Professional Competencies of Health and Fitness Instructors: Do they Match the European Standard?

The aim of this study was to test the competencies of a nationally representative sample of health and fitness (H&F) instructors according to EuropeActive’s educational standards at level 3 referenced to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and to explore the associations between the formal education of fitness instructors and their current competencies. The core knowledge (CK) of 155 fitness and group fitness instructors (FI) and the specific knowledge (SK) of 54 FI and 35 group fitness instructors (GFI) were analysed. In addition, 43 FI and 35 GFI underwent an examination of their practical skills. Only n=11 (7.1%) of the H&F instructors met the requirements for the CK. We found no significant differences by age, gender, education, type of employment, and professional experience. No FI passed the test for SK. Only 10 (15.6%) of the GFI passed the SK. Only three instructors passed the overall examination for the educational standards at EQF-level 3. The results highlight the importance of testing the competencies of H&F instructors in other European countries, and promoting the need for lifelong learning for fitness instructors. The competences of H&F instructors are an important source of trust for healthcare providers and other sector stakeholders implementing the strategy for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.