Thanks to the growing fashion of celebrities hiring Personal Trainers more and more people are deciding they want the same by employing their very own fitness guru.
All is well and good wanting the same treatment as there favourite idol, after all you to have a body and health to keep into shape. But what if the Trainer you’ve chosen hasn’t got the qualifications and knowledge to back up what they’re advising?
Personal Trainer Helena Philippou is a member of the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS) – an independent register of fitness instructors and Personal Trainers.
She also sits on its Council of Members – a body of instructors who advise on policy and current working practices.
She says: “Your body is with you a lifetime so it’s you’re interest keeping fit and working to higher levels. But if you’re thinking of taking a class at your local centre or employing the services of a personal trainer advertised in your local paper, ask yourself this, are they qualified and know what they are doing to avoid injuries to yourself or future damage?
Why be a target to a money grabbing cowboy instructor when you can have a quality trainer who has taken time and invested in keeping ongoing education on this subject as well as experience, not
forgetting keeping on top of the game with latest fitness equipment.’
By taking the time to verify if your future instructor is a member of the Register you’re not only checking they’re qualified to do the job you also know they’re committed to learning more and have relevant insurance.
Such checks can be made quite easily on-line via the REPs website
– www.exerciseregister.org – all members can be looked-up either
by name or membership number.
Each member is given a unique code (and a membership card which has this number printed on it) making it easier on checking their registration and qualification status more simple.
This number always starts R00 followed by five digits.
Up to date membership also means the instructor’s qualifications and any additional qualifications gained are recorded onto their website visible for all to check as well as prove of public liability insurance of up
to £5million, agree to be bound by a professional code of conduct and sign-up for continued professional development is also part of the agreement REPS has with all its members.
Helena adds: ““Investing in your health and fitness is one of the most important things you can do so why allow someone to jeopardise you physically?’
REPs was set-up in 2002 to help professionalize the fitness industry.
Parented by SkillsActive, it bands all its members according to qualifications and experience providing a clear structure of career progression from student to specialist instructors trained to work
with specific medical conditions.
Since its launch REPs has become very well respected within the Industry, resulting to most well known fitness chains refusing to employ instructors unless they’re on the Register.
REPs currently has 28,000 plus members – an estimated 70 per cent of those working in the fitness industry and is still growing today.