Are you searching for a BCRPA fitness leader registration guide, but just cannot seem to find all the information in one place? To get registered as a fitness leader with the BCRPA, you need to follow 4 steps:
Step 1: Study
Most provinces have their own National Fitness Leadership Association of Canada (NFLA) affiliate. They are responsible for the registration and licensing of fitness professionals. As part of this, they have many levels and accreditations for fitness professionals who specialize in different fitness areas. This includes Personal Training, weight training, and older adult fitness.
But if you’re brand new to the industry, you will need first to pass the exam to become a Fitness Leader with your province’s NFLA affiliate. After that, you can take further courses and exams for your specialty.
The provincial affiliate for BC is the BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). The course/exam is called Fitness Theory.
Step 2: Register for the Exam
To write the Fitness Theory exam in BC, you need to register for it with the BCRPA. To do that, you first need to create an account on “The Registry of Fitness Professionals.” If you need help creating an account, see the online user manual.
Once you have created and/or are logged into your Registry account, click on “EXAM HISTORY” and click “Take Fitness Theory Exam.” From there, follow the instructions to pay the $110 fee and register for your exam.
Step 3: First Aid
After passing the Fitness Theory exam, you have 1 year to get your First Aid and CPR certifications. You can take these certifications with:
- Red Cross
- St. John’s Ambulance
- Canadian Ski Patrol
- Lifesaving Society
- Heart and Stroke Foundation
Once you have these certificates, upload them to your Registry account and follow the instructions so the BCRPA can audit and accept your certificates.
If you need help uploading your certificates, see the user manual for help.
Step 4: Complete Your First Year Registration
Now that you have passed your Fitness Theory exam and gotten your CPR and First Aid certificates approved, you can purchase your first-year registration for $109. Again, you can do this by logging into your Registry of Fitness Professionals account.
After that, you have 1 year to take and pass other courses/exams for specialties [Group Fitness, Aquatic Fitness, Pilates Fitness, Yoga Fitness or Weight Training]. The following are optional advanced fitness leader designations that you can take any time once your specialty module has been completed:
- Personal Trainer: must be currently registered in Weight Training
- Older Adult (OA) Fitness Leader: must be currently registered in either Group Fitness or Weight Training
- Osteofit Leader: must be currently registered in OA
If you choose to delay your registration, you’ll have 1 year from when you passed your Fitness Theory exam on purchasing your registration. After the deadline, you’ll need to retake the Fitness Theory.