Working together for health

The Register of Exercise Professionals has been working with the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) as part of its Joint Consultative Forum (JCF) – a group dedicated to working with six of the Royal Medical Colleges in order to promote exercise as a way of increasing good health and managing disease, and draw-up new standards in exercise referral.

The JCF is chaired by the FIA’s Chief Medical Officer Dr John Searle and includes representatives from the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Faculty of Public Health, the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine, training providers, exercise professionals and REPS Registrar Jean-Ann Marnoch.

She said: “Establishing this group is an historical step, it’s the first time that our two sectors have sat down together to focus on the benefits of a joint approach to working to improve the health of the nation, and the Register of Exercise Professionals is proud to be a part of this. As fitness professionals our members have long been aware of how their expertise can make a very real difference to people’s health, not just in general terms but also in treating specific medical conditions, and we are delighted to be able to work with the FIA and the medical colleges on increasing the number of exercise referrals.

“Since its inception one of the key aims of the Register of Exercise Professionals has been to professionalise the industry and gain the respect and trust of the medical profession. Our new entry framework and the introduction of the new level 4 specialist instructor category reflect this and will hopefully mean that our members are ready to meet the challenges and increased exercise referrals this new partnership will bring about.”