Continued Professional Development (CPD) is the formal process of gathering more knowledge and skills to allow you to better perform your professional role (e.g. personal training). Most professions require the people working in those roles to undertake regular CPD to keep industry-specific knowledge and skills up to date. In this regard, the fitness industry is no different.

CPD can take many forms, and it doesn’t always have to be related to a formal course or qualification. For example, if you subscribe to a specific publication (e.g., research journal), or you want to undertake some research around a particular subject, that can be considered CPD. The major challenge with these activities however is evidencing them to employers, professional bodies (e.g., CIMSPA), or other regulators. This is where formal training and qualifications can be useful because you get an official certificate on completion to evidence the knowledge and skills you have acquired.

CPD can involve a range of learning and training activities, including workshops, courses, conferences, independent learning, and formal qualifications. These activities usually sit outside of what is covered by the standard personal training qualification. By undertaking regular CPD, any professional can demonstrate to their employers, clients, insurers and any other stakeholders that they are seriously committed to professional practice.

CPD is an integral part of any professional role and there are a variety of reasons why it’s important. The fitness industry is a face-paced sector and things move and change quickly and often. If you don’t engage in regular CPD training, it really won’t be long until you’re left behind. Nothing says “I’m committed to being a professional PT” than somebody who regularly invests in gaining more knowledge, skills and confidence in what they are teaching.

In addition to becoming a better personal trainer, many employers also require their staff to complete regular CPD, usually on an annual basis. Where these employers (health clubs, leisure centres, gyms and private studios) are members of professional organisations like CIMSPA for example, they also need to evidence that their staff are completing such training. Similarly, if you’re a CIMSPA registered personal trainer, you too will need to evidence to CIMSPA that you are completing regular training to stay current.

Finally, if you want to teach specific types of fitness (e.g., kettlebell training, foam rolling, suspension training) and you want to demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills to do this, then completing a short CPD course in one of these areas can really help to demonstrate to employers, clients and insurers alike you are competent in these areas. It might not be a legal requirement, but it is best practice!

At the time of writing, CIMSPA requires all of its members to achieve a minimum of 10 points every year and 5 of these points must be achieved from CPD training that has been directly endorsed by CIMSPA. This means that the training provider delivering that CPD course has:

• mapped their programme to CIMSPA’s professional standards
• submitted it to CIMSPA for validation
• has paid the appropriate endorsement fees to CIMSPA

Those who join CIMSPA will be listed on the Exercise and Fitness Directory on the CIMSPA website. This is public facing and demonstrates to anyone that wants to see what knowledge, skills and qualifications all registered personal trainers hold. This is another reason to ensure that you are regularly completing CPD, so that potential employers and clients can see you are committed to high standards and ongoing learning and development.

Here at HFE we have a longstanding relationship with YMCA Awards and we have worked with them continuously for almost 20 years. Many of our systems and quality assurance practices are streamlined, which makes the endorsement process a little more efficient to manage.

YMCA Awards were the first awarding organisation in the health and fitness sector and they have a strong commercial reputation throughout the sector for awarding excellence. YMCA Awards have their own endorsement process that sits outside of the CIMSPA professional standards framework. Currently, we feel that this offers us a little more flexibility and freedom to develop CPD courses for personal trainers that better meet our customers needs.

The YMCA Awards kitemark is recognised around the world as an emblem for quality and you can rest assured that any CPD training you complete with us will be recognised.