Instruct exercise and fitness sessions

​This standard is about instructing exercise and fitness sessions with apparently healthy participants; both individuals and small groups.

The main outcomes of this standard are:

1. prepare participants and environment for the exercise and fitness session
2. Instruct exercise and fitness sessions to participants
3. close and reflect upon an exercise & fitness session

This standard is for instructors who prepare, instruct and review exercise sessions of all types. These will typically include:

• gym based exercise
• small group exercise

1. prepare the environment and self for the exercise session
2. identify and select safe and correct equipment for the exercise session
3. meet the participants at the agreed times
4. carry out the appropriate screening process and collect any new information relating to the participants' readiness to take part in the exercise session
5. discuss the programme you have agreed with the participants and describe the physical and technical demands to them
6. provide the participants with clear explanations and demonstrations of all the exercise components
7. provide the participants with effective instruction, teaching and motivational strategies to carry out the exercise session safely and effectively
8. check the participants' understanding of instructions and give them the opportunity to ask questions
9. monitor the intensity and technique of the exercise selected using appropriate methods for the exercise component
10. review participants' performance and provide suitable progressions, regressions and alternatives in response to their needs
11. adhere to the planned timings for the exercise
12. provide opportunity for participants to reflect on the session and provide feedback
13. give participants a summary of your feedback on the session
14. ensure the participants have details about future sessions
15. leave the environment in a condition acceptable for future use by yourself or others
16. refer any health, safety or welfare issues in accordance with legal and organisational procedures

1. ​the current legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols which are relevant to your work practice and to which you must adhere
2. the scope and limitations of your own competence, responsibilities and accountability as it applies to your job role
3. the principles of anatomy and physiology including skeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, energy and digestive system
4. how to apply anatomy and physiology when delivering safe and effective sessions for a range of participants
5. the components of health related fitness and how to apply these into a programme of exercise to suit your participants' needs
6. the health benefits of physical activity and risks of inactivity
7. the general healthy eating advice that can be given to participants based on credible sources
8. ways of identifying and preparing safe and correct equipment and environments for the exercise session
9. ways of organising the environment to enable safe exercise performance
10. the correct procedures for checking equipment and dealing with any items that are unsafe
11. why you should meet the participants punctually and make them feel welcome
12. methods of screening and collecting any new information relating to the participants' readiness for the exercise session
13. when to confirm or revise the agreed programme based on any new information received from the participants
14. ways of explaining the physical and technical demands of the session to the participants
15. ways of providing explanations and demonstrations that relate to the participants' needs and level of experience
16. why you should check the participants' understanding of instructions and give them the opportunity to ask questions
17. methods for monitoring the intensity and technique of the exercises selected
18. how to ensure that participants carry out exercises in a safe and effective manner
19. different types of instructing and teaching methods and how they can be used to meet different participants' needs
20. ways of reviewing participants' performance and when to provide suitable progressions and regressions in response to their needs
21. ways of assessing if a participant has needs outside your level of competence and how to refer to other professionals
22. the purpose of allowing sufficient time to end the session, according to the participants' level of experience
23. the methods for gathering feedback from participants and others
24. ways of providing participants with a summary of your feedback on the session
25. why participants should have information about future sessions
26. ways of leaving the environment in a condition acceptable for future use by yourself or others
27. specific procedures for reporting issues which are beyond your competence, responsibilities and accountability

​Equipment:

1. cardiovascular
2. fixed resistance
3. free weights
4. portable
5. functional exercise equipment

Methods:

1. interview
2. questionnaire
3. verbal screening
4. observation

​This standard links to SKAEAF2, SKAEAF4 and SKAEAF20