FAQs
Information about Fitness Australia registration, services and support
Information about Fitness Australia registration, services and support
The standards and guidelines cover the national fitness industry standards and guidelines. They include:
The national policies and guidelines for the Australian health and fitness industry are located under the Policies and Guidelines tab.
Watch this video to find out how you can access our standards, guidelines and policies.
The Australian Fitness Industry Code of Practice applies to all fitness businesses that are registered with Fitness Australia, including gyms, fitness centres, clubs, studios, outdoor services and sole trading businesses, as well as their employees and contractors.
Important Notes:
The Australian Fitness Industry Code of Practice sets a standard of conduct across the entire health and fitness industry. It addresses financial safety, physical safety and dispute resolution.
For a copy of the Code or to check if a fitness business is registered with Fitness Australia go to fitnessbusiness.com.au or call Fitness Australia on 1300 211 311.
A AusREP's Scope of Practice does not include:
Refer to fitness.org.au/scope-of-practice
The Code of Ethics is intended to act as a clear guide to all exercise professionals in their professional practice and those registered by Fitness Australia will be held accountable to the Code.
The Register of Exercise Professionals requires its members and their practice to discharge their duties and responsibilities at all times in a manner which professionally, ethically, legally and morally compromises no individual with whom they have professional contact.
The Code of Ethics does not replace the principles and procedures adopted by employing bodies, relevant legislation nor do they deny other rights within society not specifically mentioned.
Refer to fitness.org.au/code-of-ethics.
If you are training clients that are aged 50+ years of age, consider the following:
The core units within Certificate III in Fitness will qualify you to work with healthy adults over the age of 50 (i.e. a participant in a group exercise class or client who requests a fitness program).
If you are working with adults over the age of 50 that have managed conditions (as identified through pre-exercise screening) or if you are providing specific services that target older adults (programs, classes or personal training services), you need to have completed the elective unit (or equivalent): SISFFIT015 Collaborate with medical and allied health professionals in a fitness context.
Within the Fitness Australia exercise professional registration system, this would mean that you are registered as a Gym Instructor, Group Exercise Instructor or Personal Trainer and also have the Older Adults delivery knowledge and skill listed on your public registration profile.
Remember that when assessing risk using the Adult Pre-Exercise Screening System, age related risk is higher for ≥ 45yrs Males or ≥ 55yrs Females. Refer to the Adult Pre-Exercise Screening tool.
If you are training clients that are under 18 years of age, consider the following:
To plan and deliver fitness services to children and young people, AusREPs must be appropriately qualified and should continually update their related knowledge and skills. The following minimum education is required:
1. Certificate lll in Fitness
2. Completion of the relevant units of competency (or equivalent):
SISFFIT012 Instruct movement programs to children aged 5 to 12 years;
SISFFIT013 Instruct exercise to young people aged 13 to 17 years.
Within the Fitness Australia exercise professional registration system, this would mean that they are registered as a Gym Instructor, Group Exercise Instructor or Personal Trainer and also have the Children - Young Children &/or Adolescents delivery knowledge and skill listed on their public registration profile.
It should be noted that the AusREPs Scope of Practice allows for the provision of independent advice and/or exercise programs for children and young people who are free of health conditions or injury.
National guidelines for delivery of children’s health and fitness services can be found here.
AusREPs should ensure that the group participant number allows for appropriate supervision and safe instruction for each individual during the group session.
Variables that may influence this professional judgement are:
Remember that if a client is injured in your class or your facility, the above issues will be explored to determine whether duty of care has been carried out.
Pre-exercise screening enables exercise professionals to gather information about the state of health or disease of a person, to help reduce the possibility of a problem occurring during exercise. There are no guarantees that an adverse event might or might not occur. However, this prior knowledge will assist in appropriate exercise prescription and can significantly reduce the probability of serious injury or life-threatening incidents.
The Adult Pre-Exercise Screening System (APSS) is the evidence-based Australian standard for conducting pre-exercise screening.
The reason that the APSS Stage 1 is compulsory is that it screens for high risk. If someone is high risk, they will require guidance from a medical or allied health professional prior to commencing exercise. Stages 2 and 3 screen for those at moderate or low risk, and in both instances the person can safely begin moderate intensity activity without further guidance from a medical or allied health professional.
While it is preferable for all stages to be completed and for the process to be as thorough as possible, it is acknowledged that this will not always be possible. Therefore Stage 2 is not deemed mandatory.