Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)

The Register of Exercise Professionals is an uk rep scheme for fitness instructors and trainers. It recognizes qualifications based on industry, provides public liability insurance, and requires members to adhere to an industry-specific code of practice.

It was disbanded in 2020, and its members moved to CIMSPA. What do this mean for fitness professionals?

How do I become an REP?

If you are already a member of Prospect already, you should speak to the person in charge of your branch about becoming a rep. There is no fixed amount of time required depending on whether you are entitled to fulfill union responsibilities during work time (sometimes called facility time) and how much free time you have. You are not subject to discipline because you are a union representative, and there are laws that protect you from being a victim. Some branches have equality reps, for example women's officers or black members' representative.

What is CIMSPA?

CIMSPA is a professional association for fitness and health professionals. It is an industry-recognised body that regulates trainers. Its mission is to safeguard the public's trust in the services of fitness professionals by ensuring that they have the appropriate skills, technical knowledge, training and insurance. It is also responsible for ensuring and establishing standards for professional practice in the industry.

The association brings together input from a wide range of stakeholders including employers, deployers and NGBs as along with higher education institutions, training providers and practitioners in order to shape the sector and help its professionals and workforce. This is accomplished by working in partnership with the industry to better understand and recognize the professional needs and representative the obstacles that hinder its ability to provide.

CIMSPA, as part of its mission, offers a framework for a quality-assurance system in fitness through an endorsement process. This process identifies the quality and content of formal qualifications and training courses. CIMSPA will usually endorse regulated (Ofqual), qualifications that are accredited by an accredited awarding organisation such as Focus Awards or Active IQ, become a rep (www.Jangwontech.net) as well as certain types continuing professional development (CPD) training.

CIMSPA membership also confers a certain level of standing in the field. CIMSPA members have access to special insurance coverage, which includes public liability coverage of up to PS10 million and personal accident insurance. It also offers an evidence of professional development, which allows members to take no-cost e-learning courses, and provides access to an online career portal that is regularly updated with new jobs.

The body is also a member of the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs), which means that its members can use their registration to work abroad, as long as they hold the appropriate qualification. The organisation strives to set a standard that is consistent across the globe to help the industry grow.

The CIMSPA Academy is a non profit and works in partnership to provide education, support and guidance. The CIMSPA Academy also offers its members free eLearning courses that cover a range of topics that are relevant to the industry.

Are REPs qualifications recognized internationally?

The Register of Exercise Professionals was an independent public registry that operated through an membership system. It was created to protect the public and provide employers and fitness professionals the peace of mind they required that an individual held qualifications that were recognised and approved and in line shop with my rep National Occupational Standards.

REPs was an UK based register and as such it only covers the UK fitness industry. It was not a requirement to be registered with REPs, but it gave clients the assurance that their fitness professional was qualified and operated within the highest standards.

In 2020, REPs will be sold to UK Coaching. An agreement with CIMSPA has been reached that will combine the REPs Directory with the CIMSPA directory. Fitness professionals can still be a member of both REPs and CIMSPA. However, renewing REPs membership will no longer be possible.

While REPs no longer operates in the UK but they do have a global presence through ICREPs which connects international registers and their fitness professionals. If you are a registered personal trainer with REPs in the UK then you could be a personal trainer in other ICREPs countries like Australia. Ireland, Poland, South Africa, and UAE.

It is important to remember however that REPs cannot guarantee a job for fitness professionals or insurance coverage. REPs, which is an association for industry and not a governing body, is a voluntary association. Top international certification bodies such as ACSM, NSCA, ISSA, NASM, and ACE are not associated with REPs and will therefore never promise any insurance or employment to their fitness professionals.

However REPs is committed making sure that their members are up to date with the constantly changing trends in the fitness industry. This is why REPs has a REPs points system that requires members to obtain certain number of REPs points every year in order to maintain their REPs status. These REPs are based on the level of qualifications the member has as well as the number of CPD courses they have taken.