Understanding Scope of Practice: A guide for Pilates Instructors and Advanced Fitness Professionals

Introduction

The concept of "scope of practice" is standard in professions where client safety and well-being are paramount.  It defines the boundaries within which professionals can operate based on their qualifications, training, and the standards set by regulatory bodies.  Although this concept is often associated with medical practitioners, it holds equal weight in the fitness industry, including among Pilates instructors and fitness professionals.

This document explores the scope of practice for these roles, drawing comparisons to medically trained practitioners to highlight its impact on professional accountability and client safety.

Scope of Practice in Medicine

For medically trained practitioners, scope of practice includes all the activities they are trained and legally permitted to perform.  This encompasses diagnosing patients, prescribing treatments, and performing specific medical procedures.  Regulatory bodies ensure that practitioners only undertake tasks for which they are qualified, thus safeguarding patient safety and enhancing the quality of care.

Scope of Practice in Pilates and Advanced Fitness

In the fitness industry, especially among Pilates instructors and advanced fitness professionals, the scope of practice also revolves around qualifications and training but tends to be less rigidly defined than in medicine.  However, understanding these limits is crucial to ensure that instructors provide safe and effective guidance, and crucially that in the case that an accident or insurance case occurs the instructor can be confident that they will be financially supported in legal costs and compensation payments by their insurance company.

Key Elements of Scope of Practice for Fitness Professionals

1. Certification and Training

The foundation of a fitness professional's scope of practice is their primary certification. For Pilates instructors, this typically involves a recognised minimum 150-hour formal training course in Pilates Matwork with an industry/insurance company accredited training company where the course covers anatomy, exercise physiology, and specific Pilates techniques. Advanced fitness professionals might have additional certifications in areas like strength training, sports conditioning, or rehabilitation.   In the case of Pilates, the Pilates Matwork qualification may be bundled within a longer course of 350 hours or more where combined with the Pilates Matwork are various Pilates Apparatus disciplines.

2. Formal Training vs. Informal Learning

A significant aspect of defining the scope of practice in fitness is distinguishing between formally taught exercises and those learned informally, such as through social media or unofficial mentorships.  Insurance claims and liability issues often hinge on whether an exercise was taught in a professional course where a formal syllabus was followed, and completion certificates were issued.

3. Continued Professional Development (CPD)

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is essential for fitness professionals to expand their scope of practice responsibly.  CPD courses update and deepen a practitioner's knowledge, allowing them to safely incorporate new techniques and practices into their repertoire, however a CPD course is only relevant if the student can evidence a ‘First Qualification’ in the area of expertise of the CPD course.   For example, a certified Gym Instructor or Personal Trainer could not take a Pilates Reformer CPD course and then call themselves a Pilates Instructor and claim to teach Pilates, because they do not hold a primary Pilates Qualification.  However, the Personal trainer may well be able to attend the very same Pilates Reformer CPD course and teach to clients exercises on the Pilates Reformer provided they were doing this under the Scope of practice of gym-based exercise and personal training without referring to what they are teaching as ‘Pilates’ or claiming to be a Pilates Instructor; so as you see the boundaries can be very vague.

4. Insurance and Liability

In the case of a negligence claim, whether a fitness professional was working within their scope of practice can be a decisive factor.  Insurance companies assess claims based on evidence that the instructor was properly trained to perform the exercises in question, at the time of the incident, and that the client was not misled in believing the instructor to be qualified to teach something that they were not.  Reliance on vast experience or informal training, while valuable, often provides a weaker defence in these cases. 

I have recently been involved, as an expert witness, in the case of an accident where the claimant booked into a class called Pilates Reformer and had a serious accident: causing lifetime physical disability where the ‘stand-in’ instructor claimed to be a Pilates Instructor, but was in fact a Personal trainer who had no formal Pilates Qualification, they had instead, taken CPD on the Pilates Reformer.

Conclusion

For Pilates instructors and advanced fitness professionals, as with medically trained practitioners, adhering to a well-defined scope of practice is an industry and legal requirement for maintaining professional integrity and client safety.  It reduces legal risks, enhances professional credibility, and ensures that they provide the highest standard of care. Fitness professionals must continually update their training and understand the legal implications of their work scope to navigate the complexities of the industry effectively.  This clarity not only protects the professionals and their careers but also safeguards the well-being of every individual they train. 

Author:  Chris Onslow - Pilates Consultant

 Chris Onslow, has run Pilates focussed  businesses since 1998.  He and his team  specialise in supporting Pilates entrepreneurs and business owners.  With a rich history of owning and running successful Pilates studios in the UK, and supporting others in Europe and the Middle East, Chris has broad expertise in maximising profitability and optimising operational efficiency.  His agency provides top-tier advice on selecting new, pre-owned, and hireable Pilates equipment from renowned brands such as Align-Pilates, Balanced Body or Stott-Pilates/Merrithew.  As the founder of Mbodies Training Academy, Chris continues to revolutionise Pilates education, offering premier online and hybrid CPD and qualification courses for Pilates apparatus instruction and special population CPD.  Discover more about how Chris can support your Pilates Business or home exercise choices at www.pilates-consultant.co.uk