Plot your path to Level 4…

Great in-roads are being made in building links between the fitness industry and health sectors and an increasing number of specialist training providers and higher education institutions are coming forward to develop and deliver level 4 specialist exercise instructor courses. The industry is riding the recession, jobs are stable and level 4 specialist exercise instructor skills are in high demand.

FOUR reasons to make the leap to level 4 l There are less than 800 specialist exercise instructors registered on REPs – current supply does not meet the increasing demand for specialist instructing skills. l Level 4 status can open up specialist job opportunities with the potential for higher salaries. l Specialist exercise instructors make a real difference to the health of their patients. l To get to the top of your game!

Specialist exercise instructor qualifications are

available or are currently in development in the following medical areas: l Cancer Rehabilitation l Cardiac Rehabilitation l Falls Prevention

l Lower Back Pain

l Obesity and Diabetes l Chronic Respiratory Disease l Stroke

l Mental Health

The UK population is crying out for a lifestyle revolution and it is the fitness industry, and its exercise instructors, who are at the heart of it all. People are being told to “Change4Life” to “eat well, move more and live longer” yet only 40% of men and 28% of women meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendations for physical activity. There is a rapid decline after the age of 65 too with just 17% of men and 13% of women between the ages of 65 and 74 meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation for physical activity. This drops to 8% and 3% of men and women respectively over the age of 75. This lack of physical activity leads to an increased risk of certain medical conditions; unsurprisingly estimates for the annual costs to the NHS as a result of physical inactivity are between £1 billion and £1.8 billion a year.

And the good news? Every health authority has been charged with commissioning comprehensive wellbeing and prevention

For instructors passionate about the health of their clients and improving the health of the nation, there has never been a better time to work in the fitness industry.

services, in partnership with local authorities. The services will be personalised to meet the specific needs of local populations with a focus on six key goals: l Tackling obesity l Reducing alcohol harm l Treating drug addiction l Reducing smoking rates l Improving sexual health l Improving mental health.

In the fitness industry partnerships with health are blossoming. Local exercise referral and Phase IV cardiac rehabilitation services under the leadership of experienced physical activity practitioners, level 3 exercise referral and level 4 specialist exercise instructors are now well established in many parts of the country. The combined efforts of the fitness and health sectors and the important role that specialist exercise instructors play in disease management can, and will, make a difference to patients’ lives.

Through their level 4 training the specialist exercise instructor has demonstrated that they meet the Physical Activity and Health National Occupational Standards in one or more medical area. They provide a vital interface between clinically-led hospital based exercise and community-based exercise programmes. The Specialist Exercise Instructor is responsible for designing, delivering, monitoring and evaluating structured, individualised physical activity programmes for patients with established chronic medical conditions, such as coronary heart disease. Additionally, they have a range of appropriate knowledge and skills that are aligned with current evidence-based, best practice guidelines regarding the affects of exercise on the specific condition/s.

“The UK population is crying out for a lifestyle revolution and it is the fitness industry, and its exercise instructors, who are at the heart of it all”

14 The REPs Journal 2010;19(December):14-15