Thankfully, the days of having to rearrange clients or give up a weekend to attend every continuing education course in person are largely behind us. Online CEUs have made it much easier for personal trainers to fit continuing education around an already busy schedule.
You can work through a course between clients, in the evenings or whenever you have the time. But if you’re completing CEUs to maintain your certification, there’s one thing you need to know before you enroll: will those credits actually count?
The good news is that many major fitness organizations accept continuing education completed online. However, what counts toward recertification depends on your certifying body, the course and the provider.
Here’s what you need to know before choosing an online CEU course.
Do Online CEUs Count Toward Recertification?
Yes, online CEUs can count toward recertification. Completing a course online doesn’t make the credits any less valid than those earned through in-person education.
However, certifying bodies have requirements around the continuing education they’ll accept, so you can’t assume that any fitness course offered online will earn you CEUs. A course needs to be recognized by your certifying body and provide eligible credits toward your certification.
This is where checking the provider and course approval before you enroll becomes important. If you’re taking the course specifically to meet your recertification requirements, you want to know from the outset that the CEUs will count.
What Should You Check Before Choosing an Online CEU Course?
Start with how many CEUs you actually need. This will depend on your certification and where you are in your current renewal cycle.
From there, check:
- The provider’s approvals: Is the course recognized by the organization you’re certified through?
- The number of credits: How many CEUs or CECs will the course earn you?
- Your remaining requirements: Will those credits cover what you still need for this renewal cycle?
- Any specific conditions: Does your certifying body have requirements or limits around the continuing education you can use toward renewal?
If you hold certifications with more than one organization, check each separately. A course may be recognized by multiple certifying bodies, but that doesn’t necessarily mean each will award the same number of credits.
Which Certifying Bodies Accept Online CEUs?
Many of the major personal training and fitness certification bodies accept approved online continuing education, including:
- NASM – National Academy of Sports Medicine
- ACE – American Council on Exercise
- AFAA – Athletics and Fitness Association of America
- NFPT – National Federation of Professional Trainers
- canfitpro – Canadian Fitness Professionals
Depending on the certifying body, these credits may be referred to as CEUs (Continuing Education Units) or CECs (Continuing Education Credits), with different organizations applying their own credit values to approved courses.
These approvals and credit values can change, so it’s worth checking the current information before you enroll. A course provider should clearly state which certifying bodies currently recognize its courses and how many credits they provide.
It’s especially worth double-checking if your certification is approaching renewal and you need a specific number of credits to meet your requirements.
What Do Certifying Bodies Look for in an Online CEU Course?
The shift toward online learning has changed how personal trainers complete continuing education. Continuing education that once commonly meant attending a workshop or seminar can now often be completed entirely in your own time through structured online courses.
The widespread acceptance of online CEUs also reflects where the value of continuing education really lies. It’s less about where you complete a course and more about what’s being taught, the quality and relevance of the content, and whether it meets the required standards set by major certifying bodies.
For approved online courses, this may include:
- Content relevant to a fitness professional’s scope of practice
- Clear learning objectives and structured course material
- Appropriate assessment of what you’ve learned
- Defined completion requirements
- Evidence of successful course completion
A well-designed online course can therefore build knowledge you can use in your work while also earning recognized credits toward recertification.
There is, however, a difference between learning something useful online and earning CEUs online. Plenty of fitness content can add to your knowledge, but only eligible education will count toward your recertification requirements.
Can You Complete All Your CEUs Online?
Potentially, but this depends on your certification and the courses you choose.
Some online CEU courses include practical hours, which may be completed locally and verified by an appropriately qualified professional rather than requiring in-person attendance. You may also have renewal requirements outside your CEUs, such as current CPR/AED certification.
This is another reason to check both the course and your certifying body’s requirements before enrolling, particularly if you plan to complete your entire recertification online.
What About Certificates of Completion?
Just like an in-person CEU course, an approved online course should provide a certificate or other documentation confirming successful completion and the credits earned.
Keep this with your certification records, as you may need to provide proof of your CEUs when renewing or if your continuing education is audited.
Earn Your CEUs Online With Fitness Education Online
Fitness Education Online offers high-quality, flexible fitness CEU courses you can complete online and at your own pace, making it easier to fit continuing education around your clients and schedule.
Our courses are approved for continuing education with NASM, ACE, AFAA, canfitpro and NFPT, with CEU and CEC values clearly listed so you know what you’ll earn before you enroll. You can choose individual courses to develop your knowledge in a particular area or CEU bundles when you need multiple credits for your next renewal.
Not sure which courses or how many credits you need? Get in touch with our team. We’re happy to discuss your certification and recertification requirements and help you find the right courses to meet your needs and ensure every credit you work toward counts.
Lindsey is a Certified Personal Trainer with a B.S. in Health Science from Quinnipiac University, helping fitness enthusiasts and athletes move better and perform stronger through science-based training. She has managed LifeTime’s largest group training programs and, alongside her husband Anthony, specializes in pickleball performance and injury prevention through sport-specific functional fitness.
