For Personal Trainers
Assisted Stretching Certification for Personal Trainers
CNU Stretch Certification is a two-day, hands-on assisted-stretching credential built for personal trainers who already coach movement and want a manual, feel-based skill they can put on the schedule. It carries continuing education credit with five national bodies and costs $1,500, all-in.
Last updated
You already know how to coach a squat. Assisted stretching is a different skill — it lives in your hands, not in a cue you say out loud — and most personal-training certifications never teach it. This page covers what the credential is, what it costs, how the two days actually run, and what a trainer can realistically charge for it.
Continuing education credit, verifiable without asking us
CNU Stretch Level I & II is approved for continuing education credit with five national accrediting bodies:
- NASM 1.6 CEUs
- ACE 1.6 CEUs
- AFAA 1.5 CEUs
- ISSA 16 CEUs
- NCBTMB 15.5 CEUs
Verify it yourself rather than taking our word for it. CNU Stretch’s ACE-approved course listing is searchable directly in ACE’s approved-course directory. CNU Stretch is also an NCBTMB Approved Continuing Education Provider, #1001831, which you can look up in NCBTMB’s own directory without asking us.
What the $1,500 certification includes
CNU Stretch Certification is $1,500, all-in. That covers the online coursework, the two-day in-person intensive, the supervised practicum, all course materials, and CEU credit with NASM, ACE, AFAA, ISSA and NCBTMB. Travel, lodging and meals are not included.
The two-day, hands-on format
Before you arrive, you complete 40+ online lessons and 2 quizzes at your own pace — anatomy, contraindications and protocol walk-throughs, so day one in person starts with your hands moving instead of your eyes still reading.
Then come two full days in person, roughly 9 AM to 5 PM each day, about 14 hours of hands-on instruction. Day one is foundation technique and supervised practice in pairs. Day two ends with a live supervised practicum on real clients — not classmates — where an instructor corrects your pressure, end-range and guarding in real time. Across both levels you practice 65 stretches.
What you can realistically bill
These are gross service-revenue figures a session can generate — not a salary, and not a guarantee. CNU Stretch’s own published numbers: $45–$48 for a 25-minute session inside a membership, around $65 for a drop-in 25-minute session, and $90–$120 for 50 minutes. That works out to roughly $1.60–$2.50 per minute, and a single provider can typically run 10–12 paid 25-minute sessions in a day.
For how that translates into take-home pay by state, see the stretch therapist salary data, which carries the BLS proxy-occupation caveat those numbers require. For the operator side of the same math — what a gym earns running a stretch program — see how gyms add stretch therapy revenue.
In-person certification vs. an online-only CEU course
| What you get | Online-only CEU course | CNU Stretch Level I & II (in person) |
|---|---|---|
| What is taught | Theory, anatomy, sequencing and contraindications | Same theory, plus hands-on technique, guarding and correction |
| Feedback on pressure, end-range and guarding | No — nobody is watching your hands | Yes — supervised practice in pairs over two days |
| Practice on real clients | No | Yes — live supervised practicum on Day 2 |
| Stretches learned hands-on | — | 65 across Level I & II |
| CEU credit | Varies by provider | NASM 1.6 · ACE 1.6 · AFAA 1.5 · ISSA 16 · NCBTMB 15.5 |
| Price | Varies by provider | $1,500, all-in |
| Time commitment | Self-paced, hours vary by provider | 40+ online lessons + 2 quizzes, then two days in person |
Ready to get certified? See the full Stretch Therapy Certification curriculum, compare this in-person path against online vs. in-person certification, check upcoming certification dates, or find a certified practitioner near you on the locations page.
Frequently asked questions
Does this count toward my NASM or ACE recertification?
Yes. CNU Stretch is an approved continuing education provider with NASM (1.6 CEUs) and ACE (1.6 CEUs), along with AFAA, ISSA and NCBTMB. Check your own account with each body to confirm how the credit applies to your specific recertification cycle.
Do I need a massage license to take this?
No. CNU Stretch Level I has no prerequisite — personal trainers, group fitness instructors and studio staff enroll directly, alongside massage therapists and physical therapists.
How long until I can charge for it?
You leave the two-day intensive with a completed practicum on real clients, which is what most trainers use to start offering paid sessions right away. Whether you can bill a client the following week also depends on your own facility’s policies, not just the certification.
What if my state regulates manual therapy?
This varies by state and changes over time, so we will not generalize about it. Confirm what your own state board allows before you begin charging for hands-on work, regardless of which certification you hold.