THE
REPs
J
O
U
R
N
A
L
Issue 8 | The publication for the Register of Exercise Professionals in the UK
GET IT PUMPING
It’s never too late to
improve your health
THE DIVERSITY
DEBATE
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your business?
STAND UP AND
BE COUNTED
SPECIAL
ISSUE - FULL
LISTING OF REPS
MEMBERS
Setting the standards for REPs
PROUD SPONSORS OF THE REPs JOURNAL
PLUS The Register goes abroad::The latest FIA update::New courses
opening up
Several
years ago, I chaired an employers group called the Fitness
Alliance which was set up to put forward the employers’ agenda for the fitness
industry. It might surprise some people to know that one of our first priorities was
to find out what fitness instructors wanted.
The overwhelming response was for the industry to be regarded as more
professional and for operating standards to be raised. It was also clear that
government and medical professionals didn’t take us seriously and it was this
research that gave birth to REPs.
Now in its fourth year, the Register continues to go from strength to strength but
do we still need it? In short, the answer is yes. The need to be more professional
and be seen as professional remains as pressing as ever. Our customers and
members want to know we’re properly qualified for the job and they need
reassurance that they are in safe hands. This remains a genuine concern among
the general public and even more so with medical professionals who are worried
about the qualifications of the instructors who deal with their patients.
All of us working in fitness want the industry to be taken seriously. That will only
be achieved when we get 100% of instructors registered so that everyone can take
qualifications for granted. It won’t be long before members of the public will
expect to be able to research their instructor’s qualifications on the internet,
regardless of what physical activity they wish to take up.
No matter how well qualified we are, it’s vital we keep up-to-date with the latest
thinking and techniques. At DC Leisure, we put great emphasis on continuing
professional development as we want our members to be given the best possible
and most current programmes, advice and support.
Steve Philpott
Chief Executive of DC Leisure
Stay updated!
Make sure you are kept up-to-date
with all the latest REPs news, diary
dates, technical tips and special
promotions by getting the fortnightly
REPs e-zine. Simply send your
current email address and
registration number to
[email protected]
The contents of articles and editorial comment published in the Journal does
not necessarily represent the views or position of the Register. However, we
are happy to publish feedback and comment on any aspect of the publication.
The REPs Journal 03
contents
contents
In this issue
08 Fitness The lowdown on working with clients in
cardiac rehabilitation
12 Health Can exercise help you beat the blues?
16 Personal Trainer Vibration training is all the rage when it
comes to shaping up
19 Industry Get marketing savvy and watch your business grow
08
12
16
19
In each issue
03 Opening Up From Steve Philpott,
Chief Executive, DC Leisure
06 News First REPs Council members appointed; The
international expansion of REPs; Qualifying the sector
22 Final Word The diversity debate
26 Ask Aunty Your questions answered
THE REGISTER OF
EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS
Third Floor, 8-10 Crown Hill,
Croydon, Surrey, CR0 1RZ
Telephone 020 8686 6464
www.exerciseregister.org
Registrar Cliff Collins
[email protected]
QUALIFICATIONS &
TRAINING STANDARDS
SkillsActive
Stephen Studd, CEO
Castlewood House
New Oxford Street
London
WC1A 1PX
Telephone 020 7632 2000
Registration Manager Alison Frater
[email protected]
Programme Manager and
Special Projects Rob McGregor
[email protected]
04 The REPs Journal
Technical Unit Ben Gittus
[email protected]
EDITORIAL
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Editor Baljit Lall
REPs Contributing Editor Sarah Joy
[email protected]
Senior Graphic Designer Mukta Luther
Graphic Designer Jem Pomak
Published by Multitrax UK Ltd
ADVERTISING
Marketing Manager
Greg Sellar
[email protected]
Advertising Sales Manager
Greg Jenkins
[email protected]
Ground Floor West
The Sail Loft
Limehouse Court
3-11 Dod Street
London
E14 7EQ
Telephone 0870 608 0001
Fax 0870 042 0102
www.multitrax.com
© 2007. The REPs Journal is published four times per year. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted in any form, in whole or in part, without the written
permission of the publishers. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this publication, The Register of Exercise Professionals or Multitrax UK Ltd cannot be held responsible for any
consequence arising from the content. The statements and opinions within the Journal are those of the individual authors and contributors and not of REPs or Multitrax UK. Products or services
advertised in the magazine are not endorsed or recommended by REPs or Multitrax UK and no responsibility is accepted for injury or loss resulting from services or products advertised.
news
International
expansion of REPs
A formal affiliation agreement between Registers operating
in Australia and New Zealand with REPs UK will took place
at the IHRSA in March 2007. This comes a year after
technical mapping of qualifications and standards were
completed and are already working successfully for
exercise professionals moving between countries and
having their status of registration recognised.
In addition, within the European Union, E-REPs is being set
up to help manage the recognition of qualified exercise
professionals on a central system by the European Health
and Fitness Association (EHFA). The European standards
are very comparable to those in the UK, so recognition of
status will be relatively straightforward. REPs UK is
providing technical help and support to the EHFA.
Going live
&
Qualifying the
sector
Common units for two new qualification levels have been agreed
after a consultation process headed by SkillsActive, technical
experts representing awarding bodies and employers.
As an employer-led body concerned with setting standards within
the industry, SkillsActive had to ensure everyone agreed on the
qualification title, unit titles, qualification structure, learning
outcomes, assessment criteria and guided learning hours before
the new qualifications could be officially launched and the awarding
bodies released the course details.
The new qualifications — Level 2 Fitness instructing (gym, exercise
to music and water-based exercise) and Level 3 Advanced Fitness
Instructing (gym) — are compatible with the recently developed
qualifications strategy for the exercise and fitness sector, ensuring
that sector qualifications and training are of high quality, are fit for
purpose and that people working in the sector command public
confidence. The strategy for the fitness sector sets out a vision for
a sustainable system of training development and qualifications.
Awarding bodies are expected to seek accreditation of the new
qualifications early this year, resulting in consistent provision on the
national qualification framework and providing clear and consistent
guidelines for learners and employers with entry to REPs.
06 The REPs Journal
The first stage of the Register’s latest awareness campaign,
which stresses the REPutation of fitness instructors, has
gone live with more than 1,000 clubs and fitness centres
already on board. Its aim is to ensure all exercise
professionals working in clubs and centres throughout the
UK are REPs registered.
More than 500,000 leaflets are being distributed to the target
clubs and centres in a final push to achieve 100%
registration and to raise awareness and the importance of
registration. During the next few months, the Register will
also be increasing its drive to encourage members of the
public to check their instructor’s registration status.
Registrar Cliff Collins said: ‘We are delighted with the
positive response our campaign has been met with, not least
because it meets the expectations that our members have
for us to raise the profile of the Register.
‘We’ve also had enquiries from a number of personal
trainers who want to be able to give their clients leaflets
which explain the importance of the Register and outline the
registration process.
‘REPs already gets hundreds of hits a day verifying
instructors’ membership and registration status and we
expect this to significantly increase as part of our public
awareness drive. This is the time to make sure your
membership is fully up-to-date.’
news
news
New FIA
events
Following the success of last year's sell out events, the FIA has
identified a demand for further training opportunities in customer care
and people management. The seminars can be used by delegates to
maintain their position on the Register and demonstrate their
continuing professional development (CPD). Level 2 and 3 instructors
can earn four CPD credit points for each seminar they attend.
A new series of forums, specifically for independent operators, will
also be launched to enable single site operators to share and discuss
their unique challenges and opportunities. According to Stephanie
Eynon, the FIA’s events manager, the industry's increasing enthusiasm
for professional development is evident in the sheer volume of interest
received in the events programme. ‘These new events have been
designed to enhance performance in more areas and fuel the
industry's drive towards raising professional standards.’
Forthcoming events
Customer care seminar
Understanding your customers, delivering excellence through
customer care and training staff members in customer relations.
Dates: April 25 (Birmingham) and April 26 (Leeds)
First REPs Council
members appointed
Managing people seminar
The first three representatives on the new REPs members’
Council were appointed in January 2007 and have now been joined
by a further two.
Douglas Alexander from South Lanarkshire Leisure,
Paul Whapham from the City and County of Swansea and
Marlon Wasnjewski of Cannons Health & Fitness will act as a
mouthpiece for REPs’ members discussing various issues,
including Register member interests. They will also serve on the
SkillsActive Sport and Fitness Council and on the REPs
Professional Practice Committee. The appointment of Gary Cole
and Taff O’Donaghue was approved at the REPs Convention.
The Council will eventually have 12 elected representatives
covering the diversity of the industry and home nation views.
Members of the Council will be available for the lobbying of
general member interests and will publish recommendations,
policy and position statements as well as issues of concern.
They will also receive feedback through The REPs Journal.
Independent operator forums
Focusing on motivating staff, team building, communication skills,
inspiring commitment and getting results.
Dates: 4 July (Bristol), 5 July (Newcastle), 18 July (Birmingham), 19
July (London)
Key areas include attracting new and retaining existing members,
securing your business's financial future and recruiting and retaining
the best staff, which includes a presentation from REPs.
Dates: 11 April (London), 19 April (Leeds), 23 May (Bristol), 13 June
(Edinburgh), 27 September (Birmingham in conjunction with the
LIW/FIA/Fitpro Business Convention 2007)
For more information about FIA events, call the events team on 020
7202 4723, email [email protected] or visit the events and networking
section of the FIA website (www.fia.org.uk).
*All seminars are sponsored by Star Trac and the independent
operator forums are sponsored by ClubRunner.
The REPs Journal 07
Wo r k i n g i n ca rd i a c
rehabilitation
The research on cardiovascular disease is alarming,
but physical activity can go a long way in reversing
and preventing the condition. Elaine Roles reveals all
8 The REPs Journal
fitness
D
espite the shocking facts about coronary heart
disease (CHD), it is a preventable condition. In fact,
there’s so much that can be done to prevent CHD and
deaths resulting from it, that the Government is
committed to reducing the death rate from CHD and
stroke-related diseases in people under 75 by at least
40% by 2010.
Recent research from the World Health Organisation
cites physical inactivity as a major risk factor for CHD
and estimates that around 3% of all disease in
developed countries is caused by physical inactivity and
that between 1 and 24% of CHD cases in developed
countries are due to levels of physical activity below 2.5
hours of moderate intensity per week.
In addition, in 2006, the British Heart Foundation
reported that around 70% of adults do less that the
recommended 30 minutes of activity five times per week,
while levels of obesity and diabetes have increased
rapidly. In England, obesity has increased by 50% in
adults in the past decade and diabetes has doubled in
men and increased by 80% in women since 1991.
The road to recovery
For those who have already experienced a cardiac
event, the outcome and quality of life that can be
expected afterwards is now very different compared to
40 years ago. In the late 1960s, patients recovering from
a heart attack spent six weeks on bed rest. By the 70s,
evidence became available that those patients who were
active after a heart attack had a speedier recovery and a
better quality of life.
Those working with cardiac patients also became
aware that exercise wasn’t the only answer to a good
recovery. Several studies established that poor patient
outcomes were as likely to be due to psychosocial
reasons as they were physical ones. Cardiac
rehabilitation is therefore a multidisciplinary approach
bringing together a professional team to educate,
support and advise patients during their recovery, and
to help with lifestyle changes that will prevent further
cardiac events.
A comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programme will
consist of exercise, health education, risk factor
modification, relaxation and stress management, as well as
occupational counselling. Phase IV cardiac rehabilitation
(the fourth and final phase) normally takes place in the
community, using schools, church halls and leisure
centres, and is the point where the personal trainer comes
in. Its exercise training aims are to:
• Provide regular supervised cardiovascular
training sessions.
• Establish individualised exercise prescription for
additional unsupervised/independent physical activity.
• Have regular reviews on participants’ progress or
regression, and to alter the exercise prescription
accordingly. In the case of new symptoms or
deterioration in functional capacity of an unknown
cause, to then refer the patient back to the primary
care team.
• Offer general advice and support in maintaining
lifestyle changes associated with risk factor reduction.
• Encourage independence, self-help and self-motivation.
The benefits of physical activity for those with
cardiovascular disease seem to be just as strong for
older people as for younger age groups. In a systematic
review, results showed that in older men, both
cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity are
inversely related to CHD risk: men with higher levels of
cardiorespiratory fitness or physical activity have a
lower risk of CHD.
Another report revealed that that active women aged
50–79 had fewer coronary problems and a lower overall
number of heart attacks compared to less active women.
The right approach
There’s a wealth of research that’s been carried out on the
benefits of endurance exercise for those recovering from
cardiac arrests. The following results are just a handful:
• Improved survival rates with a 25% reduction in fatal
cardiovascular events during the three-year postevent period.
• Reduced heart rate and blood pressure during submaximal exercise.
• Increased VO2max (10–55% post-cardiac arrest and
15–65% following coronary artery bypass graft).
• Reduction of total cholesterol and an increase in highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (the good cholesterol
thought to lower the risk of coronary heart disease).
• Improved glucose metabolism.
• Increase in the angina threshold (the point at which
angina comes on).
• Reduced body fat, without loss of lean body mass.
• Improved mood and self-esteem and a decrease in
anxiety and depression.
When accepting someone onto Phase IV,
it’s important that strict guidelines are followed.
Referrals come via the hospital or other medical
practitioners and from the information provided, each
individual will be risk stratified into a low, medium or
high risk category. The main threat to those who have
had a heart attack and those who have myocardial
damage is ventricular fibrillation (where the two major
heart chambers contract rapidly and irregularly, and
are unable to pump blood into the body).
Risk stratification helps to highlight those clients who
have extensive cardiac damage, those who have
residual ischemia (not having enough blood flow to the
heart) and those who have ventricular arrhythmias
(irregular heart beats) while exercising.
It’s extremely important for each client to be given an
exercise prescription that meets their individual needs.
This will be dependant on many factors including
cardiac history past and present, results of
investigations such at ETT (exercise treadmill test), age,
medications both cardiac and non-cardiac, and their
current level of fitness.>
The REPs Journal
9
The FITT principles for a cardiac rehabilitation
programme are:
Frequency:
Intensity:
Time:
Type:
Elaine has been a fitness
instructor for 20 years and
has worked with the British
Association Cardiac
Rehabilitation Phase IV for six
years. She also teaches five
cardiac classes a week for
Dartford Gravesend and
Swanley PCT, as well as
running a cardiac programme
at Horizones health & fitness
club in Wilmington.
10 The REPs Journal
2–3 weekly sessions including two
rehabilitation classes and one home
circuit/walking or other leisure activity on
other days.
60–75% of maximal heart rate, though
this is dependant on the participant’s
medication. Besides the use of heart rate,
the Borg scale (a simple method of rating
perceived exertion) is also used.
20–30 minutes conditioning period, not
including the warm-up or cool-down.
aerobic and endurance training, normally
using interval training.
Before exercise can be considered, it’s essential to
recognise the importance of the warm-up and cooldown period. It’s during these stages that the body is
able to undergo its transitions from states of rest to
activity and back again. These stages also ensure that
the blood pressure and heart rate is allowed to increase
and decrease in a gradual manner and so reducing the
risk of arrhythmias and also help improve the ischemic
threshold for those with angina.
Many clients come along terrified of physical activity
and unconvinced that this is really for them. For many,
it’s the first time in their lives that they have been to a
gym or an exercise class. However, as they make
friends and begin to exercise with others, their
confidence levels rise and their anxiety decreases.
process but by inviting them to come along and see
what goes on, it also helps them come to terms with
what’s happened.
The Facts
• Cardiovascular disease, which includes CHD and
stroke, is the greatest cause of mortality and
morbidity in England, and is also a cause of disability
and loss of function.
• CHD causes over 200,000 deaths a year and accounts
for 39% of all deaths in men and women.
• For every 100,000 people under 75 years of age,
1,317 years of life will be lost through
cardiovascular disease.
• The death rates from CHD and other circulatory
diseases in England are higher than the average for
the European Union.
• More than 1.4 million people suffer from angina and
275,000 people have a heart attack annually.
References
- DoH. Chief Medical Officer Report. 2004. At Least Five a
Week.
- National Centre for Health Outcomes Development. 2002 &
2003. Compendum of Clinical Indicators.
- Office for National Statistics. 2002 & 2003. Mortality Data
England.
- DoH. National Service Framework for Coronary Heart
Disease. Progress Report 2004.
- DoH. Choosing Activity: A Physical Activity Action Plan.
2005.
- British Heart Foundation. Coronary Heart Disease Statistics 2006.
Other factors
- Van Dixhoorn, Duivenvoorden and Pool. 1990.
Having CHD doesn’t always mean that the person is
overweight, inactive, a smoker or has an unhealthy
lifestyle. It’s easy to assume that because a person is
slim and appears healthy, they are. However, family
history and genetics play a huge part.
Exercise has an important role in keeping the body
efficient in its oxygen uptake and usage so should
cardiac events occur, the chances of surviving are
higher. When exercise is performed regularly, the body
becomes more efficient in its uptake of oxygen by
growing collateral blood vessels into the working
muscles. Current research shows that this growth also
occurs in the heart.
For those who have very low levels of fitness, the
improvements can be dramatic. A case study of a client
I worked with was virtually housebound other than the
fact that he could drive highlights this point well.
He was unable to walk his dogs and had not been on
holiday with his wife for many years. On his first session
at the gym, he did a warm-up, managed three minutes
at 1.6km (1mph) on the treadmill and then did a cooldown. He attended three times a week and within six
months, had increased his walking time to 30 minutes
and his speed to 4.8km (2.5mph). He was also managing
to row for 10 minutes at 6min/500metres. It was soon
after this that him and his wife took their first holiday
for many years and that he was able to walk his dogs
again and go on to take up a part-time job.
By providing exercise sessions, support groups are
naturally formed and many strong friendships are built.
This helps with the feelings of unease, isolation and
uselessness. It’s often well meaning spouses, partners
and friends who can put restrictions on the recovery
- British Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation.
- Batty, G.D. 2002. Physical activity and coronary heart disease
in older adults. A systematic review of epdemilogical studies.
European Journal of Public Health, 12: 171-176.
- Manson, J.E., Greenland, P., LaCroix, A.Z., Stefanick, M.L.,
Mouton, C.P., Oberman, A., et al. 2002. Walking compared with
Visit www.exerciseregister.org and
answer the following questions to
collect CPD points:
1. According to the British Heart Foundation, what
percentage of adults do less than the recommended
30 minutes of activity five time each week?
a) 50%
b) 70%
c) 80%
2. Post-cardiac event endurance exercise can
mean a decreased chance of recurrence by what
percentage?
a) 10%
b) 15%
c) 25%
3: Does FITT stand for?
a) Fitness, Indicator, Training, Type
b) Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type
c) Freely, Inpsired, Time, Techniques
beatingtheblues
Depression is more than just a bad mood day
but regular exercise can help raise your spirits,
says James Beale
health
A
s research into the benefits of exercise for those
suffering from depression gets increasing publicity, more
and more people are using physical activity to regulate
their moods. But how well-placed are those working
within the industry to deal with this specific client group
when there’s very little, if any, information on dealing
with those with a mental illness in any of the vastly
improved training programmes for fitness instructors,
personal trainers or sport therapists?
What’s this thing called depression?
When asked about depression, the classic response is to
simplify what is a very complex and serious disorder by
making reference to poor mood. This is often the case in life
when someone feels down or is having a bad day. They or
others describe them as being depressed,
however, the reality of the situation is somewhat
more serious.
There are various types of depression as defined by the
main diagnostic manual DSM 4 but put simply,
depression is an all-encompassing illness that affects
the way people think about things and how they feel in
both mind and body. It’s not the case that someone
suffering from depression can just pull themselves
together and get on with life. It’s estimated that one in
three people will suffer at least one bout of depression
during their life and that 8% of females and 4% of males
will be suffering from depression at any one point in
time. With such prevalent rates, it’s highly likely that
those working in the fitness industry will come across
clients suffering from depression on a regular basis.
There’s often a physical explanation based around
what makes someone become depressed known as the
monoamine hypothesis where people develop the
condition due to a depletion or lack of chemical
messengers norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain.
This is the reason why so many people take medication
to overcome the illness.
Exercise has been found to have a beneficial effect on
the production and release of the chemical messengers
mentioned above while research shows that moderate
intensity exercise has a comparable effect on the
reduction of depression to antidepressant drug treatment.
However, with some of the well-documented negative
side of effects of many of the antidepressant medications,
is it any wonder that people are being referred to and are
choosing exercise as an alternative treatment?
Most studies have tended to use jogging as an
intervention so this may be a good starting point if there
are no reasons why it’s unsuitable for the client.
There have been no adverse effects reported for using
exercise as a treatment for depression, so using standard
guidelines for those starting an exercise programme is
ideal. The key things to keep in mind are progression in
exercise and the perception of achievement for the
depressed client.
Generally, exercise programmes for depressed clients
should steadily increase in length and intensity, and
should assist in maximising feelings of personal control
and minimising the likelihood of a perception of failure.
A helping hand for supervising clients
As a fitness professional, when you work with someone
who is suffering from depression, it’s essential to be
aware of and familiar with your client’s symptoms and
behaviours. The following are some of the standard
recommendations for those supervising exercise
programmes for depressed individuals:
1. Be familiar with the symptoms as well as the basic
treatment of mental disorders and have referral
sources at hand.
2. Assess current physical activity habits and fitness levels.
3. Determine their motivation for exercise.
4. Make the exercise enjoyable, accessible and
non-threatening.
5. Encourage personal responsibility by including the
person in the planning of the exercise programme.
6. Encourage the person to increase physical activity
outside of the established exercise sessions.
7. Watch out for sabotage.
All this may seem like common sense to those who are
trained in psychology but if you’re not, the following
pointers can help:
• Avoid minimising the person’s feelings or concerns
A natural response is to give advice to someone who you
feel is struggling but it may be more effective to listen
and demonstrate an understanding and genuine concern.
• Establish boundaries with your clients
It’s possible that you can unwittingly take the role of a
psychotherapist with a client. To prevent this from
happening, be supportive but try to develop a sense of
independence. One way to do this may be >
What types of exercise are most effective?
Research into this area has provided non-conclusive
results. A number of periphery factors have often not
been taken into account so it’s therefore very difficult to
make clear suggestions as to the best type of exercise to
assist with reducing depression.
The REPs Journal 13
James Beale is co-director of Total
Performance, a sport psychology
consultancy company, as well as a
senior lecturer in Sport & Exercise
Psychology at the University of East
London. For more information, email
[email protected] or
visit www.totalperformance.co.uk
References
O’Neil, H.A., Dunn, A.L. and Martinsen, E.W.
2000. Depression & Exercise. International
Journal Of Sport Psychology, 31 (2): 133135.
Owens, A. and Abdul-Rahman, A. 2001.
Presented at the International Society of
Sport Psychology, 10th World Congress of
Sport Psychology, Skiathos, Hellas, Greece.
Poster presentation. A Comparative Study
on the Effects of Resistance and
Non-Resistance Physical Exercise on Mood
States in Relation to Gender.
Ernst, E., Rand, J.I. and Stevinson, C. 1998.
Complimentary Therapies For Depression:
An Overview. Archives of General Psychiatry,
55: 1026–1032.
Lehtinen, V. and Joukamaa. 1994.
Epidemiology of Depression: Prevalence,
risk factors and treatment situation.
Acta Psychiatricia Scandanavica
supplement, 377: 7-10.
Yoo, H.S., Tackett, R.L., Bunnell, B.N.,
Crabbe, J.B. and Dishman R.K. 2000. Antidepressant-like effects of physical activity vs
imipramine: neonatal clomipramine model.
Psychobiology, 28: 540-549.
14 The REPs Journal
to promote any positive behaviour and when advice is
requested, to encourage the client to work out the
answer for themself by asking specific questions.
• Be prepared for non-adherence and excuses
Think of a time when you have felt really low; your body
ached, you felt as though things hadn’t gone to plan
and you struggled to see the bright side of anything.
Everyone has days like these and the chances of you
making it to the gym on such a day is perhaps less than
on a normal day. For a person suffering from
depression, this can be the case over a prolonged
period so understanding that the client may not attend
all their sessions and may not make the gains that you
would have hoped for is important.
• Be aware of what behaviours are being reinforced
Consider about the behaviours you might be
reinforcing. It may be very difficult for the client to
adhere fully to any exercise programme and
consequently, the client may get little or no attention
from the instructor and so carry on doing more of the
same. However, some attention is better than being
ignored so if your client continually makes errors, avoid
being overly attentive and make the necessary
adjustments. This approach can have the dual benefits
of making the client feel valued without becoming overreliant on you.
Answering these questions
online will count towards your
annual CPD requirements:
1. Roughly what ratio of people will suffer
from some form of depression during
their lifetime?
a) 1 in 12
b) 1 in 6
c) 1 in 3
2. Depletion or lack of which two chemical
messengers in the brain can lead to/be
indicative of depression?
a) Selenium and magnesium
b) Norepinephrine and serotonin
c) Potassium and copper
3. What pattern should exercise programmes
for clients with depression follow?
a) Steady increase in length and intensity
b) Change from week to week
c) There should be no plan
feeling the
V
ibration training (VT) is one of the most exciting
technological advances in the field of sports medicine,
rehabilitation, general health and wellbeing, and
athletics in many years. By using the principles of VT,
many people can improve their sports performance,
enhance current fitness levels and even accelerate
recovery from injury. As well as becoming a large part of
the commercial fitness market, domestic machines are
also available. However, as with any specialist market,
there can never be too much information or training.
VT equipment has been in the public eye for many
years; every gym and personal training studio will have
them and almost every personal trainer and instructor
will be able to operate and use them correctly.
The reason behind this is simply because every trainer in
the country who has undergone even the basic gym
instructor qualification will, at some stage, have had to
use or be assessed on this piece of equipment.
Although the use of vibration in therapy goes back
centuries, there are still many sceptics throughout the
fitness industry as to whether vibration can be a viable
training tool.
The history
The use of vibration dates back to the ancient Greeks,
who would use this form of movement for >
16 The REPs Journal
personal trainer
therapeutic purposes. The device employed would
transmit vibration via fabric and a flexible saw.
At the Battle Creek Sanatorium in the US, John Harvey
Kellogg, a famed physician, used a vibrating chair to
increase intestinal peristalsis and reduce headaches.
This treatment was also used to increase the supply of
healthy oxygen around the body. He wrote a book called
The Art of Massage, which devoted a whole chapter on the
use of vibration as a form of massage technique.
The vibration machines that are seen today are based
on research from the early 1960s when Professor W.
Biermann described rhythmic neuromuscular
stimulation (RNS). Biermann showed that cyclic
vibrations could improve the condition of damaged joints
by creating a quick stretch followed by relaxation.
Early work by the Russian space agency, who
investigated the use of vibration to fight the effects of
zero gravity on the musculoskeletal systems of its
cosmonauts, also lead to Russian scientists working
within sport to start using similar methods with athletes
ranging from rowers and gymnasts, to ballet dancers.
Many types of VT methods have been trialled since
the late 1990s and as research into this field has
soared, so has the commercial market for vibration
platforms. There are now over 50 machines available
in the world market.
With VT, muscle activation is caused not only by
motor neurons, but also sensory ones. A combination of
the muscle spindle and golgi tendon organ activation
create the tonic vibration reflex which makes VT so
effective. All vibration platforms create an involuntary
reflex to occur, which recruit far more muscle fibre than
a conventional contraction. This means that VT should
be suitable for everyone, especially people with any
neuromuscular disorder.
Another advantage of training on a vibration platform
is the incorporation of all planes of motion throughout
the training sessions, rather than focusing on the more
predominant sagital plane. Testing has been carried out
on many different machines, with many different
outcomes including the following:
• h leg extension strength and jumping ability vs
weight training
• h 10% bicep curl strength
• h HGH 361%; h testosterone 7%
• i cortisol 32%
• h blood flow 100%
These are only a few of the results with many more
covering muscular strength, circulation, balance,
stability, posture, pain reduction, bone formation and
lymphatic activation. These studies will keep turning up
in journals and arguments will be raised about the form
of training, type of equipment, frequency, amplitude and
duration of exercise. It seems pointless to keep saying
that VT might work when the proof is there, it’s just the
education that’s lacking.
VibroKinetix is the first vibration education provider
worldwide to have its courses accredited to REPs which
can be used across any vibration platform.
Power Products Global is another worldwide specialist
in VT. ‘We provide training that’s universal across all
vibration platforms,’ says founder and CEO Kevin
Barclay-Webb. ‘The launch of VibroKinetix fits in with
our mission to help others understand the benefits of
VT be it to the professional athletes or clients with
disabilities, in the most effective and safe way.’
Purchasers of Power Plate, FitVibe, Body Coach,
Nemesis, HyperGravity, VibroGym and Pneumex can also
now provide their trainers with a specialised career in VT.
References
- Snow, A. 1912. Early American Manual Therapy: Mechanical
Vibration. Meridian Institute, USA.
- Biermann, W. Influence of cycloid vibration massage on
trunk flexion. American Journal of Physical Medicine, 39:
219-224. 1960
- Kelderman, J. 2001. The Power Plate: A new application in
physical therapy? Hanzehog Eschool HvG.
- Sordoff, S. 2003. Metabolic Study. Fast Training Centre.
Idaho, USA.
To earn CPD points, answer these
questions online:
1. Professor Burman’s research shows that cyclic
vibrations would improve the condition of what?
a) Damaged joints
b) Torn hamstrings
c) Muscular problems
2. VT technology has let to the development of in
excess of how many different VT machines?
a) 25
b) 50
c) 100
3. By what percentage did Kerschen-schindel’s 2003
study show blood flow was increased by when using
VT?
a) 70%
b) 80%
c) 100%
Tom Whiteman is the
fitness director of Power
Products Global. For more
information, visit
www.bettervibrations.com
industry
Getting your
message across
Boosting your business is all a matter of marketing,
says Dawn Willis
W
e all know the importance of promoting your
business. You can be the best in the world at what you
do, offer the most wonderful facilities, run the most
effective classes, but if no one knows about it, you won’t
have a business. Too many good instructors have fallen
by the wayside as competition grows fiercer by the day.
It’s a fact that marketing is essential and promotion is
the communication part of marketing — it’s getting out
there and telling people what you can do for them.
Whether you’re a self-employed personal trainer, group
fitness leader, or working to optimise membership
levels, ongoing promotional activity is vital for survival.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be expensive.
We all have limited budgets but you can get maximum
impact for minimum outlay.
Before you begin
Marketing is not like science. Decisions are based on
knowledge, intuition and assumption and in order to be
confident in making marketing decisions, there are some
key points that you must be absolutely clear about.
1. Your customer market
In fitness, we argue that we can, and should, be
working with anyone and everyone. It’s fantastic to have
such a huge market to aim for but in promotional
terms, it’s nowhere near specific enough. Break your
target customers down into precise groups known as
segments. Market segments are groups of similar
people who respond to marketing messages in similar
ways. You’re effectively offering the same service to
each group, but talking about it in different ways.
You could promote the convenience of your location and
class times to the busy commuter, while pointing out
the relaxation and social elements of your club to
retired clients or mums who yearn for a little ‘me’ time
in their day.
fetishists out there but we must remember that it’s
what the customers want, not what we think that
counts. If you promote your fat-burning workouts rather
than your aerobic sessions or cardiovascular
equipment, it alienates potential new members.
3. Your business image
How do you want your business to be perceived by
people? This image must come across consistently —
it’s the whole experience of your business from start to
finish that counts.
4. Your goals
We’re good at thinking of timed, quantifiable goals for
our clients — to run 5km within three months, or do five
extra press-ups by the end of this month. But what
about our marketing? It’s harder to quantify what we
want to achieve, yet doing this is crucial otherwise how
do we know when we’ve got there? Think of your goals
in terms of new members, additional turnover, extra
profit, number of enquiries — whichever is most
appropriate for your business and remember to put a
timeframe on it. When do you want to achieve this by?
When will you review it?
2. What you offer
You must think of what you provide to your customers in
the way of actual benefits to them. However, ask any
group of people why they want to attend an exercise
class and you’re likely to get around 20 different
answers. We may not want to cater for the Lycra
The REPs Journal 19
5. Your budget
How much money are you going to spend on your
promotion? The amount of money available to you will
dictate some of the choices you make, but the most
important thing is that you get the best possible value
and results.
Be different
In order to survive, our businesses must stay one step
ahead. Your unique selling point (USP) is your
competitive edge and what will make you stand out
from the crowd. We work in a people-orientated service
industry which has become extremely crowded so it’s
essential to give people a reason to come to you and not
your competitors. In a service-based industry, it’s not
always what you do but how you do it that makes you
different. Also, it doesn’t have to complicated.
After considering my key strengths — baggy t-shirt
classes where you can jump about and have fun with no
mirrors and a fantastic social programme — I asked
participants for feedback. You live and learn!
Choose wisely
There’s a whole range of promotional tools available to
all of us, from direct marketing approaches such as
leafleting, to public relations activities such as open
days, displays and speaking opportunities. But the one
tool that absolutely everyone goes for is advertising.
This is a good choice because it’s the best way of
getting your message across to thousands of people
extremely quickly. Yet once your advert is out there,
you’re completely dependant on people seeing it and
reacting to it. Use the top tips below to maximise the
impact advertising can have on your business.
1. Think laterally
Consider all forms of advertising, not just the local
papers which are a successful though an obvious
choice. Consider other relevant publications, in-house
magazines, outdoor posters, event programmes,
promotional gifts and even the backs of buses.
2. Be familiar
Check the publication has the right image for your
business and is likely to be read by the target
customers you’re aiming for. Ask for the media pack —
it tells you who the readers are, how many copies are
circulated and what regular and special features appear
— and find out how frequently it’s published as it’s vital
to know how long your advert will be ‘live’ for. You don’t
want your summer offer still publicised in the autumn!
Free publications are usually much cheaper than
competing papers which readers pay for. People are
much more likely to read something they’ve bought
rather than the freebie that gets pushed through the
letterbox. But if you prefer the freebies, go for one with
VFD written on the front. Verified free distribution
means that the publishing company actually checks
that its papers are received, not just shoved under a
hedge or at the bottom of a stairwell.
3. Negotiate
The rate card will tell you the full price of display
adverts. Agents are used to negotiating and won’t be
offended when you try to get the price down, so go for it!
20 The REPs Journal
There are several different ways you can do this beyond
simply asking:
• Late space — offer a crazy price just before the print
deadline. If there’s space left at this late stage, they’ll
be open to offers. But have an advert ready to go.
• Fillers — send an advert to the publication and agree a
price in advance. Your advert can then be used as often
as possible at the agreed rate but check that the content
doesn’t include anything that’s time critical or seasonal.
• Series — going for a series of adverts brings the
overall price down and gives you the advantage of
repetitive exposure — the more people see your
message, the more likely they are to remember and
believe it.
4. Position
Where your advert appears in the publication will
directly affect the level of response it achieves.
The front and back covers (inside and outside pages)
along with page three are seen the most. We normally
read the right hand page of a newspaper or magazine
first, so get your advert on to a right hand page and the
earlier in the publication the better. Readers will look at
every page until they lose interest while ‘flickers’ will
thumb through until something catches their eye.
The outside edge of an early right hand page is the
place to be to catch them both.
5. What goes where
The most important thing that your audience must see
is what’s in it for them. Regardless of whether they
bother to or not, most people now realise why they
should exercise. But do they really understand the full
potential advantages they can enjoy? Are you absolutely
sure you haven’t used jargon? Reassure and inform
your potential new members, remembering to include
your USP. Give them a reason to come to you and make
it as convenient as possible for them. Think about what
your market wants. If in doubt, get out there and ask.
The next steps
You’ve designed your advert, chosen a publication so
what’s next?
Step 1: Always approve the advert before it goes to
print. See it first, then check the changes.
Step 2: Get some feedback. Always ask enquirers how
they found out about you so you can gauge how
successful your advertising has been.
Step 3: Convert those enquiries to new members
About the author
Dawn Wills is a marketing and fitness professional with
twelve years’ experience of managing and marketing a
range of fitness services. She offers personalised
marketing advice and a Marketing —The Reality selfhelp information pack. Contact her on 01438 840040
or email [email protected]
This article was originally published in
magazine
the
Covering all
ground
If you’re looking to make significant changes to the fitness
industry, all areas must be considered. Max Bower explains
22 The REPs Journal
final word
D
iversity is one word that covers a
huge range of issues confronting
society today. Barely a day goes by
without a media storm over dilemmas
generated by issues of race, gender,
ethnic background, religious beliefs,
disability and sexuality. Can a teacher
do their job wearing a burka? Is Jade
Goody a racist? Should the Catholic
church have to allow gay people to
adopt? To all of these questions,
accusations of all forms of ‘isms’ are
countered by taunts of political
correctness gone mad.
Away from the media scrum and
hyperbole however, a cool and
considered approach is required in
order to steer today’s employers and
employees through the issues raised, in
a way that allows them to do the ‘right’
thing ethically, avoid controversy and
legal situations, and maximise their
business opportunities.
The simple fact is that in order to
succeed, businesses need to reflect the
population in which they exist in terms
of their employees, customers and
potential customers. People buy
products and services from
organisations that they feel understand
and reflect their values, and that
doesn’t happen where the organisation
represents only a small part of the
surrounding society. Businesses and
sectors that ignore this lesson will
rapidly find themselves becoming
anachronistic and fossilised in a rapidly
globalising and diversifying world.
In the context of the fitness industry,
it’s a given that we’re a ‘people
business’ and are therefore required to
provide a quality service to a diverse
range of clients. Let’s face it, the
fitness industry has often been
perceived, whether fairly or not, as the
preserve of the young, middle class, fit
and beautiful. But do we attempt to
take any real steps towards changing
this through actively encouraging a
wider base of participation, or do we
carry on in the same way? Make no
mistake, the traditions, procedures and
behaviours of organisations have a
huge impact and need serious
examination in order to bring about
meaningful changes to their culture.
The REPs Code of Ethical Practice
lays down standards of general
behaviour expected of instructors,
but there’s currently little or no training
specific to the fitness industry which
can provide guidance and support in
terms of implementing good practice in
the context of diversity.
There are two key reasons that relevant
training in this field is required to
bridge a major skills gap:
• A basic understanding of the law is
required to allow companies and
individuals to comply with legislation
regarding direct and indirect
discrimination.
• A general sense of goodwill in this
context is not enough — a systematic
approach is required in order to
analyse procedures, working
practices and policies to identify
exactly the changes required to bring
about positive change.
Max Bower is a curriculum development
tutor for YMCA Fitness Industry Training.
Since joining the industry in 1987, he has
been involved in activity and exercise for
diverse groups, including work with older
adults, cardiac/stroke rehabilitation and
HIV referral at the Central YMCA club,
London and other venues. Visit
www.ymcafit.org for more information.
To achieve this, YMCAfit have been
commissioned by REPs (grant-funded
by the London Development Agency) to
devise and deliver fitness industryspecific diversity training.
This two-day training course is free
to all instructors working in London in
pay as you play facilities — those that
are accessible to visitors and tourists —
where they will learn about the
importance of promoting diversity, the
legal framework and the business and
ethical case. Instructors will also learn
how to apply this in the workplace and
bring about positive change.
The course aims to boost confidence
and make instructors more effective in
terms of meeting the needs of a diverse
range of clients. If you’re interested in
enrolling on this REPs-approved CPD
course (worth 16 points), contact
Lorraine Freeman on 020 7343 1825 or
email [email protected]
The REPs Journal 23
MARKET PLACE
training
training
services
To advertise here please
contact Greg Jenkins on
[email protected]
or call 0870 608 0001
www.multitrax.com
AskAunty...
Question: When I sent my re-registration to REPs, it took over two weeks before I received
my new membership card and certificate. Surely you can do better than that?
Aunty explains: We would obviously like the turnaround for registrations and
re-registrations to be done as speedily as we can manage. Our general guidance is that for a
completely new application for registration, we will send out documents within 28 days and for
re-registrations, within 21 days. We do aim to be better than these targets wherever we can but
we often have to refer back to applicants for further information or clarification and this can
add on extra time.
Our website software is being updated so you will soon be able to track your registration or
re-registration application online and see if it’s been received and is ‘in process’.
I get asked so many questions
— often on the same topics —
that I thought I would share a few.
Here’s a taster of some questions
I have been asked recently...
Question: I had to send my application to you twice before you
acknowledged that you had actually received it and was able to process it.
Do you lose the applications?
Answer from Aunty: The key reason why we don’t receive letters is due
to incorrect postage. The Post Office changed rates and letter size
charges last year and they will not deliver your mail to us if you haven’t
put the right amount of postage on it.
We don’t lose your applications. We have a very careful system of
logging, recording and filing for all our members’ records.
Question: Has the REPs office moved? I have two addresses for you.
Which is the right one?
Aunty says: We moved offices over two years ago (come on everyone —
keep up!). Our address is: Third Floor, 8–10 Crown Hill, Croydon, CR0
1RZ. Please do check the forms you are using as some employer forms
pre-date our move to this address. Our telephone number, website and
email address remain the same.
26 The REPs Journal
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with MARC-OLIVER
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with BETO PEREZ
The BOSU Trainer is a unique balance,
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training device that can be integrated
into all types of fitness training.
Participants will learn how to put
together a class format for group fitness
classes and how to implement the
techniques for personal training clients.
Zumba is rapidly becoming the next
fitness sensation – a fusion of Latin and
international music and dance themes.
You will learn how to Merengue,
Flamenco,Tabgo, Cumbia, Salsa, Belly
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A comprehensive two-day course for
group fitness instructors to create a
fusion between dance and aerobics.
The course focuses on motivation,
teaching skills, personality, quality of
movement and choreography breakdown.
This two-day course requires you to
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27-29 April 2007 Dance-Step
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10.00am-5.00pm
Call for further dates
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(inc. assessment day)
STABILITY BALL
with LORNA MALCOLM
The Stability Ball has become an integral piece of equipment for most fitness professionals, yet many have not had any formal
training.This is a full, one-day training course that will cover the theory and practice of using a Stability Ball within a group fitness
or personal training environment.
3 February 2007
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To book: 0870 608 0001/[email protected]