Do you need a NASM certification to become a wellness coach?

The only constant in life is change, but we have some control over the direction change takes. Ergo, it’s never too late to change your life if you’re feeling restless or dissatisfied. And what better way to combat restlessness or dissatisfaction, career-related or otherwise, than joining the wellness industry?

Wellness takes many forms, including mindfulness, movement, recovery and regeneration, and nutrition. While our guide on the National Academy of Sports Medicine’s Certified Personal Trainer certification explores a career in fitness, if you favor a more holistic approach to health, you may be considering starting your journey as a wellness coach. And NASM has a Certified Wellness Coach program that’s second to none.

What is a NASM CWC?

A NASM CWC is someone who has completed the NASM certification program requirements and passed the corresponding exam. The curriculum is self-paced, 100% online, and includes interactive multimedia content. A candidate can access psychology and physical wellness experts through the student portal and “peer-reviewed content from the brightest minds in their respective fields, including health psychology, nutrition, movement, positive psychology, sleep, stress, and so much more.” They also get to test their newly acquired skills via “podcast-style” interviews and coaching simulations.

What’s the difference between a CPC, a CWC, and a CHWC?

While a Certified Personal Trainer facilitates exercise and nutrition, planning and tracking progress by concrete metrics, a Certified Wellness Coach is just as concerned with the mind as the body. Fitness and nutrition goals are often a component, but a CWC promotes lasting, beneficial life changes externally and internally.

Meanwhile, a Certified Health and Wellness coach holds dual certifications as a Certified Wellness Coach (CWC) and a Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC), which also teaches you the key topics surrounding nutrition and dietary patterns. NASM also offers these certifications in a bundle package for $3,399.

NASM’s “five pillar approach” to wellness classifies life's mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social spheres as distinct yet deeply intertwined. It’s not so much a matter of mind vs. body as part vs. whole.

How much does it cost?

Like a CPT certification, way less than grad school. You can pay for CWC certification with a one-time remittance of $2,999 or $165/month over 17 months with a $199 down payment.

How long does it take?

You can complete your studies and the exam in as little as four to six weeks. You’ll have a year from the date of purchase to take the exam and can call Member Services to purchase extensions.

What’s on the exam?

The final exam is online, non-proctored, and consists of 100 multiple-choice questions to be completed within 120 minutes. You need a minimum score of 70% to pass and have three attempts included in your program package. As with extensions, you can purchase retests through Member Services.

Is a CWC certification worth it?

Wellness is now a $7 trillion industry. Statistics from McKinsey & Co indicate that 79% of consumers believe in the importance of wellness, while 42% consider it a “top priority.” In fact, emotional well-being (rather than physical fitness) is now the number one reason people exercise.

According to Wakefield Research and Restore Hyper Wellness, “62% of Americans surveyed said preventative health and wellness activities would be the last thing they cut back on in a recession,” which wouldn’t be a problem if we had universal healthcare (my words, not theirs). But if wellness is a worthy investment, it is also a worthy profession that stands to change your life and those of countless others.

Become a NASM-certified wellness coach