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INDUSTRY NEWS
EREPS news
l EREPS has successfully completed its first year of operation and now has members in 20 different European countries and national registers are underway in the Netherlands, Sweden and Portugal.
l Some interesting facts and figures are already emerging that show the average age of exercise professionals on EREPS is 34 years old and that there are many more men than women working in the industry at a ratio of 4:1 in some countries and 3:2 overall.
l The operating principles
of EREPS are based on agreed pan-European standards, which are undergoing a review involving representatives from 10 different countries. This work will fix fitness qualifications firmly to the European Qualification Framework that will be fully implemented across all EU member states, including the UK, by the end of 2010.
l The Lisbon Treaty has provision within it for the fitness industry to develop its own competencies - which is an invitation for the European industry to agree on the main job roles and their purpose. It will help to define more precisely how occupations in fitness fit
within the bigger picture and will provide commonality of training standards – through all vocational development and into higher education – right across Europe.
l The European Health and Fitness Association (EHFA) has constituted a new Standards Council to oversee the development of this technical work which is chaired by Prof Alfonso Jiménez from Spain. This pioneering work will change the position of the fitness industry as it moves closer towards cooperating with other health professionals and government agencies across Europe. Levels of obesity and health–related diseases are a major concern and the fitness industry sees itself as an important part of the
process to get more people, more active, more often.
l EREPS is also helping EHFA organise its third annual Fitness Forum, in Madrid in May 2010. For the first time this will include top-level technical and research sessions for exercise professionals alongside separate workshops for training providers and operators. Reebok and Les Mills International will help to host with special displays of their latest group exercises including the Circ du Soleil inspired Jukari.
European Register of Exercise Professionals
ereps Dr John Searle, the FIA’s Chief Medical Officer and personal trainer (and OAP) asks -
Why bother with older people? Somehow working with older people doesn’t fit
the cool, sexy image of personal training we sometimes have. However, there are six good reasons for doing so. First, there are lot of them! Currently 16% of the population are over 65, 12% are over 85 and these figures are rising steadily. Secondly, older people are a challenge. With age, aerobic capacity, muscle strength, motor function (balance, coordination, agility, speed and reaction time) and cognitive function all decline. Training a healthy 30 year old to run a marathon or increase their body mass and lose body fat is relatively easy compared to working with older people!
Thirdly, regular, structured, supervised, moderate to high intensity exercise in older people works. While the ageing process cannot be reversed it can be slowed down and older people can achieve remarkable levels of fitness. Fourthly, older people are committed to training. They keep to the training programme, they want to progress and often the club becomes part of their social life. Fifthly, they are a ready market. Older people have the time to train, and many of them have the money to do it.
Finally working with older people is fun! They have a massive life experience, stories to tell and wisdom to offer. They are courteous, punctual, pay the fees, are grateful and hugely rewarding to work with.