Nutrition Considerations
Lesson 17 (M3L5): Training Considerations for Clients with Opiate Addiction
Lesson 18 (M3L6): Assessment and Program Design for Chronic Opiate Users in Recovery
Lesson 19 (M3L7): Activity – Attend a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Meeting
Module 4: Stimulants
Lesson 20 (M4L1): How Does Stimulant Addiction Begin?
Lesson 21 (M4L2): The Pathophysiology of Stimulant Addiction
Lesson 22 (M4L3): Short and Long-Term Effects of Chronic Illegal Stimulant Abuse
Lesson 23 (M4L4): Nutrition Considerations
Lesson 24 (M4L5): Training Considerations, Assessment and Program Design for Clients in Recovery from Chronic Stimulant Abuse
Lesson 25 (M4L6): Activity – Review and Create S.M.A.R.T. Goals Appropriate for This Population
Module 5: The Mind Body Connection: Yoga and Meditation in the Rehabilitation Setting
Lesson 26 (M5L1): The Practice of Yoga
Lesson 27 (M5L2): Meditation in Practice
Lesson 28 (M5L3): Building Rapport
Lesson 29 (M5L4): Considerations for Yoga/Meditation Practice in the Recovery Population
Lesson 30 (M5L5): Activity – Listen to a Regular and a Modified Meditation
Module 6: Group Fitness for the Recovery Population
Lesson 31 (M6L1): Benefits of Group Fitness in the Recovery Population
Lesson 32 (M6L2): Class Design in the Drug Rehabilitation Facility Setting
Lesson 33 (M6L3): Music Selection
Lesson 34 (M6L4): Coaching Skills and Enhancing Class Motivation
Lesson 35 (M6L5): Activity – Design a Sample Group Fitness Class for an In-Patient Drug Rehabilitation Facility
Module 7: Relapse Prevention
Lesson 36 (M7L1): Factors That Lead to Relapse
Lesson 37 (M7L2): The 12-Steps and Relapse Prevention
Lesson 38 (M7L3): The Role of Exercise in Relapse Prevention
Lesson 39 (M7L4): Other Addictive Behaviors
Lesson 40 (M7L5): Activity – Find and List Activities in Your Community Appropriate for Sober Living
Module 8: Business planning and Scope of Practice
Lesson 41 (M8L1): Scope of Practice
Lesson 42 (M8L2): Legal Issues and Privacy
Lesson 43 (M8L3): Business Proposals and Contracts
Lesson 44 (M8L4): Activity – Design a Business Plan/Proposal
Competency Assessment: Drug and Alcohol Recovery Fitness Specialist
Epilogue: Drug and Alcohol Recovery Fitness Specialist Course – What Should I Do Next?
Appendices: Drug and Alcohol Recovery Fitness Specialist
This course is delivered through a written course manual, video narrated slide presentations, videos of sample exercises, and sample forms. Comprehension of the material will be measured via a mandatory, multiple-choice item, competency assessment requiring a minimum of 80% correct responses in order to pass.
All of the online courses on MedFit Classroom which lead to a Certificate of Specialization are considered advanced level education, and are meant to be taken by fitness professionals who have previously acquired education and experience as a professional within the health and fitness industry. In order for one to receive the Certificate of Specialization conferred upon those who obtain and complete this Fitness Specialist course, one must be able to demonstrate that he or she has the following:
The completion of this specialization course, and the passing of its corresponding competency assessment, leads to a Certificate of Specialization. This Certificate of Specialization will be considered valid for a period of two years. To keep the certificate current, you must complete 10 hours of continuing education, on relevant subject matter, and formally renew the certificate prior to the date of its expiration. As with many certifications and specializations in our field, professionals should anticipate some costs to continuing education and renewal of the certificate.
Continuing Education Credits
This course is approved for credit by:
This course is pending application and approval to provide continuing education from ACE. If your certifying body is not listed, you will be provided with a Certificate of Specialization at the end of the course that can be used to petition your certifying body for credit.
Nicole Golden is a NASM Master Trainer, CES, BCS, FNS and AFAA certified group fitness instructor and graduate student at Concordia University Chicago where she is earning her Master of Science in Applied Exercise Science/Sports Nutrition. She has been a health/fitness professional since 2014 when she left the field of education to pursue a full-time career in fitness. Nicole is the owner of FWF Wellness where she specializes in corrective exercise, weight loss coaching, nutrition coaching and group fitness.
Nicole also coordinates the fitness/wellness program and teaches fitness classes at the Bradford Recovery Center which is a 28-day in-patient drug/alcohol rehabilitation facility She is passionate in coaching clients within the drug and alcohol recovery community and providing a place at FWF Wellness where they can continue their exercise therapy.
Nicole enjoys spending time with her husband and five children when she is not training clients or teaching fitness classes.