Aim and Mission
The National Register of Parkinson’s Specialist Personal Trainers (NRPSPT) recruits and trains Parkinson’s Specialist Trainers across the UK and then connects them with people with people with Parkinson’s.
Our goal is to ensure that anyone diagnosed with Parkinson's in the UK has the option of working with a properly qualified, specialist Personal Trainer should they wish to.
We offer Personal Trainers an opportunity to develop their careers and people with Parkinson's support to manage their condition alongside their medical team. Exercise is still the only disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's.
Who we are
The Register is run by 4D Life in partnership with Parkinson’s UK and supported by CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity), Cure Parkinson’s and FitPro.
Why Personal Training?
A major new international, phase 3 trial reveals how important it can be to work with a Personal Trainer.
889 people in 6 countries who had been diagnosed with colon cancer were involved in the study. Half the group were given advice and information on the importance of exercise and what to do. The other half worked with Personal Trainers.
After 8 years patients who worked with Trainers had over a third (37%) lower risk of death.
This research conclusively shows the benefits that working with a Personal Trainer can have.
It reinforces again that it's no good telling people that they ought to exercise, we have to support them to actually do it through structured appointments with a qualified professional. Click here to read the study
About our Trainers
To become a member of the NRPSPT, trainers must be registered at Level 3 or above with CIMSPA, have at least 3 years personal training experience, demonstrate an understanding of special population training and hold a Parkinson's specific qualification.
They also receive extra training on joining and ongoing support and guidance, as well as access to the evidence-based 4D Life Programme.
The 4D Life Programme
4D Life is an evidence-based exercise, nutrition and lifestyle programme developed specifically for people with Parkinson’s.
It guides and supports, showing how to improve symptoms, feel better and slow progression.
It brings together all the relevant information on movement, nutrition, function and lifestyle through professionally produced videos and guidance notes.
It was created by a team including Personal Trainers with over 50 years' combined experience, a Neurological Physiotherapist and a Registered Dietitian.
How It Works
Trainers pay an annual fee for membership, must maintain CIMSPA membership and insurance, and receive:
- Comprehensive training and guidance on working with People with Parkinson’s.
- Advanced skillset and careers, including eligible for Senior Practitioner on the new CIMSPA Professional Status model launching this year.
- Use of the 4D Life Programme to guide coaching on Parkinson’s specific, evidence-based nutrition, functional training and lifestyle.
- Connection to the Parkinson’s Community and new clients that tend to train long term and really value the support you offer.
- A fully Search Engine Optimised profile page on the NRPSPT website.
- Free FitPro Core membership and upto 30% off CPD
- Use of the ‘Parkinson’s Specialist Personal Trainer’ logo.
- Newsletters and research updates.
Professional Status
There has never been a better time for the UK as a society to start embedding exercise as both a prevention and treatment for medical conditions. The evidence for the efficacy of this for conditions ranging from Parkinson's to Heart Disease, Diabetes to Stroke Rehabilitation is undeniable. Yet the mechanisms and funding to facilitate this within the NHS are woefully underdeveloped.
Creating more exercise specialists with relevant, condition-specific knowledge and then improving regulation to ensure maintenance of knowledge and skills is a vital step. One of the aims of the NRPSPT is to help take a step in this direction.
Trainers who join the register will be eligible for Senior Practitioner status in the new CIMSPA model launching in September. The model aims to mirror that used in the Health and Social care sector, aiming to facilitate referral and improve links from that sector to ours.
Nick Berners-Price, founder of 4D Life and the NRPSPT, is one of the panellists speaking at the CIMSPA conference in September launching the new model.
As well as having over 30 years' experience as a personal trainer, he has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for nearly 20 years, so has a very personal motivation to help move the industry in this direction.
Built with Shorthand