Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Firstly, a brochure can be downloaded about REPs. This is designed to explain REPs to members of the public along with the benefits of using a registered exercise professional and registered exercise facility.
Feel free to scroll though this page to view all questions, or use the links below go directly to the relevant section:
♦ What is REPs and how are its standards determined? ♦ Why does REPs exist?
♦ What is a registered facility / registered trainer? ♦Fees, who pays what?
♦ What is REPs' advice to the public? ♦ REPs structure/ownership
♦ How do I find a registered facility or registered trainer? ♦ Q&A for exercise professionals
♦ Q&A for those running an exercise facility
Other useful pages:
The What is REPs page outlines in detail the what REPs is, and the many benefits of using a REPs Registered Exercise Professional, along with the many benefits of being registered.
The Registration page outlines the steps involved in registering with REPs, which is useful for those working in the exercise industry (or wanting to do so), along with education providers and exercise facility owners and managers.
Education providers may also find the Education Providers Page useful.
Questions and Answers:
Q: What does REPs do?
Short Answer: REPs registers exercise professionals, exercise facilities and education providers in New Zealand, ensuring each meets the required industry standards.
Detailed Answer: For members of the public and other health professionals, registration with REPs is the recognised standard to ensure safe and effective exercise advice. REPs operates a search function on this web site so you can find exercise facilities (search function found here) and/or exercise professionals (search function found here). REPs is recognised internationally as THE standard for exercise professionals/facilities in New Zealand.
For more details on this question, please see the What is REPs page.
Q: How are REPs standards set?
Short Answer: REPs benchmarks against the agreed fitness industry standards for exercise professionals.
Detailed Answer: REPs is a independent body, that consults with the exercise industry, education providers and international exercise community. REPs standards are based on establishing the core competencies required for each level of registration, and then formatting these standards into a system to be administered on an ongoing basis. These standards are also benchmarked internationally to ensure global recognition.
As requirements to perform any role changes over time, REPs consults extensively with the exercise industry, Skills Active (the NZQA standard setter for education and training in this area) as well as relevant government agencies to ensure that both the requirements of registration, and those registered by REPs, continue to meet the standards required.
Q: Why does REPs exist?
Short Answer: To provide instant verification that an exercise professional meets the New Zealand standards.
Detailed Answer: Registration for exercise professionals is now in place in over 30 countries around the world, providing an independent and simple verification process that an exercise professional / facility meets the standards required to provide safe and effective exercise advice.
This registration process provides benefits to many groups, including members of the public, exercise professionals, employers, and allied health professionals wishing to engage with the exercise industry. This is outlined in detail on the What is REPs page.
Q: What is a REPs Registered Exercise Professional?
Short Answer: An individual independently verified by REPs as meeting the New Zealand standards to provide exercise advice.
Detailed Answer: An individual that successfully registers with REPs is called a Registered Exercise Professional. This means that they meet industry standards to deliver exercise advice and/or demonstration(i)
To maintain registration an individual must continually up-skill to keep up to date with the latest trends and developments in exercise delivery. This re-registration process occurs annually, so is like a "warrant of fitness check". To protect the public, all registered exercise professionals are bound by a code of ethical practice, that covers professional standards and conduct of the individuals. REPs also has a complaints process to deal with any breaches of the code.
All REPs Registered Exercise Professionals are issued with a certificate to enable easy identification, as well as being able to be verified anytime by contacting REPs (a persons registration status is public information).
In the same way that you would use are registered Physiotherapist for injury treatment(ii), using the services of a REPs Registered Exercise Professional ensures your exercise advice is both safe and effective.
Q: What is a REPs Registered Exercise Facility?
Short Answer: The best place to get safe and effective exercise advice.
Detailed Answer: REPs has made it easy for the public to find a Registered Exercise Professional, by also registering exercise facilities. Registered facilities agree to ONLY use the services of Registered Exercise Professionals in any exercise advice/demonstration role.
A useful analogy is Registered Exercise Professionals are like medical professionals, where as a Registered Exercise Facility is like a hospital. As a member of the public you can be assured that all the individuals working at a hospital are suitable qualified and kept up to date on their role, and that each person performs the role for which they are trained, and refers on when needed(i).
A Registered Exercise Facility only uses the services of Registered Exercise Professionals. In other words, by going to a Registered Exercise Facility, you can be assured that every individual there that gives exercise advice or demonstration is registered at the level appropriate to their role. A REPs Registered Exercise Facility is also bound by the Fitness New Zealand industry code of ethics, which offers many protections to users of the facility.
A Registered Exercise Facility also agrees to follow the industry code of ethics set by Fitness New Zealand. This code can be found here. This code has a number of protections for members of the public, including protection when buying memberships above those offered by the law.
Our advice to the public is simple
Only use the services of REPs Registered Exercise Facilities and Registered Exercise Professionals.
You can find a list of facilities near you by calling us on 0800-55-44-99 or using our search engine.
Just as the best way to receive safe medical advice is to visit a GP Clinic, the best way to receive safe and effective exercise advice is to use a REP's Registered Exercise Facility.
How do I find a Registered Exercise Facility or a Registered Exercise Professional near me?
Answer: Use the search for trainers and search for facilities on this web site or call us on 0800-55-44-99 during office hours.
REP'S STRUCTURE - Who owns REPs ?
Answer: REPs was first set up as a partnership between FitnessNZ, the industry association, and Skills Active (called Sfrito at the time) who are the government recognised standard setter for education and training in the fitness sector in 2001. REPs is non profit and operates under a company structure.
REPs is now entirely owned by FitnessNZ on behalf of the industry, and funds itself entirely from its activities (i.e. registration fees). REPs is non profit, meaning it only uses funds received to run its operations, and does not pay any dividends or returns to any person or organisation.
REPs is governed by a board as outlined on the REPs board page.
Q: Does REPs have any affiliations to any education/training provider or exercise facilities ?
Answer: REPs is independent of any education/training providers and also exercise facilities. All training providers and facilities have equal input into REPs through the various feedback processes we have in place. To ensure REPs remains totally independent, REPs will never undertake training of any kind, nor will it ever operate any exercise facilities.
REPs does recommend certain education providers courses, but only once they have been reviewed by REPs to ensure they meet the standards. REPs does not recommend any course over any others (either a course meets REPs standards, or it does not).
Questions about Registering & Fees
Q: Are there any fees for members of the public to use REPs?
Answer: These services are all free. The REPs search engines, complaints process, brochures are all provided for no charge to members of the public.
Q: What fees do you charge?
Answer: REPs charges various fees to exercise professionals, exercise facilities and education providers to register with REPs. All fees are listed on the relevant application form, and vary depending on the level and type of registration being applied for. In 2009 fees for facilities, range from $195 to $495 per year plus GST, depending on the facility size. For individuals fees, fees range from $65 to $295 plus GST, depending on the level of registration, and whether the individual is based at a registered facility.
Q: Is the registration fee annual?
Answer: Yes. This is to ensure that the individual and facility not only meets the requirements once, but continues to meet them. (Note some fees for education provides are every two years).
What are all the fees for?
REPs is an independent organisation with the sole purpose of running and marketing the registration system. As such it needs money to do this, the fees reflects this. The various fees REPs charges are in direct proportion to the costs to REPs. As a non profit organisation REPs only charges what is needed to operate, no one makes a profit from REPs activities. As REPs is not involved in training of any kind it has no vested interest in any particular training provider, nor in any facility.
FACILITY QUESTIONS
Q: I/we own more than one club in the same city - do I have to pay to register each facility?
Answer: No, just one fee as long as you meet certain criteria. The REPs policy is that as all facilities in the same city AND with the ownership AND can provide us with one contact person for all facilities can register and pay as one facility (simply include the list of the facilities included in this). Facilities in different cities register separately.
Q: What if an aerobics instructor works for more than one club ? Who's club are they included under for the REPs registered facility ?
Answer: As long as all staff at the facility are registered, then the facility can become a registered facility. Individuals working at more that one facility need only register once, and their registration is valid for all facilities they work at. The only thing the registered facility needs to ensure is that all the exercise professionals at the facility are registered.
Q: What about instructors in training ? How do I deal with them obtaining registration?
Answer: We recognise that you may choose to training your own staff, such as through Skills Active's National Certificate programme. In this case all we ask is that they register at the highest level they can and that when they operate at levels outside of this that they are under the direct supervision of an individual registered at that level. e.g. a 'trainee' may register at the lowest level (exercise assistant) but operate as a exercise consultant as long as they are being supervised while they are performing these duties. We can provide you with a process and log book so that this is documented.
Q: Do aqua instructors need to register if they offer classes at a pool which is not part of our complex ?
Answer: Yes. Our policy on all such questions of "what about xxx instructors" is that if they demonstrate or advise on exercise then they should register. In the case of many group activities, this falls under the Group Exercise level.
Q: My Personal Trainers are employees, and not independent contractors, so they are covered by our workplace insurance, to they get a lower registration fee ?
Answer: Yes, we have a special "PT-Employee" registration.
Q: Our facility is in a rural location, we have difficulty to up-skill, how will REPs help with this ?
Answer: We recognise the difficulty some areas have with little or no providers in the area. Part of the benefit of being apart of REPs is that we can assist in facilitating groups of registered professionals, and training providers to bring them together. It may be that collectively in your area you have 20 or 30 registered individuals, we can approach training providers and see if they will come to your area to run a course (just as an example).
Q: I am the only exercise professional/owner at my club. Do I have to pay to be a registered facility and a registered individual. How does this all work ?
Answer: We have a special "sole operator pack" that is designed just for you. It includes all the elements required for registration of your facility, and you personally. You receive an associate membership to Fitness New Zealand, become listed as a registered facility and also registered at the PT level individually (naturally you still need to met the registration standards for the last step). The combined value of this is over $700, and as a single pack is $495.
Q: What about Pilates and Yoga - are they included ?
Answer: Yes they are included. All activities that involve exercise demonstration and/or advice are included. The only exception is sports coaching where no exercise demonstration is provided, other than the skills specific to the sport (e.g. teaching someone how to kick a soccer ball is not covered by REPs, but if they give exercise advice about "getting fit" then they should register). So in the case of Pilates, they fall under the "Group Exercise" level. We will be working with REPs registered facilities that provide Pilates and professionals to establish specific standards around Pilates, and this will form part of the REPs requirements to be registered at this level and teach Pilates.
QUESTIONS FOR EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS
Q: I work for a registered facility and also do work outside of this in my own capacity, do I still get to register at the reduced rate through my exercise facility?
Answer: Yes, you pay the discounted rate. This registration covers you for both your activities at the facility and outside it.
Q: I don't have any formal qualifications, but I do know what I am doing - where do I fit in?
Answer: We recognise that the industry is presently made up of individuals with a mix of qualifications and hands on experience and skills learnt on the job. We have a registration pathway that allows for individuals with little or no qualifications to be assessed and confirmed as competent. This can either be through a Skills Active assessor, or through a registered education provider (a process called Recognition of Prior Learning or RPL). If you apply for registration under this pathway we will provide you with a list of such organisations.
Q: I have a qualification from ABC Institution, does that enable me to register ?
Answer: Qualifications from a REPs Registered Education provider will enable you to register through pathway one (this is an very simple process). A list of Registered Education providers are listed here. Qualifications from non Registered qualifications can still enable you to register, but through a different process (pathway three on the application form) - you will need to provide REPs with detailed descriptors of the courses/modules you have completed and these will be reviewed against the REPs standards (there is an additional fee for this). If you're not sure exactly where you fit in, then apply for registration, and once you have done this we can point you in the right direction.
Q: Here's my CV - can u tell me if I meet the standards ?
Answer: There is normally far more to this question than may appear. For this reason in all cases we ask that you apply for registration and we will then tell you where you fit in and what you may need to do to gain registration (if anything). If you want to know what level you should register for, you can download the help sheet for registration, they outline the basic requirements for each level, and will give you a good idea of where you are likely to fit in.
There will always be far more questions that can be answered on a web page. So if you have any questions not answered here, or would just like more information, please feel free to call REPs on 0800-55-44-99, drop as an email (info@reps.org.nz) or use on of the other contact methods.