With the inclusion of Technology apparently after last year’s imminent dependency over the Internet-savvy session, fitness training has also changed its turf. Now, online nutrition and fitness training and Fitness certification have become more digital unlike before when you need to hit gyms and institutes to learn the basic nitty-gritty of the respective disciplines.
Keeping abreast of the paradigm shift in the fitness and nutrition sector, INFS, a fitness and nutrition certification institute, recently launched a free Basic Nutrition and Fitness Course for the young fitness aspirants to excel their knowledge in the fitness and nutrition fields.
Knowing more about this leading fitness and nutrition Institution, Abhinav from Sportz Business talked to Jyoti Dabas, the Founding Director, INFS where she unravels several facts and figure about their offered courses in nutrition and fitness and most importantly recently launched Basic Nutrition and Fitness Course. An engineering graduate from the University of Warwick and an MBA from IIM Calcutta, Jyoti Dabas is also a Doctor of Naturopathy & Alternative Medicine, a speaker, and an author. Owing to her crucial contribution to the skilling India initiative by disseminating key education, she has also been awarded for ‘Excellence in Education’
Let’s read her aloud what she has to say about the changing pursuit of Indian Nutrition and fitness coaching.
Q: What inspired you to start a fitness and nutrition certification institution and when did it happen? Please tell our audience the objective behind the setting up of this academy.
With the privilege of having studied from the best academic institutions in the world from Warwick University, UK to IIM Calcutta, India, I have high regards for academic institutions. It was here that I came to appreciate that in creating professionals, they need to not just be consumers of knowledge but critically evaluate concepts and keep abreast of latest research in their fields. Our courses in Nutrition and Fitness unfortunately have decades old content and insist on too many theoretical concepts. Also, from my experience as a fitness enthusiast first and an avid blogger later, I believed that the two disciplines of Nutrition and Fitness have to sit much closer together. The basis of creating this Institution is to create professionals who have a thorough grounding in principles and practices from both these disciplines.
Q: Could you elaborate a little on your business and the various training programs that INFS has been offering to aspiring fitness aspirants out there?
INFS was established with the sole intent of delivering comprehensive and practical knowledge in fitness and health. We provide the basic knowledge on Nutrition and Fitness for free to anyone who wants to learn the simple rules of healthy living. Further, there are workshops on Diet Planning, Ayurveda as well as Mindfulness for those who want to explore healthy living for themselves. Our professional courses are open to health enthusiasts who want to explore being a Coach and guide others to lead a healthy lifestyle. We provide Certification courses in Nutrition and Fitness after which a person can train their clients remotely from anywhere in the world.
Q: Share some insights over your recently launched Basic Nutrition and Fitness Course for the young and budding fitness professionals? And how one can get enrolled in the course?
The Basic Nutrition and Fitness Course was launched by INFS with an objective to introduce the scientific fundamentals of fitness and nutrition in a very simplified way. It is offered free of cost so that no financial obstacle keeps one from learning the basic principles of nutrition, diet, and exercise science. It is a great learning opportunity for all those at the absolute start of their fitness career. To enroll in the course, click here
Q: How do you see the future of Fitness certification courses in India?
An increasing number of people are realizing that a career in fitness can be extremely rewarding. Earlier the only option was to become an instructor at a gym, these days one can build their own clientele online. A Fitness Coach can work from anywhere in the world, set their own work timing, with no boss to answer to and earn handsomely. The certification courses have to evolve with this new reality. How to guide a client sitting miles away over a phone or video call? How to ensure adherence and make them independent in doing their workouts? How to build trust and confidence virtually? In the future, people will do a certification or undertake any education, if it teaches them job skills and not just a stamp on the paper which will allow them to apply to jobs.
Q: Who are the prime dignitaries in your Board of Directors; can you introduce them to our readers?
Our Board of Advisors has MENNO HENSELMANS who is an Online Physique Coach, a Fitness Model, a Scientific Author, and the Founding Director of Bayesian Bodybuilding. He mentors course development and content development at INFS and is instrumental in ensuring that all the latest scientific principles are reflected in the courses.
In the month of June 2020, Dr. Brandon Roberts joined our Board of Advisors. He is a lecturer and a research consultant at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has a Ph.D. in Muscle Biology, a Masters in Human performance, a Bachelors in Molecular Biology, and a postdoctoral fellow studying Muscle Hypertrophy . He’ s a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a natural bodybuilder, and a USA weightlifting sports performance coach.
We also have DR. STUART PHILLIPS on our board of advisors. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo in Human Physiology. He is currently a full-time Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and School of Medicine, and also a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health. Dr. Phillips is instrumental in enhancing the course content of current courses and contributes to future course development.
Q: As there are so many fitness training institutions operational in India, how do you make INFS certification courses unique?
We believe the future is online. All our courses can be completed 100% online and are self-paced, so a person can complete them at their own pace. We have a very vibrant student community where learning are shared. Our faculties are the best when it comes to knowledge of Nutrition and Fitness. We engage with international scientists and researchers so that we can provide updated science-based knowledge and evidence-backed information to our students. We try our best to make sure the course prices are affordable and the opportunity that opens up for our students after doing our courses is unparalleled.
Q: How do you see the viability of a fitness career, like on the long run?
The pandemic has caused an upheaval in the fitness industry in the last year, not just in India but abroad as well. But does this mean that people don’t want to get fit now? Quite the opposite. There is awareness that one needs to look after one’s health and be free from metabolic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, which are recognised comorbidities. The people are now willing and looking to engage with their fitness partners online. So, only the platform of delivery of fitness services has moved. The demand for fitness exists much more than it did before the pandemic. It is up to the industry and the professionals in this industry to now pivot and cater to the clients through different mediums.
Q: What is the prime objective of INFS and how far it has succeeded in accomplishing that?
Our vision is to create 1 lakh jobs in this industry who will further improve the lives of 50 million people. We want these professionals to have access to the most comprehensive and practical knowledge along with being skillful, empathetic and caring. Since we started, over 10,000 people have enrolled with us to further our vision and cause.
Q: And the last what are the things that INFS has been planning to regulate in 2021?
INFS has launched Mission 50 M in January this year to teach 50 Million people on how to create their own meal plan and activity plan. We want to empower the people with at least the basic knowledge someone needs to be fit in their everyday life.
INFS will be launching an app which will ease access to learning for all the students who enroll with us. We will continue to launch new courses that provide practical skills that can convert into livelihoods and making a positive impact in people’s lives.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
