Membership Categories

A personal trainer has the competence to design exercise programmes for a range of clients with a range of exercise goals and can apply core elements of fitness instruction including health screening, applying the principles of exercise science, supporting long-term behaviour change, promoting health and safety, and providing customer service. Personal trainers can carry out a client fitness assessment and use the results to design, manage, review and adapt personal training programmes and deliver them safely and effectively. A personal trainer will also understand and apply the principles of nutrition and weight management to their clients' programmes.

A gym instructor can independently plan and supervise exercise in the gym. They will be able to apply core elements of fitness instruction including health screening, principles of anatomy and physiology, motivation, healthy lifestyles, health and safety, and customer service. Gym instructors will have the competence to plan, demonstrate, supervise and monitor gym-based exercise using a variety of equipment and training specifications from cardiovascular, resistance and flexibility training. Gym instructors are not the same as personal trainers and are not able to plan long-term individualised programmes for a range of fitness goals.

A group fitness instructor focuses on the delivery of exercise sessions to a group, normally in the studio environment, and has the competence to independently instruct one or more class disciplines depending on their qualifications. They apply core elements of fitness instruction including health screening, anatomy and physiology, motivation, healthy lifestyles, health and safety and customer service. Competences include planning, preparing and delivering group exercise, managing a session and evaluating outcomes. A group fitness instructor may be qualified in one or more pre-choreographed exercise routines.

A group fitness instructor (freestyle) has the competence to plan and instruct group exercise sessions set to music. They apply core elements of fitness instruction including health screening, anatomy and physiology, motivation, healthy lifestyles, health and safety and customer service. They focus on the delivery of exercise sessions set to music in a studio environment and have competency in planning, selecting, sequencing and progressing exercises with appropriate music and original choreography. Competences also include preparing and delivering sessions, bringing them to an end, and evaluating outcomes.

A REPs UAE Yoga Teacher has trained, as a minimum, to the standard of the Yoga Alliance RYT 200 instructor standards. The 200-hour curriculum includes foundational concepts covering: Techniques, Training and Practice (Asana, Pranayama and Subtle Body, Meditation); Anatomy and Physiology (Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics); Yoga Humanities (History, Philosophy, Ethics); and Professional Essentials (Teaching Methodology, Professional Development, Practicum).

A Pilates teacher can design, manage, adapt and deliver a series of mat Pilates sessions for apparently healthy adults. They apply core elements of fitness instruction including health screening, exercise science, long-term behaviour change, health and safety, and customer service. They have the competence to give clear instructions, demonstrate skills and techniques, monitor a class and correct exercise with positive feedback. A Pilates teacher can work with individual clients or group classes. Core competences include designing, preparing and teaching mat Pilates exercises, monitoring participant progress and bringing sessions to a close.

A Pilates instructor (comprehensive) has all the competences of a Pilates teacher in relation to mat Pilates and additionally has further competence across a range of Pilates equipment including reformer, cadillac, chair, barrel and other apparatus. This category is normally for instructors who hold the certification of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) or equivalent comprehensive training that covers both mat and equipment-based Pilates.

An aqua fitness instructor has the competence to plan, deliver and evaluate water-based fitness activities. They apply core elements of fitness instruction including health screening, anatomy and physiology, motivation, healthy lifestyles, health and safety and customer service. They understand and can apply knowledge of aquatic exercise environments, their benefits and limitations, exercise techniques, related equipment, exercise progressions and stretching used in water-based classes. Competences include planning, preparing and delivering water-based exercise, bringing sessions to a close and evaluating outcomes.

A children's fitness instructor has the knowledge and skills required to plan, prepare and deliver safe and effective physical activity sessions for children aged 5–11 years and 11–15 years. They understand the legal and professional requirements, including safeguarding, when leading physical activity sessions for children. This qualification reflects a commitment to the wellbeing and development of young people through structured, age-appropriate exercise programming.

A REPs UAE Advanced Exercise Specialist has exceptional experience in exercise instruction and specialist education which they have applied in practice with their clients. Requirements include: a minimum of five years' experience in exercise instruction with employer references; an advanced, high-level certification in a specialised area of exercise instruction; and at least one year of demonstrated exercise instruction with the client group(s) covered by their advanced specialist certification. Advanced Exercise Specialists demonstrate unrivalled professionalism at the highest level of the profession.