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We can not be everything to everyone- not everyone likes the gym and the sight of all those machines is just too scary. And the music and the smell...and the right shoes and clothes?
What if I have a bad heart? I have a torn rotator cuff? I tried it and didn't like it. But, for older bodies weight training is essential. This article explains why getting the muscles growing is essential. There is a huge difference between what is available in a clinical trial with a researcher and what is available at the local gym, and what can be realistically achieved at home, but we can all suggest and remind our participants to do their exercises, and we can incorporate some of them into our classes, when suitable. I do not have leg presses in my bag- not sure they would fit in the boot of the car- but if and when you are offered training- take it up! Full Circle…and back again! We all sit and reflect on things we have done, paths we have created for ourselves and others. Sometimes you start something and pass it on, and sit back with pleasure and joy as you watch it grow and take a life of its own. This weekend, the Sport and Recreation Alliance celebrated the launch of Let's Dance 2026, and I quietly acknowledged that it has taken 10 years for that dream to come full circle. In 2016, I attended the APPG Sport meeting when Dame Tracey Crouch spoke about the new Sport England strategy. I was privileged to ask the first question - about the value of dance within physical activity. Determined to create the evidence needed to show that Movement and Dance was not the decoration on the top, 7 years later, in 2023, we launched the Movement and Dance report at Westminster. Now, in 2026, return to the church hall floor with Let’s Dance led by Angela Rippon. However, this year Angela is bringing another 25-year dream to life- that dance will be embraced within hospitals to work with patients and staff in every section of the hospital alongside the physiotherapy team. Last year, I shared my experiences with her and Alan Naismith. This is another full circle, because my initial qualification was created for those who worked alongside physiotherapists in hospitals and care homes, delivering exercise as rehab and prehab for older adults. Everyone, wherever they live, should have access to high-quality movement and dance led by qualified teachers, instructors and practitioners. This March, let’s celebrate the value and the joy of getting fit through dance and movement to music. Tracy Levy, (FCIMSPA Chartered). Fellow Chartered Senior Practitioner What does this mean?24/12/2025
What is it and why did I do it? How can I explain the Chartered process? CIMSPA, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, is the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector workforce. To stand confidently alongside doctors, teachers and health professionals, we need to demonstrate the same rigour, standards and governance. Professional status gives us that common language of credibility and it allows us to collaborate on equal terms. As an elected Trustee at CIMSPA, I witnessed the creation of Professional Status. I can see that the purpose of the process is fundamentally based on practitioners’ need and desire for recognition in a sector where we are often just considered ‘an exercise teacher’ or ‘coach’. Professional Status does what it says on the tin- it shows that we are professional practitioners, progressing via both CPD and experience from being newly qualified through advanced to senior levels. Chartered Status CIMSPA is the only professional body in the UK that provides chartered status for the sport and physical sector. (CLICK HERE). Chartered status is a mark of distinction awarded to those who meet the sector standards with qualifications and experience that underpin their multiple areas of expertise and outstanding competencies. A Chartered member will have demonstrated true excellence, innovation and impact within their field, delivering excellent outcomes for clients while also creating a significantly positive impact on the sector. Individuals can only be issued with a level of Chartered status upon completion of the Chartered assessment process. Chartered Senior Practitioner is the highest level of professional status available. It shows that you are delivering an outstanding, specialised service to your clients and are leading the way in influencing positive change in the sector. The Chartered process involves several key steps:
How did the assessment ‘work’? There are three units, each with 3 criteria, taken over a period of 6 months and provides the opportunity and time to pause and critically reflect every aspect of teaching, delivery and professional practice. Candidates are assessed by a senior sector specialist assessor via a presentation or professional discussion. After the presentation the assessor asks questions, dives deeper into your thought and delivery processes and questions your intentions and outcomes. Unit 1: planning exercise programs and planning for change. I had to demonstrate how I professionally design and plan my two distinctly different classes, for different audiences and different scopes of practice. I had to justify my approach, how it has evolved and reflect and evaluate how it has impacted my delivery and explain why I discounted other approaches. Unit 2: Highlighting my impact- the opportunity to critically reflect on my professional practice and to evidence the significant and sustained impact I have on my clients. Building on Unit 1, I had to go deeper into my professional delivery methods, explaining how I assess participants' readiness to exercise and how I monitor their well-being. I showed how I professionally plan and deliver participant-centred classes that are fit for purpose, and the impact my practice has on participants, especially those who, for many reasons (health, medical conditions, etc.), might not otherwise take part in any other physical activity and show the value of my classes beyond physical exercise. Unit 3: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Lifelong Learning. I was required to evidence, evaluate, and reflect on the last 5 years of CPD; however, with records going back 10 years, I could show how my CPD informs my practice and my participants' exercise experience. The presentations were recorded and sent, along with the evidence, for internal verification and then to the Board for approval. At the end of the process, having successfully passed all 3 Units (9 criteria), I was awarded Chartered Fellow Status as a Senior Practitioner (FCIMSPA Chartered), the highest professional status awarded by CIMSPA. The outcome? Why all the effort? How does being awarded the title of Fellow and Chartered Status make me feel? I am just a local teacher. Why do I need to do all of this? Professional status is becoming more important and my badge of achievement - Fellow Senior Practitioner - demonstrates my level of training, CPD and lifelong learning. The Chartered process shows that I completed the CIMSPA Senior Chartered Practitioner assessment process, demonstrating my extensive experience and sustained positive impact on the sport and physical activity sector. My practice withstands the rigour of professional assessment, enquiry, and analysis, and my investment in CPD and lifelong learning enables me to be the best teacher I can be, and benchmark myself alongside other professionals within the sector. Being accepted and passing was not a rite of passage; it was something I thought was for those who own and run gyms and work in rehab clinics, had published papers and created exercise brands. Through a thorough and comprehensive deep dive into 25 years of teaching, professional practice, and CPD I feel as if I have passed the final dissertation at the end of a 25-year Master’s degree. Everything I have done and experienced has brought me to this point. It is not as an add-on or nice thing to have- it is the pinnacle of my teaching career.  Getting ready for Christmas season, the 12 classes before Christmas! May the days leading up to Christmas sparkle and shine, and may all your wishes and dreams come true. Class planning. The eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Armistice Day, the end to the First World War when we remember all those who gave their lives in service to their country since 1914. My alarm was set for 10.50 my music was ready to 'wind down'. I connected my phone to my speaker, and at 10.59 we will sat or stood, heads bowed, as silence descended, a silence like no other. In the 25 years I have been teaching every class has a connection to November 11th, from code breakers to the land army, parents, brothers and sisters, great uncles and great nephews, nieces, grand parents. “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them,” (Laurence Binyon)  CIf we look back, personal trainers, keep fit teachers, and exercise teachers are qualified through a variety of organisations. But some were better than others.
There have been many attempts to professionalise 'what we do', and on September 10th, CIMSPA's Professional Status went live, and I got a shiny new digital badge that displays my 'professional standard'. BUT...this has been UPDATED- click here! What is it? It is an evidence-based 'classification' based on qualifications according to experience as well as qualifications. It recognises the specific competencies and knowledge of sport and physical activity professionals. We, the practitioners, gain professional status by evidencing our endorsed training and CPD following a structured pathway, allowing progression from entry-level roles to management and leadership positions, and even to chartered recognition. Who gives CIMSPA permission to do this? CIMSPA is the Chartered Institute of Sport and Physical Activity, and is the professional development body for the UK sport and physical activity sector workforce. If you want to know more, then click here: https://www.cimspa.co.uk/professional-status-and-recognition-whats-it-all-about/ Hello! Sorry I have been away for so long. I am here...just doing stuff...like online CPD and watering the flowers and counting the bees! I have also worked out the class dates until CHRISTMAS! BUT...the nicest piece of news was celebrating the Monday class birthday- 20 years of joyous exercise and songs! I can't promise to post more, too busy doing stuff in 'real life!'
Spring is on the way which means the birds are my alarm clock!
It also means I begin the day with an early morning wander around the garden. Yesterday I dug up a bush that was in the wrong place and re-arranged the pots. I have visited every garden centre and picked up some plants for early colour. Wallflowers have been ordered and seeds bought and cosmos seeds have germinated! So, when I arrive at class with garden fingernails you will know that I have been digging about in the ground, re-potting or weeding and enjoying the birdsong!  Who would have known that so much activity would have arisen from so much sitting down! I am astonished that the 'bright idea' that I had all those years ago has been picked up and taken forwards by so many- including the fabulous Angela Rippon. My work is but just one small cog in a huge project, but I am exceptionally proud to be that one small cog surrounded by the many important parts that make up 'Let's Dance'. We wanted a day for dance- but had been told it was practically impossible to organise a National Day for dance- but Angela Rippon did it! And so, the week before the biggest dance event we could have ever dreamed of, I am preparing my own local classes- nothing huge- just a celebration of 'what we do' and the fun, friendship- and health benefits that dancing and moving together brings us.
 Will she be wearing her chain?
Will she be carrying her sword? Yes to both. Thank you to Annie Brewster JP for joining us, it was a joyous visit, and a joyous hoop class. |
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December 2025
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