Code and Practice

Code 1: Safeguard the best interest of your client

The primary responsibility of the personal trainer is to protect
and safeguard the client’s safety, health and well-being. Never
compromise this with your own self-gain, personal interest or
monetary gain.
Recommend products or services only if it benefits the client, not
because it will boost your income or position.
Disclose to your client any potential benefit that you will gain
from selling products or services to your client.
Base the number of training sessions required on your clients’
needs and not your financial requirements.

Code 2: Keep professional boundaries

Do not exploit any professional relationship with a client,
supervisor, employee or colleague- sexually or economically.
Always respect your client’s right to privacy. A client’s results,
conversations, behaviour, secrets and where possible, even
identity should be kept confidential.
Focus on the professional trainer-client relationship and not the
client’s personal life, except when appropriate (e.g. when client
is sharing his/her exercise or health history).
Avoid any unnecessary physical contact or sexually-based banter
with the client.
When you are unable to maintain a professional relationship
either because of your own limitations or that of the client,
kindly refer him/her to another better equipped personal trainer
or medical professional as appropriate.

Code 3: Stay current in professional knowledge

Continually strive to stay abreast of all new developments in
personal training practice and service delivery so as to provide
scientific and evidence-based information to clients.
Refer clients to other health care professionals, such as another
personal trainer, doctor or mental health specialist, if a service
required falls outside of your expertise. Recognise your
limitations in expertise and only provide services that you are
qualified to deliver.
Adhere to guidelines and standards provided by professionals in
the fields of medicine, health and fitness for health screening,
fitness assessment, exercise progression and technique.

Code 4: Let truth and fairness guide all professional
decisions

Represent your credentials and qualifications accurately.
When advertising your services, be guided by helping your client
make informed decisions, judgments, opinions and choices.
Make your contract language clear and simple.
Be consistent in your fees for your services.
Never solicit business from another trainer’s client. When
interacting with other trainer’s clients, be open and honest so that
clients cannot interpret the interaction as a solicitation of
business.
If you work for a fitness facility that recruits and assigns clients
to you, respect that the clients belong to the business and not to
you.

Code 5: Respect clients and fellow professionals

Act professionally and respectfully towards all clients,
colleagues and fellow fitness professionals so that the highest
standards of service are secured for your clients.
Do not discriminate based on race, nationality, religion,
occupation, sex or educational background.
When disagreements occur, focus on the behaviour and factual
evidence not on ‘heresay’, placement of blame or on judgmental
statements.
Provide fitness and health-related information factually and
accurately so that clients can make an informed decision or
choice.
Base fitness or product information on scientific evidence and
not on testimonies of consumers or personal testimony.

Code 6: Keep and uphold a professional image in dress
and behaviour