Why you should work with an insured, credentialed nutrition and exercise professional…
Always check your trainer/coach’s credentials. Don’t be afraid to ask what quals they hold!
Why should you work with an insured, credentialed nutrition and exercise professional?
It sounds obvious, but it's really important to seek out a professional who is QUALIFIED in their field. You wouldn't ask an accountant for dental advice now would you? Unfortunately when it comes to nutrition, any Tom, Dick or Harry can call themselves a nutritionist without actually having any university quals. I am seeing more and more PT's and 'health coaches' with ZERO formal university qualifications giving nutrition advice. This can be downright dangerous. A PT is only able to give general nutrition advice that aligns with the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. It is out of scope to provide meal plans, supplements, suggest avoiding food groups or provide nutritional/health advice relating to medical conditions.
Even more scary is that they'd be very unlikely to hold any professional indemnity & public liability insurance since doing so requires association with a professional organisation - which means they need actual qualifications to be recognised.
Being qualified and part of a professional association also means the nutrition/exercise professional works within a scope of practice. AusREPS (exercise professionals registered with Fitness Australia (FA)) have a strict scope of practice which to work in; outside of this we need to refer onto someone with more knowledge in a specific area. Sports Nutrition Australia (SNA) is another professional association that has a strict scope of practice to work within. I am proudly a member of both these associations.
Both SNA & FA require ongoing education as part of their ongoing registration which means I am committed to continuing my education to provide the best up to date knowledge and research I can. Even after studying a bachelor of nutrition (a 3 year science degree) and undertaking further certification, there is a tonne of stuff I don't know and any decent practitioner will admit that they don't know everything. Nutrition is a very new science and is rapidly evolving.
Here is what I want you to take away from this -
ASK your personal trainer if they're insured and affiliated with an industry organisation like Fitness Australia. This ensures they are insured and committed to ongoing education.
If your PT is giving health and nutrition advice - ASK if they have tertiary qualifications and if they are insured to do so. If they aren't then you should look elsewhere for qualified information since following their advice may result in potential harm. The reason I went to uni and studied a degree in nutrition is to know that I am practicing as a qualified professional and within my scope of the associations I am apart of.
Any questions or thoughts? Drop them below. And share away to spread the knowledge!
