Functional Fitness PTS

I have to confess that despite all the times I’ve taught the nervous system on both Level 2 and Level 3 courses I’ve always suspected it’s something with virtually no practical applications for personal trainers. I suppose it may be of more use if you move into a particular specialism, but in terms of training a client I think it’s of limited value…

But, having said that, it’s on the syllabus for both courses so needs to be learnt, and I’ve seen questions about it crop up in many exams! Hence me putting together this quick table to help you remember the key points, which are:

The nervous system is used to carry messages around the body, which take the form of electrical signals called impulses. These travel along wires called nerves, hence the nervous system. (And if you need a recap about how neurons work you can find it here.)

The nervous system is divided into:

The Central Nervous System, which is the control centre that processes these messages.

The Peripheral Nervous System, which carries these messages using nerves, so is essentially the body’s wiring. This is then divided into:

• The Somatic Branch, which is under conscious control and controls movement.
• The Autonomic Branch, which is under involuntary control and deals with internal processes such as the heart rate.

The Autonomic Branch is further divided into:

• The sympathetic system, which speeds up these processes such as increasing the heart rate when you exercise.
• The parasympathetic system, which slows down these processes such as slowing down the heart rate after you’ve finished exercising.

So there you are! Hopefully this diagram ties it all together and makes it that much easier to visualise:

This covers what you need to know for Level 2. At Level 3 you need to know a bit more but, don’t worry, as I’ve done a table for that too!: The Nervous System – Level 3