Exercise specialist courses and qualifications

These qualifications are largely designed for qualified fitness professionals and so you will need to hold as a minimum a Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instruction. Additionally, once you have completed your qualification, you can only teach exercise in the context of your specific qualifications (gym, exercise to music, circuit training etc). For example, if you have a gym instructor and pre and postnatal (PPN) qualification, you can only work with the PPN clients in a gym environment.

If you are considering the Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral, we also recommend that you hold a Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training – while this isn’t mandatory, it will help you greatly with the programme and will enable you to focus exclusively on the medical conditions element of the course. The exercise referral course cost does not include the anatomy and physiology module, which must also be completed to achieve this qualification.

In order to enrol on a Level 4 Exercise Specialist course, you must already hold, or be working towards a Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral (or equivalent). Don’t worry however if you haven’t yet booked your place on this course because we have a variety of packages that combine and discount the Level 4 and exercise referral qualifications when they are booked together.

This largely depends on the specific pathway you select. Generally, speaking, you’ll gain a deep understand of your chosen medical condition and how to effectively programme exercise and physical activity for individuals with these conditions.

Our Level 4 Exercise Specialist courses are all presented by leading doctors in their respective fields, meaning that you get the most accurate and reliable information about the content and pathway you are studying.

You’ll also learn about the medications used to control these conditions, their side effects and how to assess and monitor patients’ progress throughout their exercise journey. These qualifications really are packed with lots of advanced knowledge and skills to enable you to meet the specific needs of their target population.

As an HFE student, you’ll be supported continuously throughout the course. During the home-study phase of these exercise specialist courses, you’ll have a dedicated Learner Support Tutor who will guide you through your course. The practical element of the course is delivered by a team of highly qualified and experienced fitness industry and medical professionals.

In addition to our team, these exercise specialist courses are also extremely well-resourced. You’ll receive training manuals, award-winning online learning materials, mock exams, interactive worksheets, video lectures and much more. Our support and resources really are second to none.

As a Level 4 Exercise Specialist, a number of employment and career opportunities will open up. A popular career path is to work in a formal exercise referral scheme, providing specialist exercise instruction to clients referred by their GP.

Other opportunities also include working privately with patients suffering from these specific conditions, working with weight management groups, physiotherapists, chiropractors and podiatrists to provide specialist exercise advice. It’s perhaps important to stress here that even when you’ve completed these qualifications, you’ll still be required to work alongside clinicians and other members of the medical community.

This ultimately depends on the pathway and courses that you select. Generally speaking:

Exercise Referral is concerned with planning and structuring exercise for clients that have been referred to an exercise professional from their GP, and requires a deep understanding of a wide-range of medical conditions, including: obesity, diabetes, low back pain, arthritis, high cholesterol, stress, anxiety and high blood pressure.

Exercise for Older Adults is concerned with adapting exercise programmes to the specific needs of the elderly and less able clients – this also involves developing a broad understanding of common medical conditions affecting this group of people.

Exercise for Pre and Postnatal Clients explores how exercise can benefit pregnant women and new mothers, and what is and isn’t appropriate.

Exercise for Disabled Clients promotes inclusion and enables an instructor to effectively work with clients with disabilities.

All of our special populations courses are certificated by YMCA Awards, the industry’s most widely sought-after awarding body.

Some of our more speciality programmes, like eating disorders and nutrition for pre and postnatal clients are endorsed CPD courses rather than regulated qualifications. This is because Ofqual don’t have a regulated qualification framework for these subjects because they are so specialist. These courses are however still endorsed by YMCA Awards and undergo rigorous quality assurance, both here at HFE and at YMCA Awards.

All of our special populations qualifications are also endorsed and supported by CIMSPA.

Our Level 4 courses are certificated by Active IQ and are fully recognised by all fitness industry employers. They are also recognised by the industry’s professional body, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

We have also had our Level 4 Exercise Specialist courses endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine, to provide our graduates with an extra accreditation and recognition of their achievements.

The demand for those who have the knowledge to work with special populations has never been higher. To give some context: between 1985 and 2015, the number of UK citizens aged 65 or over increased by 20% to 10.3 million; there are approximately 600,000 registered births every year; and the World Health Organisation (WHO) continues to report that obesity is a worldwide epidemic.

Recent reports have revealed that in 1 in 5 people in the UK has a disability yet only 18% of adults with a disability undertake more than 30 minutes exercise a week.

These exercise specialist qualifications are designed for exercise professionals (not doctors) so you don’t have to worry about failure. All of the content that you need to know is provided and our team of expert tutors will explain exactly what you need to do – all you need to do is work hard and follow the programme.

The Level 4 Exercise Specialist courses do not have knowledge-based assessments and so you don’t have to worry about passing any tricky exams. What you will need to do, however, is develop a sound understanding of the relevant medical conditions and your ability to assess, design and instruct exercise to patients with these conditions effectively.