traiNiNg


REPs has made great strides in first decade


suki kalirai is interim chief executive of SkillsActive


New study outlines benefits of massage


Massages can - and should - be used to treat a number of ailments, according to a study compiled by a joint team from RMIT University and the Australian Association of Massage Terapy (AAMT). Te Effectiveness of Massage


A


s well as being the year the Olympics come to London, 2012 marks the 10th anniver- sary of the Register of Exercise


Professionals (REPs). From humble begin- nings this professional register has grown to be the largest member-based organisation of its kind in the world and is something we feel the sector should be proud of. Te rationale behind it was to safeguard


the health and well-being of those that use the services of fitness professionals – an idea that was supported by employers and training providers as well as individual instructors. Its target was to sign-up 13,000 members, to draw up industry-recognised standards and bring structure to training and career progression. Ten years on and REPs has nearly 28,000


members, is recognised as a professional body by the medical and healthcare sec- tors, and has been used as a model by other countries looking to set up professional reg- isters. As the Register’s first member gym owner and Personal Trainer Dean Eddy says: “Without REPs the industry wouldn’t be where it is now in terms of professional- ism, career development, client safety and recognition from the medical profession.” REPs is hugely successful within the sec-


tor – the Fitness Industry’s Code of Practice states all of its members should only employ REPs’ registered trainers – but the very people it was set up to protect are largely unaware of it. Within our sector we are well- known and understood but now with the Olympics looming it’s time to promote the work we do to a wider consumer audience. We need to encourage people to embark on a healthier and more active lifestyle. We’re launching a consumer awareness


campaign to promote this and we’ll be encouraging members of the public to check the registration status of their instructor and planning a series of celebratory events to mark the 10th anniversary. So if you’re currently a REPs’ member,


don’t forget to play your part and act as an ambassador for professionalism!


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Terapy report is a review of 740 Australian and inter- national evidence-based academic research papers, published between 1978 and 2008. It concludes that health professionals – such as GPs and nurses – should be more active in includ- ing massages as part of treatment plans for illnesses ranging from back pains and anxi- ety to nausea and stress. It also highlights evidence that massages can


Te report compiles the results of 740 separate studies into massages Te study includes systematic reviews, ran-


delay the onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) and increasing pulmonary function.


domised controlled trials, comparative studies, case-series/studies and cross-sectional studies covering a number of massage disciplines, such as acupressure, lymphatic drainage, reflexol- ogy, rolfing, shiatsu, Swedish massage, sports massage and trigger point therapies.


CMS reveals Active IQ partnership


CMS Vocational Training is now working with Active IQ to offer two fitness instructor qualifications, which have coincided with the launch of its apprenticeship scheme. The new courses are the


Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing and the Active IQ Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Instructing Exercise and Fitness and are now on offer to young people between the ages of 16- and 18-year olds. As part of the qualifications,


learners will be given the chance to benefit from place- ments organised by CMS, which offers training and coaching opportunities across Yorkshire, Lancashire and northern England. CMS operations manager Gareth Luke said:


“Working with Active IQ gives our learners an extra advantage due to the quality of the qualifications they’ll be studying for and the


Te courses include the Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing


bespoke delivery methods that allow us to be flexible in the qualification delivery.” Active IQ executive director Suzy Gunn


added: “We have no doubt that our qualifica- tions will help some of the young apprentices in their quest for a career in the health and fitness industry.”


Hotel entrepreneur award winner revealed


Oxford Brookes University third-year student Harriet Small has been named as the winner of Bespoke Hotels’ Entrepreneur of the Year award at a ceremony held in London. Te Bespoke Hotels-sponsored event, which features a Dragons’ Den-style format, saw


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


students present business ventures to a panel of hospitality and tourism entrepreneurs. Small’s ‘Loco’ concept was chosen as the


winner, for linking allotment and small farm owners to local eateries through a voucher scheme and bicycle distribution network.


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


image: lucarelli temistocle/shutterstock.com


image: kzenon/shutterstock.com


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