Dr Sally Lark responds to "Is Gym Work Really Good for You" Personally I do think exercise is good for you, but I agree with both Dr Simon Mayhew and Richard Beadle about the lack of regulation in the gym setting, in particular the level of training of personal trainers. This is definitely a case of where a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. While individual trainers will bring their own flavour and personality to the way they train people, it should be still be safe and based on research evidence as to its effectiveness. The gym owners have a duty of care to ensure they employ appropriately qualified individuals, and that does not mean enthusiasts who have completed weekend courses, several weeks, or even a few months. There is little protection for your casual gym user, elite athlete, and those on green prescription exercise needing safe expert advice. While it’s true that the industry is regulated by voluntary bodies, at least it’s a start. Trainers registered with voluntary bodies at least gives the person seeking expertise and advice a level of confidence in the person they place their health and fitness. This is even more important for those on green prescription with advanced health problems. For example, Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand accredit Clinical Exercise Physiologists, which is akin to international accreditation criteria (Australia, UK and USA). Those accredited are highly qualified to train those with health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory problems, arthritis and osteoporosis. Attempts have been made to get the government to recognise that there is a public safety issue and regulate via the Health Professions Competence Assurance Act, however at this point they remain adamant that it is not required. Meanwhile, it is up to the voluntary bodies SESNZ (sports science support, musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation, and clinical exercise physiologists; sesnz.org.nz), REPs (gym trainers), and Fitness NZ (gyms) to set a high standard and get the message out to the public to work with voluntary registered people with a recognised standard of training and qualifications.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:22:00 +0000
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