Does the fitness industry need regulating?

As far as I am aware, there is no real regulation in the fitness industry. This is an interesting situation as industries that deal with people’s money are heavily regulated, yet an industry that is focused on people’s health hasn’t really got anything. I feel that now more than ever, the fitness industry perhaps needs some rules.

Is the fitness industry getting too big for its boots?

One of the main reasons I believe that regulation may be a good idea is the growing number of trainers and instructors entering the industry. There are dozens of training providers now delivering courses and more and more young people are choosing fitness as a career. This is ideal as the Country gets unhealthier but exposes more people to risks of injury and potential bad practices. Whilst a lot of the courses are very thorough, it doesn’t make up for life experience, what you may be able to do, a client may not. It’s easy to get carried away especially if you don’t have experience/age on your side.

Are personal trainers the new GP’s?

The obvious answer is no of course but with more focus on food quality and diet, it can be easy for a personal trainer to step on thin ice when it comes to nutrition. Another problem is the number of network marketing supplement companies trying to offer trainers ways to earn extra money. There is nothing wrong with this as supplementation is important nowadays, however in the quest for cash, isn’t there always a risk of “sell first, think later?” Surely there should be a standard set to protect the client?

Minimum standards

If you are registered with a professional body like REPS, this is credible and looks great to clients. The trouble is in my experience, not many clients ask! This is fine as I am part of a professional brand but how many trainers exist out there without even insurance or qualifications? Do you need qualifications to be a good trainer? Arguable, do the client need to know they are protected? Hell yes! I imagine that the number of trainers out there without qualifications or insurance is low but I assume are there some.

Franchises, Middle Men & Agencies

I am part of a franchise and it really works for me, doesn’t work for everyone but for me, it works. The biggest problem with the upcoming “we can get you clients” industry is the fact that a lot of trainers are getting exposed to high fees, lack of training and almost a sense of desperation. In the quest for growth, quality often gets sacrificed. Like I wrote in a previous post, the risk here is that trainers will do whatever takes to find agency fees or gym rents and this could mean a serious downturn in quality of service. Some companies are just interesting in making more money and having very little control over what the trainers do, if the trainer needs more clients, they get them. No training, no support, no nothing! This cannot be good for the perception of the fitness industry.

What needs to change?

In my opinion, more care and diligence should be applied to this industry to ensure a high standard or quality and service. It is too easy to accept good trainers and bad trainers and place too much emphasis on “at your own risk” Compulsory basic qualifications, health and safety audits and insurance are simple things but can go a long way. In terms of the business side of things, I would like to see more protection for personal trainers getting sold into things that don’t tell the whole truth.

Conclusion

If the fitness industry continues to be driven by money and selfishness, service and standards could suffer and decline. I believe some form of monitoring and regulation would vastly improve the client experience and start to eradicate the lack of trust that is quite prominent in this business.