Special Populations Courses and Instructor Qualifications

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need any previous qualifications?

  These qualifications are designed for current fitness professionals, therefore you will need to hold a Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instruction. Additionally, once you have completed your qualification, you can only teach exercise in the context of your qualifications (gym, exercise to music, circuit training etc).
  
  
  
  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 Nutrition modules which must also be completed to achieve this qualification.
  

• Can I combine different special populations courses?

  Absolutely – this is quite common. With diseases relating to inactivity being at almost epidemic levels, more and more people are now in need of specialist exercise advice. Many of these people may in fact present more than one medical condition, so it’s wise to develop a broad and deep understanding in this area.
  
  
  
  Our all-inclusive Special Populations Diploma is a programme which offers the greatest value. This combines Level 3 Exercise Referral, Level 3 Pre and Postnatal and Level 3 Exercise for Older Adults into a single competitively priced package.

• What will I learn on my special populations course?

  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 elderly and less able clients – this also involves developing a broad understanding of common medical conditions affecting this group of people.
  
  
  
  The Exercise for Pre and Postnatal clients explores how exercise can benefit pregnant women and new mothers, and what is and isn’t appropriate.
  
  
  
  To get an in-depth look at what each course entails, click on the relevant course page below.
  

• Will I be able to find work once I've qualified?

  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.
  
  
  
  Due to these growing trends, finding clients affected by the above statistics has perhaps never been easier.
  

• Are these recognised qualifications?

  All of our special populations courses are certificated by YMCA Awards, the industry's most widely sought after awarding body. These programmes are also accredited by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) who issue 20 CPD points per course for those who graduate – furthermore, it is possible to achieve Level 3 status with REPs after completing the Exercise Referral Diploma.

• What progression routes are available once I qualify?

  A popular progression route is to combine special populations qualifications with something like yoga and Pilates because many exercises for both of these disciplines can be adapted to a person's individual physical needs.
  
  
  
  Level 3 Exercise Referral is a prerequisite for Level 4 exercise specialist qualifications, such as Low Back Pain and the Obesity and Diabetes Certificate – these are also a common progression routes.