The coach's role and scope of practice
A lifeguard watches, teaches and keeps people safe in the pool, but does not do surgery. A fitness coach is like that: they teach movement and habits, and they call the right expert when something is outside their job.
Before this course: Strength & Conditioning Concepts: periodisation and injury prevention (course 10.4.3), which builds on Training Programmes (course 10.4.2) and Home Fitness Basics (course 10.4). This course assumes you can plan a periodised programme, monitor load, plan recovery and name stop signs. Now you learn to do this for other people, safely and ethically.
- What coaches teach from: public guidelines. The WHO 2020 guidelines on physical activity say all adults should do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, and children and adolescents an average of 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity. They recommend regular muscle strengthening for all age groups and less sedentary time for everyone.
- The WHO guidelines also include specific recommendations for pregnant and postpartum women and for people living with chronic conditions or disability. These groups often need a health professional involved.
- WHO says nearly one third (31%) of the world's adults, about 1.8 billion people, are physically inactive, and that any amount of physical activity is better than none. Coaches help people start safely.
- Scope of practice means the work you are trained and allowed to do. In this course (education only):
| Inside a fitness coach's role | Outside the role (refer) |
|---|---|
| Teach general exercise from public guidelines | Diagnose an injury or illness |
| Plan and progress sessions for healthy clients | Prescribe treatment or rehab for an injury |
| Encourage healthy habits (sleep, activity, water) | Give a personal diet plan or advice for a medical condition |
| Use a screening tool and follow its referral steps | Interpret medical tests or decide medical clearance |
| Keep records and spot stop signs | Counsel a mental-health crisis |
- Nutrition is a common boundary. The 2016 joint position statement on nutrition and athletic performance (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine) recommends that athletes work with a registered dietitian or nutritionist for a personalised plan.
- Referral list: doctor, physiotherapist, registered dietitian, mental-health professional, and emergency services for emergencies.
- Write one sentence: "As a coach I help healthy people to ..."
- Copy the table above and add one example of your own to each column.
- Write your referral list with the type of professional and when you would refer.
- Write the WHO adult and child activity targets in your own words.
- Read your sentence again and remove any word that sounds like diagnosing or treating.
- Check: a friend can read your page and say what you do and what you do not do.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "A great coach knows two things: how to teach, and when to stop and refer."
[Text on screen: 150 to 300 minutes] "WHO guidelines say adults should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week."
[Screen: two-column table, inside and outside the role] "Coaches teach exercise and habits. They don't diagnose, treat injuries or write diet plans for conditions."
[Text on screen: Referral list] "Know your referral list: doctor, physiotherapist, dietitian, mental-health professional."
[Host] "Knowing your limits is part of being a professional."
Write a one-page "My coaching scope" statement: what you do, five things outside your role, and your referral list.
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I'm learning "Fitness Coach Pathway: scope, ethics and certification routes" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "The coach's role and scope of practice". What the lesson teaches: - What coaches teach from: public guidelines. The WHO 2020 guidelines on physical activity say all adults should do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, and children and adolescents an average of 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity. They recommend regular muscle strengthening for all age groups and less sedentary time for everyone. - The WHO guidelines also include specific recommendations for pregnant and postpartum women and for people living with chronic conditions or disability. These groups often need a health professional involved. - WHO says nearly one third (31%) of the world's adults, about 1.8 billion people, are physically inactive, and that any amount of physical activity is better than none. Coaches help people start safely. - Scope of practice means the work you are trained and allowed to do. In this course (education only): - Inside a fitness coach's role - Outside the role (refer) - Teach general exercise from public guidelines - Diagnose an injury or illness - Plan and progress sessions for healthy clients - Prescribe treatment or rehab for an injury The exercise I'm working on: Write a one-page "My coaching scope" statement: what you do, five things outside your role, and your referral list. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it. 4. This is for learning only. Remind me to check with a licensed professional before I make a real decision about my own money, health or legal situation.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "The coach's role and scope of practice" from the course "Fitness Coach Pathway: scope, ethics and certification routes". Here's what the lesson says: A lifeguard watches, teaches and keeps people safe in the pool, but does not do surgery. A fitness coach is like that: they teach movement and habits, and they call the right expert when something is outside their job. Before this course: Strength & Conditioning Concepts: periodisation and injury prevention (course 10.4.3), which builds on Training Programmes (course 10.4.2) and Home Fitness Basics (course 10.4). This course assumes you can plan a periodised programme, monitor load, plan recovery and name stop signs. Now you learn to do this for other people, safely and ethically. The activity: Write a one-page "My coaching scope" statement: what you do, five things outside your role, and your referral list. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time. Keep it general and educational. This is not advice for a real situation.
Sources
- World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020): europepmc.org/article/MED/33239350
- WHO, Physical activity fact sheet: www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
- Joint position statement, Nutrition and Athletic Performance (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2016): europepmc.org/article/MED/26891166
Screening and referral before training
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Ethics, safeguarding and client privacy
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Certification routes and checking credentials
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Emergency readiness: CPR, first aid and an action plan
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Teaching a session: demonstrate, cue and give feedback
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Honest marketing and leading other coaches
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Final project
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Quiz
How much moderate-intensity activity per week do the WHO 2020 guidelines recommend for adults?
150 to 300 minutes (or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity).
Name one task outside a fitness coach's scope.
Any one: diagnosing an injury, prescribing treatment, writing a diet plan for a medical condition, deciding medical clearance.
What is the PAR-Q+?
A pre-participation screening tool that helps decide readiness for more physical activity.
What should a coach do when a screening tool says to see a health professional?
Follow the step and refer before training harder; do not interpret medical findings.
Name the three factors in ACSM's 2015 screening update.
Current activity level, signs or symptoms or known disease, and desired exercise intensity.
Which form of abuse does the IOC say is at the core of all others?
Psychological abuse.
How should client screening forms be handled?
Collect only what you need, store them securely and share them only with permission.
Name two questions to ask about a certification.
Any two: who issues it, is there a real exam, what are the prerequisites, how is it renewed, who recognises it, what is its scope.
How fast and deep are adult chest compressions?
100 to 120 a minute, about 5 cm (2 inches) deep.
What should you do first if a person does not respond?
Call your local emergency number (or have someone call).
How many cues should you give at once when teaching a move?
One or two.
What must you do when a brand pays you or gives you free products?
Disclose it clearly in the post or video, following your country's rules.
Final exam
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Certificate
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