GUEST INTERVIEW REPs No.1member

10 years ago personal trainer Dean Eddy saw an advert for a professional body that wanted to bring a new degree of professionalism to the industry. He signed up as the very first REPs member (number R00001) and now speaks to the Journal about his views on the last decade….

Journal: What prompted you to initially join REPs? DE: “As a properly qualified personal trainer I was horrified by some of the ‘training’ I witnessed on the gym floor so when I saw an advert for REPs it made perfect sense for me to join. I wanted to be recognised as a professional and ethically I felt it was important to have some kind of governing body to bring standards to the industry. As far as I could tell a professional body which wanted to raise the profile of fitness instructors was something that anyone who took their job seriously would want to support and join.”

Journal: How does it feel to be the first ever member? DE: “It’s quite a novelty really – I do get a glow when someone

notices my membership number and says is that number one?”

Journal: How has being a REPs registered instructor changed over the last 10 years?

DE: “Now that all the main operators recognise REPs membership you wouldn’t (as an instructor) get through the door without being registered and I have no doubt that’s a good thing for the industry. The better the industry is regulated the better for everyone I think. Without REPs the industry wouldn’t be in the position it is now in terms of professionalism, career development, client safety and recognition from the medical profession.”

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Journal: Do you think the industry is now taken more seriously by other sectors including the medical and healthcare professions? DE: “I think great inroads have been made, particularly at top level by REPs, but 10 years on it’s still early days. I’ve had some very positive experiences working with the medical profession but I think it can be a mixed-bag at grass-roots level and very dependent on the individuals concerned, there is still a lot of wariness out there.

“If you’d had asked me 10 years ago I would have thought that by now we’d have been standing shoulder to shoulder with medics as exercise experts but I realise now these things take a long time. However I’m hopeful that in five years time some fitness professionals will be seen as clinical practitioners.”

Dean Eddy is founder and MD of ActivHealth www.activhealth.co.uk

“Without REPs the industry wouldn’t be in the position it is now in terms of professionalism, career development, client safety and recognition from the medical profession.”

04 23REPsNordicWalkingUK_1-4.indd 1 17/11/11 08:43:35 The REPs Journal 2012;23(January):4