Frequently Asked Questions
This page 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:
Public
2. How are REPs standards set?
4. What is a REPs Registered Exercise Professional?
5. What is a REPs Registered Exercise Facility?
7. Does REPs have any affiliations to any education/training provider or exercise facilities?
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 website so you can find exercise facilities and/or exercise professionals (search function found on the left side of this page). 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 as well as holding a current first aid. 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.
Notes:
(i) Most exercise professionals scope covers both providing exercise advice and demonstration. In the case of those registered as a group exercise level, this scope is limited to demonstration only. For full details on the various level of registration, please see the REPs levels page.
(ii) Some medical professionals, such as physiotherapists, also provide exercise advice as a part of their role. REPs acknowledges these roles, and many Registered Exercise Professionals work in conjunction with medical professionals for injury treatment. Outside of injury treatment, REPs advises members of the public to ensure persons giving exercise advice are registered with REPs.
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 Exercise 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 Exercise 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.
Notes:
(i) The medical example is used as an analogy only, not to imply that any exercise professionals are medically trained.
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.
Q: Who owns REPs?
Answer: REPs was first set up as a partnership between ExerciseNZ, 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 ExerciseNZ 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).
