The qualification aims to equip the learner with the skills, knowledge and understanding required to plan and instruct programmes for exercise referral.

Learners will cover:

Knowledge and understanding relating to the qualification:

• The heart, circulatory system, musculoskeletal system, nervous system, endocrine system, and energy systems and their relation to exercise and health. Posture and core stability.
• Anatomy and physiology knowledge as applicable to personal training.
• Nutrition and its application to support a client’s health and physical activity programme
• How to collect and use information relating to nutrition.
• The relationship between nutrition and physical activity, the principles and guidelines relating to nutrition and nutritional goal setting with clients, and the nationally recommended practice to provide nutritional advice.
• The principles of collecting information to plan an exercise referral programme, the principles of risk stratification in exercise referral, and the principles and procedures of record keeping.
• How to identify goals with exercise referral patients and instruct, adapt and review exercise session with these patients. How to plan, prepare, monitor and adapt an exercise referral programme with patients and understand the importance of long-term behaviour change for these patients.
• The current healthcare systems in the UK, the exercise referral process, the roles and responsibilities of the professional within an exercise referral scheme, and the role and importance of exercise referral, related policies and key documents.
• The concept of a patient-centred approach.
• The clinical features of medical conditions relevant to exercise referral programmes, the relationship between exercise and specified exercise referral medical conditions, the accepted methods for treatment/management of medical conditions relevant to exercise referral programmes, and how to programme safe and effective exercise programmes for patients with specified exercise referral medical conditions.

Skills relating to the qualification:

• Collect and analyse nutritional information and apply the principles of nutrition to a physical activity programme.
• Collect information about exercise referral patients and prepare patients and resources for exercise referral sessions.
• Instruct, adapt, conclude and review exercise referral sessions. Agree goals, plan, manage, review progress and adapt an exercise referral programme with exercise referral patients.

Total credit value:	36
Guided learning hours:	230
Total Qualification Time:	367
Qualification number:	603/3103/3
YMCA Awards qualification code:	QD3EXREFBA01
Operational start date:	01/05/2018
Click here to view this qualification on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications [2]
Download the qualification specification [3]