How to log CPD hours? A guide to CPD for fit pros

We look at what counts as CPD, how to stay in your scope of practice and how to log CPD hours in this guide for fit pros.

You may be the most enthusiastic, well-read instructor with years of experience under your belt, but how do you prove your credentials to existing and prospective clients? How can they be sure you are keeping your skills and knowledge up to date? Well, this is where CPD – or Continuing Professional Development – comes in.

What is CPD?

CPD is essentially evidence that you are consistently updating your skills and knowledge. It shows commitment to professional growth and helps clients feel confident in your expertise.

It is important to understand the distinction between qualifications and CPD. You need qualifications to practise as a fitness professional – they allow you to work as fitness professional legally, safely and within an agreed scope of practice. You cannot legally deliver personal training or group exercise without the appropriate qualifications.

In contrast, CPD builds on your qualifications. It enables you to expand your skills and keep your knowledge up to date.

CPD can be earned through a variety of activities, including:

Courses and workshops: Completing accredited training courses or workshops in your area of expertise or a related field.
Conferences and seminars: Attending or speaking at industry conferences or seminars.
Online learning: Participating in webinars or online courses.
Practical experience and mentoring: Gaining hands-on experience through your work or helping to teach and guide others.
Volunteering: Some associations award CPD hours for volunteering at events or community fitness programmes if the activity contributes to your professional development and you can reflect on what you learned.

There are two types of CPD: formal and informal. Formal CPD includes structured courses and qualifications, like the courses we offer at FitPro. Informal CPD includes activities such as reading research papers, watching webinars or attending workshops. Even if a course doesn’t provide a formal qualification, it may still count as CPD as long as it helps you develop your skills and knowledge.

A key part of CPD is reflection: thinking about what you learned and how it applies to your practice. Stop and consider: is there any learning – formal or informal – that you haven’t logged but have participated in recently?

Scope of practice

Understanding your scope of practice is essential for providing safe, effective and ethical services, and for protecting both yourself and your clients.

Your scope of practice refers to the activities, interventions and services you are qualified and competent to perform. It defines what you can safely offer and what should be avoided. Scope can vary based on your certification, your country or region, and any professional associations you belong to (e.g., CIMSPA).

For example, unless you have specific qualifications, you should not:

prescribe therapeutic exercises to treat injuries or medical conditions
provide medical diagnoses or treatments
offer meal plans or dietary guidance for managing medical conditions
provide massage therapy or chiropractic care.

Working outside your scope can put clients at risk and may expose you to ethical or legal consequences. Always provide services you are qualified for. Continuing professional development – through courses, workshops and industry events – will help you stay within your scope and deliver high-quality service.

It’s also important to check what your insurance covers. FitPro members can contact [email protected] to verify coverage for specific activities.

How to log CPD hours

Most certifying bodies offer an online portal for logging CPD hours. When logging an activity, you will usually need to record:

the type of activity (e.g., course, workshop, seminar)
the provider or organiser (e.g., FitPro)
the date and duration of the activity
evidence of completion (e.g., certificate, receipt, transcript or a reflective summary of learning).

For self-certified CPD, such as reading articles, attending webinars or learning new skills, you can log the activity along with a brief reflection: what you learned and how it applies to your practice. Reflection is a critical part of demonstrating CPD.

Different professional bodies have different requirements. For example, CIMSPA members must complete a set number of CPD hours each year and keep records that demonstrate how their learning applies to practice.

Our friends at EMD UK have reported that it will soon be expected for professionally recognised instructors to complete a minimum of 10 hours of CPD each year. This will form part of wider workforce governance developments and is due to come into force from 2027. They have also produced a blog on their website that is well worth checking out about qualifications for group X instructors: Starting out as an instructor? Here’s what to know about qualification – EMD UK

Being a member of FitPro gives you discounted access to over 100 world-class courses, making it easier to accumulate CPD hours recognised by CIMSPA. If you have FitPro Professional membership, you also get the benefit of 70 hours’ worth of recorded webinars, many of them with allocated CPD points. Why not explore what’s available and start logging your hours today?

With thanks to Cheryl Liversuch at EMD UK.