Which? fitness instructor report slammed by FIA

The Fitness Industry Association (FIA) has slammed claims by consumer magazine Which? that many instructors in health and fitness clubs across Britain are unqualified, saying its survey was based on poor research methodology, directed at the wrong people and inappropriately timed.

The survey also claimed that many of the clubs had never even heard of the Register of Exercise Professionals.

Researchers for Health Which? made calls to 10 major chains, 10 local authority gyms, 10 hotels with leisure facilities and 20 independent clubs posing as new members and said that although all the gyms claimed they employed qualified instructors, a third were unable or unwilling to say what the qualifications were.

' The research sampled only 50 fitness facilities out of a UK total of 6,500,' said Nigel Wallace, FIA chief executive. 'Questions were directed at receptionists and administrative staff who would not necessarily have knowledge of instructor qualifications. At the time of this investigation, REPs had only been launched two months and had been marketed towards employers rather than employees. It would be quite exceptional for reception staff to be conversant with a programme they have not been informed about.'

REPs was set up in January as a regulatory system to raise standards of fitness instruction, and the FIA says that the Which? report was conducted too soon afterwards for the register to have established any momentum. 'It will takes several months to achieve widespread understanding,' said Wallace, 'but England is leading the world in this approach and in just six months REPs has already had over 13,000 applications and pledges to join.'

Another Which? researcher posed as an applicant for gym instructor jobs, and claimed to be considered for a position five out of ten times, despite having no qualifications.

An FIA spokesperson said, 'Al l our clubs work differently so it is up to them respond to this claim on an individual basis. However, we have no issue with good quality people being taken on, trained and qualified prior to fitness instruction. The bottom line is that all instructors should be competent to do their job.'

A spokesperson for Cannons health clubs said: 'Cannons believes that training and qualifications are essential and we have established a dedicated in-house training scheme, the Cannons Academy. Cannons will employ people on attitude as well as qualifications, but all instructors will receive full training - which includes first aid, use of defibrillators and national pool lifeguard training - before they are allowed to work with our members.' Cannons was also one of the founding members of the REPs scheme. REPs registration forms are available on +44 (0)8456 016067 or [email protected]