The New Zealand Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)
Unless you have been under a rock or a duvet for the past few years, you will know that including regular activity and
exercise into your life is a pretty wise move if you want to be healthy and remain so.
When it comes to putting exercise intention into action, you want to make sure you get the right information and advice;
advice that suits your lifestyle, health etc.
When you get sick or need medical advice, you generally head to your doctor knowing that they have been through checks
of their qualifications, as they are not able to practise in NZ without registration.
Unfortunately you cannot assume the same when you get advice on exercising as not all personal trainers and exercise
professional are equal. In fact anyone can claim to be an expert in health and fitness, with or without any
qualifications or experience.
A person who sets you up with good exercise advice and lifestyle plans can add years to your life, help prevent an array
of lifestyle diseases, and contribute to both mental and physical health. In order to do these things, they should know
what they are talking about.
So before you put your health and your body in the hands of someone, there are a few things you need to take into
account to make sure you get the right advice from an expert.
Are they qualified?
A trained exercise professional will have completed a qualification in exercise and health related study.
In order to give you the right exercise advice, your exercise professional needs to know how the human body works, and
how to develop safe exercise advice to prevent injury. While what you look like on the outside may motivate you to
exercise, your trainer or instructor needs to know what’s going on inside your body to get good results safely. An
unqualified or untrained person claiming to be an exercise professional could well take the latest fitness fad and get
you to follow it blindly. A professional who knows their stuff will be able to adapt any new technique and make it safe
for you.
Is your trainer or instructor up to date?
Exercise is a science and developments are continuing, resulting in changes in the types of exercises we do and how we
do them. If your trainer or instructor doesn’t stay up to date by reading widely, attending workshops and professional
development courses to up skill their knowledge, then the exercises you are doing may be out of date, ineffective or
just dangerous.
How do I get a good exercise professional?
It’s actually quite easy to choose a qualified and up to date trainer or instructor. While the bad news is that we don’t
have compulsory registration in NZ, we do have REPs, the New Zealand Register of Exercise Professionals. Registration
with REPs is the recognised standard to ensure safe and effective exercise advice. Exercise facilities can also register
with REPs, undertaking to only use staff that are qualified, up to date, and who agree to a set of ethics in the work
they do. So by choosing a REPs registered professional or facility you are making the right choice.
It’s great that most of the exercise industry (both facilities and exercise professionals) are registered with REPs, and
almost all of the major exercise facilities and chains are registered with REPs.
It’s easy to find out whether someone is registered. Just head to www.reps.org.nz .
Who recommends using REPs registered professionals?
You don’t have to take our word for it. There are some pretty large organisations that support using a REPs registered
professional.
The Ministry of Health, in their new guide to using the gym recommend REPs registered facilities and trainers
The fringe benefit tax free Stress Management Exercise Association Endorsed Programme uses only REPs registered trainers
and facilities.
ends