Written by Mark Laws, Future Fit’s Master Personal Trainer
‘If you’d have asked me a few years ago I would have said that online training or learning could never be as good as its face-to-face counterpart. But the post-pandemic world has made lots of us assess that viewpoint. Whilst I still believe that statement to be true when it comes to learning some specific skills, I now think that online learning not only has a place, but that it’s actually crucial for any modern fitness professional.
Change is apparently the only constant in life, and that’s certainly true in the health and wellness sector where progress is continual. As professionals we need to adapt and embrace technology, allowing it to transform the way we conduct our businesses for the better.
Working as a PT, a typical working day will rarely be 9.00 to 5.00, Monday to Friday. In fact, your busiest times will usually be the hours outside of the traditional working hours; evenings, weekends and holidays, the times when your clients are free. So, finding a free day to travel and attend a CPD training course is not going to be easy. However, online CPD learning removes the need for travel and, if the learning is designed in bitesize chunks, it could be fitted into small gaps between clients.
One of the downsides to the technology constantly at our fingertips is that it’s given a platform, literally, for anyone to preach from. This has created a definite need for credible content, created by experts that can be studied with confidence.
This is where ProZone comes in.
ProZone is a low-cost, monthly subscription service that gives users access to a wide range of educational material carefully produced to enhance the capabilities of all fitness professionals.
New content is added to the library every month, meaning that PTs have access to the latest knowledge to boost their skills. Three of these pieces are longer form articles, over 1000 words, that are worth 0.75 CIMSPA CPD points, meaning that, just by reading these articles every month, you can gain 27 CPD points per calendar year.
Besides these, there are other pieces of content available each month which do not carry CIMSPA CPD points – this does not mean that they are not of the same quality, just that they are less than 1000 words (or videos shorter than 15 minutes) ideal for quick consumption and implementation into the practice of a busy PT.
Getting started with ProZone couldn’t be simpler, users are provided with a log in, and once on the platform you can search for the content you’re interested in. This could be a scroll through the latest content, a search for something specific to support a client, such as ‘diabetes nutrition’, or a term to develop skills that extend the exercise repertoire, like ‘kettlebell workout’.
Each article or video carrying CPD points will have three questions at the end – once answered correctly the CPD points will automatically be added to your profile so you can see how many you’ve completed, plus they’ll sync directly to your CIMSPA account – allowing you to stay on the CIMSPA register.
As the UK’s foremost provider of training courses in the health and fitness space, Future Fit are ideally positioned to not only provide the education currently in demand, but to create solutions for training needs ahead of time. This means we can build upon the existing content (covering Training, Coaching, Business, and Nutrition) with learning that covers areas to strengthen and improve the sector. New additions planned for the coming months include Group Exercise, Pilates, Strength & Conditioning, Biomechanics, Customer Service, and Leadership & Management.
By utilising ProZone, gym owners and operators can be satisfied that their staff are maintaining and expanding their knowledge in a cost-effective and time-efficient way. Plus, the information can all be utilised immediately meaning that staff are leading the way with their client offering, whilst obtaining as many CPD points as required.
As an organisation in a competitive market, attracting and retaining the best talent is essential. Knowledgeable, confident personal trainers will attract more clients, increasing your share of the market and improving employee engagement. Plus, with in-person attendance for training no longer necessary, your staff will find they have more time to spend building their client base.’