CREP/USREPS Partnership

The Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals

Members of the coalition are committed to advancing the fitness profession and earning recognition as a health provider for practitioners that have passed a competency-based program using an exercise certification exam that has been accredited by the NCCA.

United State Registry of Exercise Professionals – a registry created by CREP to advance its mission. It is an internationally recognized registry of exercise professionals in the United States who hold NCCA-accredited exercise certifications.

The Coalition’s Registry (USREPS®) will support the exercise professional that holds an NCCA-accredited exercise professional certification by:

Serving as a clearinghouse for verification of current NCCA-accredited exercise professional certifications by employers, regulatory bodies and consumers 

Minimizing the burden on exercise professionals who are interested in seeking employment opportunities in other countries where registration is required by employers or government by establishing global registry recognition 

Identifying to the world those individuals who have met the requirements for registry in the United States and maintain good standing with those requirement

The exercise profession is rapidly evolving and is increasingly perceived as well positioned, both domestically and internationally, for a leadership role in the adoption and maintenance of active, healthy lifestyles.

With the growing attention placed on the profession, there has been a corresponding increase in the scrutiny of professional qualification standards and a rapidly emerging need for stakeholders to accurately identify qualified exercise professionals. The need to protect consumers and serve stakeholders has led to a number of actions including 1) bills that would bring regulation to the profession, 2) the establishment of registries in EU and other countries, 3) emerging standards for health and fitness facilities that define the qualifications of professional fitness staff and 4) interest expressed by other professions in the professional scope of practice that exercise professionals currently enjoy in the U.S.

The CREP® strategic plan includes a number of tactics that align with the Coalition’s mission to support the exercise professional certified by certification programs that have been accredited by the NCCA including:

Providing an internationally recognized registry for qualified fitness professionals in the U.S.

Supporting portability for the exercise professional that holds an NCCA-accredited exercise certification by mapping the U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals to international registries

Advocating on regulatory issues at the local, state, and federal levels 

Promoting the profession while defending the professional scope of practice

Engaging domestic and international standard setting organizations (CAAHEP, NCCA, NSF, EHFA) on behalf of the fitness and exercise professional.

The Cooper Institute (CI)

American Council on Exercise (ACE) – Founding Member

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) – Founding Member

National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) – Founding Member

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) – Founding Member

Pilates Method Alliance (PMA)

We desire to be a positive force that is shaping the landscape of the profession to elevate the professionals we serve. 

CREP is a coalition of organizations that aspire for the industry leaders to regulate and set standards to reduce the risk to public health.

To protect the NSCA certified professionals in the marketplace.

To secure professional positions for NSCA certified professionals.

To increase the portability of the NSCA credentials to international markets.

CREP® does not actively promote licensure for the exercise professional.  CREP® does engage policymakers who have introduced bills that would regulate the profession.  Our goals when working with policymakers who feel regulation of the profession is necessary are:

To understand why they believe regulation is necessary.

To assist policymakers in becoming more familiar with the fitness industry and exercise professional roles.

To ensure that the language of the bill aligns with, and reflects, the best practices currently in place for the regulation of other adjacent professions regulated by the state.

To avoid the creation of redundant credentialing and continuing education requirements that would add an unnecessary expense and/or burden for professionals with current NCCA-accredited certifications.

To ensure that exercise professionals are well-positioned to be able to work cooperatively with other professions and to broaden the career opportunities available to those who are qualified

There is no additional direct cost to the NSCA certified professional. The NSCA covers the cost to have the CSCS and NSCA-CPT certified professionals added to the registry.  

The CSCS and NSCA-CPT certified professionals living in the United States are automatically added to the registry. The CSPS and TSAC-F credentials are not currently part of the register. The USREPs website is a registry of exercise professionals living in the United States; therefore, NSCA international certified professionals are not added to this registry.  

If an international certified professional wants to be added to a registry, the CSCS and NSCA-CPT credentials are mapped to other registries that are members of iCREPs (the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals – CREP is a member of iCREPs representing the US registry). That individual can contact their local register to ask about portability.

Portability is a process in which a registered exercise professional on one registry can transfer their registration to another registry upon moving from one country to another. Any country that is a member of iCREPs participates in portability.  

• REPS Australia 
• REPS Belgium
• REPS Canada
• REPS Ireland
• REPS Poland
• REPS New Zealand
• REPS South Africa
• REPS United Arab Emirates
• REPS United Kingdom
• USREPs United States

As long as your certification remains active, your registration with USREPs remains active.