Health Behaviour Change course
Learn how to maximise results for your clients through effective evidence-based behaviour change strategies on this Health Behaviour Change course.
Fitness industry's leading awarding bodies.
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Join our leading Health Behaviour Change course
Become a positive force for change. Help your clients shape their patterns of behaviour and reach their goals.
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Course type:
CPD
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Mode of study:
Online
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Course length:
4-6 weeks
Course overview: Health Behaviour Change course
This course is one of the most comprehensive, evidence-based behaviour change training courses available in the active leisure sector. It’s been specifically designed for health, fitness, and wellbeing professionals who are committed to supporting clients through meaningful and sustainable lifestyle changes.
Grounded in the latest psychological research and behaviour change theory, the course bridges the gap between theory and real-world application. You’ll gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence to engage clients in more impactful ways. Whether you’re helping them become more physically active, improve their nutrition, manage stress, or build healthier routines around sleep and recovery, you’ll be better equipped to support lasting change.
You’ll develop a deeper understanding of what drives behaviour and how to support lasting change. The skills learned can be applied across a variety of settings, from gyms and health clubs to community health programmes and one-on-one coaching environments.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Apply behaviour change theories and models in your day-to-day practice
- Communicate effectively with clients about change
- Recognise psychological barriers to change
- Support clients in adopting and maintaining long-term health-promoting behaviours
- Positively influence your clients’ approach to key lifestyle areas, including physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and stress management
- Understand the common reasons why people relapse on their change journey
Whether you’re a personal trainer, health coach, group fitness instructor, or wellbeing advisor, this Health Behaviour Change course will elevate your ability to guide clients toward meaningful and lasting change.
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Who the course is for
The Health Behaviour Change course is designed for exercise professionals who want to deepen their understanding of science and behaviour change interventions to support clients with their lifestyle choices.
Whether you're a personal trainer looking to develop a greater insight into the field, a nutrition coach trying to improve dietary adherence, or a health and wellbeing practitioner wanting to improve client and patient outcomes, this course is for you.
If you aren't a fitness professional and you're interested in completing this course for your own information, you are welcome to do so. However, without a fitness industry qualification, it wouldn't be appropriate for you to coach others. -
Entry requirements
You must be 18 and over to enrol on this course.
There are no formal entry requirements, as it is designed as a Continuing Professional Development (CPD). However, you must have an active interest in the subject area, and it’s recommended to have a qualification in the health and fitness industry to support your studies. -
Accreditations and endorsements
This course is fully endorsed by YMCA Awards, the UK’s leading fitness industry awarding organisation.
This course is also endorsed by CIMSPA, and on completion of this course, you’ll receive 10 CIMSPA CPD points.
What you'll learn
This course is designed to educate you to a high professional standard, equipping you with the knowledge and skills needed to support meaningful client change.
You’ll learn about the core principles of behaviour change and how to apply them in real-world practice. This will deepen your understanding of the psychological drivers of behaviour and help you create the right conditions to support effective, lasting change.
You’ll learn through a blend of online learning activities, engaging video lectures, and guided textbook reading.
The course is structured into the following nine modules:
- Introduction to Behaviour Change
- Professional Practice for Behaviour Change
- Conceptual Models of Behaviour Change
- Understanding Habits and their Formation
- Integrated Habit and Behaviour Change Cycle
- Motivation and Behaviour Change
- Principles of Successful Behaviour Change
- Communicating with Clients for Change
- Effective Goal Setting for Change
One of the core modules, Unit 3: Conceptual Models of Behaviour Change, provides essential theoretical knowledge recognised by CIMSPA. In this unit, you’ll explore major psychological theories and models that explain how and why people change their behaviour.
These include the self-determination theory, theories of reasoned action/planned behaviour, social cognitive theory, the health belief model, the COM-B model, social ecological model, and the transtheoretical model of change (TTM).
How you'll be assessed
To successfully complete this behaviour change course for health and fitness professionals, you'll be required to complete a knowledge workbook for each of the course modules. Each workbook will assess your knowledge and understanding of the core topics covered, including how to apply these effectively in a real-life coaching context.
The workbooks are multiple-choice and scenario-based. All questions need to be answered correctly to pass the module. You can re-take the workbooks as many times as you need to pass them.
100%
Knowledge workbooks
- Multi-choice
- Scenario-based
- Unlimited re-sits
Career opportunities: behaviour change
Understanding human behaviour is key to improving health and wellbeing. Our behaviours influence everything from physical activity and nutrition to sleep and stress management. When unhealthy habits take root, they can significantly increase the risk of chronic lifestyle conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Changing behaviour isn’t always easy, but with the right knowledge, tools, and techniques, lasting change is possible. That’s where your role becomes essential.
By completing this course, you’ll be equipped to provide deeper, more meaningful support to your clients. You’ll gain practical behaviour change strategies to help them overcome barriers, build healthier habits, and stay motivated throughout their health and fitness journey.
This course also opens the door to further professional development. Once completed, you may wish to expand your expertise through additional qualifications such as:
- Level 4 Health and Wellbeing Coaching Programme
- Motivational Interviewing for Health
- Solution-Focused Coaching Practitioner Course
Each of these pathways will enhance your ability to work confidently in behaviour change, whether you’re in fitness, healthcare, coaching, or a wellbeing-focused role.
One behaviour change course. Unlimited opportunities.
Our graduates have gone on to work with world-leading health, fitness and wellbeing brands.
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