Exercise referral schemes continue to grow in number through GP commissioning, local authorities and the private sector. An extremely rewarding and potentially profitable way of advancing your career prospects, the Diploma in Exercise Referral will amply prepare you for working with medically referred clients.

Utilising your chosen discipline (eg, personal training, exercise to music or yoga) you will be equipped to work with clients with a wide range of common medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, depression, diabetes (Type 1 and 2), hypertension and obesity. You will also gain knowledge about the UK health care system and the exercise referral process.

In order to gain the full Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral, you must also have completed Level 3 Anatomy and Physiology and Level 3 Exercise Nutrition

Whether you are already a qualified Personal Trainer or you are yet to start your learning and still planning your Personal Training Package with Fitness HQ, Exercise Referral is a fantastic qualification you should be considering.

When carrying out an initial consultation with a client, one of the first things we do is to get them to complete a PARQ (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) where the client should identify any medical conditions that they have that could be made worse by exercise if not properly planned or instructed. If a client does indicate that they have one of these medical conditions such as ‘high blood pressure’, ‘angina’ or ‘diabetes’ then a Gym Instructor or PT will have to refer the client to their GP to get their consent to exercise. This throws up an immediate barrier to exercise for the client who now has to visit or contact their GP and may have to pay for a doctors’ note, and a barrier to the Instructor/PT who may lose out on a new client if the GP refers them to a different scheme or just loses motivation by the delay.

So how can we keep this client and make sure they’re having a positive experience of exercise, perhaps for the first time? The answer is to do the Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral. This course allows you to work with clients who suffer from medical conditions which require additional knowledge to deliver safely and effectively without the need to refer them to a GP. You will gain a greater understanding of 16 of the most common medical conditions which the population suffer from, the medications they take and the side effects of these and, most importantly, how to plan, manage and deliver suitable exercise programmes which will improve your client’s’ conditions.

Exercise Referral instructors can also become a full time job in its own right,  and the role gives you the opportunity to support clients who have been referred to you through a local authority health improvement scheme. This can be a great base from which to develop a PT client base and increase your income.

For many, working as an Exercise Professional is a passion and provides job satisfaction that is almost unrivalled. Helping people to become healthier and happier by doing something we love doing, exercising. That is what the Exercise Referral Qualification allows you to do with clients who need the support more than most.

YMCA Awards Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral

The Personal Trainer Certificate is a part time course which typically takes around four to six months to complete, including the assessment phase. Face-to-face tuition, mentoring and practical sessions are held during weekends.  

When you have successfully completed and passed the course you will be awarded the YMCA Awards Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing.

The cost of the course is normally £599 but if booked before 22/6/18 you only need to pay £380 This will include access to the Metabolic Effect Hormonal Personal Training Course worth £250!