Level 3 Diploma Exercise Referral

If you are a qualified Level 2 Gym Instructor and have a keen interest in working with clients who have common long-term medical conditions, the Level 3 Diploma Exercise Referral course will allow you to help these clients achieve their health improvements or minimise the impact of their medical conditions on their quality of life. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to enable you to plan, deliver, and evaluate safe and effective sessions for clients who have been medically referred for exercise. It will also contribute to Continued Professional Development on your membership with CIMSPA.

This course will allow you to develop the skills and knowledge needed to progress from being a gym instructor to a qualified exercise referral specialist. If you’re passionate about supporting clients with medical conditions to improve their health and reduce their reliance on medication, this course is a great next step. You’ll also contribute to tackling the wider issue of physical inactivity, which is linked to 1 in 6 deaths and costs the UK economy £7.4billion each year.

If you're a personal trainer, this qualification can significantly expand your potential client base. Long-term medical conditions are becoming increasingly common, particularly in our ageing population, where age itself is a major risk factor. In fact, 36% of the working-age population report having at least one long-term health condition. By completing this qualification, you'll not only be equipped to support the health of your clients but also enhance the sustainability and growth of your personal training career. Additionally, this qualification is a prerequisite for progressing to more specialised, medically focused courses such as cardiac rehabilitation, cancer rehabilitation, or fall prevention.

During this course you will cover the following units:

• Anatomy and physiology for exercise
• Professional practice for exercise referral instructors
• Understanding medical conditions for exercise referral
• Applying the principles of nutrition and physical activity
• Planning exercise referral programmes with patients
• Instructing exercise with referred patients.

You will also gain the skills and knowledge required to work effectively with medically referred clients, building on the skills and knowledge developed through the Level 2 Gym Instructor course and any other level 3 courses completed, such as our personal training qualification.

The course is delivered by a combination of face-to-face sessions, online distance learning, and practical sessions, and is assessed via online examinations and continuous assessment of practical and portfolio work.

Upon completion of this course, you will be qualified as a Level 3 Exercise Referral Specialist, for which employment opportunities currently exist owing to a significant skills gap. You may also choose to progress onto other level 3 fitness qualifications, including personal training, if you are not already qualified in this area. The exercise referral qualification is not a personal trainer qualification, but specifically a course for fitness professionals working with medically referred clients. Employment in the fitness industry is also an option after this course. As a personal trainer, with this qualification, you will be able to accept a wider range of clients with these common medical conditions. The qualification is also a requirement to undertake more in-depth, specific medically related exercise qualifications such as cardiac or cancer rehabilitation.

The college regularly hosts guest lectures provided by local businesses such as PureGym, providing you with a valuable industry insight and allowing you the opportunity to speak to professionals about their job roles. The college is also closely linked with LiveWire, who receive exercise referred clients locally, and is affiliated to CIMSPA, where other employment and training opportunities also exist.

We have a team of staff dedicated to providing learning support if required, as well as a Wellbeing Team that is on hand to offer guidance, support and help when needed. Additionally, eligible students can access a wide range of finance and funding support to help them during their time at college.

Click here for learning support: https://wvr.ac.uk/college-life/learning-support

Click here for finance support: https://wvr.ac.uk/college-life/financial-support

All adult students have access to our online tutorial programme, Amplify, as well as the option to seek support from our Careers Team during their time at the college.

You will receive a personalised and contextual taught experience throughout the entirety of the course, with qualified staff from the sector delivering a thorough foundation to support you on your journey in the fitness industry.

This qualification is open to fitness professionals who hold a Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing (Gym/Exercise to Music or Aqua) or equivalent. The course requires physical exertion and individual participation is essential, therefore, a degree of physical fitness is necessary. There is also an element of communication (discussing, presenting, reading, and writing) involved, so you must have basic communication skills pitched at level 2.

For further information on funding, please contact our Learner Services Team on 01925 494400 or email learner.services@wvr.ac.uk.