fbpx

About AUSactive

AUSactive is Australia’s peak body for the exercise and active health sector, and our goal is to activate Australians to move more. We do this to improve national preventative health outcomes, and we share this goal with everyone across the sector: with individuals and businesses, and across modalities ranging from gym classes to yoga, Pilates, aqua and functional fitness.

Just like every instructor setting up a program for a new client, at AUSactive we can see our goal clearly. For a newbie in the yoga class, their goal could be keeping their balance throughout their pose. For a runner, it could be completing the next marathon. For AUSactive, our goal is empowering the professionals who aim to get more Australians on the move – and moving more.

We are here to activate every body, every way, every day.

We have long been, and continue to be, the largest membership organisation for exercise and active health professionals and businesses in Australia. This matters because it means we are recognised for our knowledge of the diverse range of skills that make up the sector, and for the delivery of industry services that are proven to create better outcomes for our members and for all Australians.

We recognise our members’ daily routine absorbs their full energy. AUSactive helps our members by providing access to the tools and expertise they need to get things done and provide their clients with accredited professional services. From reducing the red tape, to keeping current in their chosen specialties, from legal and HR advice to local, state and national projects driving industry recognition, AUSactive’s team is helping our members grow every day.

Every one of our members is committed to achieving the results desired by their clients and for themselves. So are we.

Leading and supporting this evolving sector is why AUSactive exists, having grown from the state-based groups who recognised that creating a national body would deliver greater strength and benefits to the industry.

We now represent an increasingly varied and skilled workforce. As global understanding of the critical role of preventative health grows, it’s why we work harder every day: to deliver more, so our members can too.

Active Australians, On The Move

The simple fact is that Australians need to be moving much more. While there are nearly as many personal reasons for increasing physical activity as there are actual people thinking about their reasons, there’s something else going on here too. Active Australians are healthier Australians. We all know it. Which means the professionals helping others move and be active every day are really among the most important (dare we say active) contributors to a healthier nation.

We know getting folks out of their chairs is only part of the story. The exercise and active health sector encompasses dozens of ways to move, so we’re expanding to make sure professionals in emerging modalities are supported to reach their full potential and help their clients do the same.

We are relentless in our resolution to make sure the professionals making their careers through changing Australian lives for the better are recognised for their contribution and their commitment to excellence. This includes working with, and on behalf of, the sector to drive the development of rigorous and well-recognised standards, education and accreditation programs.

15,000

Professional Members

3,500

Business Members

4,000

Student Members

When people move, they need to feel, and be, safe. With over 9 million Australians engaging in exercise and active health programs every year, this calls for training based on the very best knowledge and expertise in physical activity, backed by appropriate scopes of practice and codes of ethical conduct.

And when our professional members strive to be the outstanding candidates for the most desirable positions with employers of choice, they are able to demonstrate commitment to their continuing education through proven education providers.

AUSactive’s ongoing work with the key stakeholders developing industry standards, curated continuing education programs, and strong partnerships with education providers keeps the focus on the main game – ensuring professionals and business are stepping up to the highest standards. In this way we also support our members to be ready for emerging opportunities and create rewarding careers across the sector.

Moving Forward Together

AUSactive is supported by industry-led expert advisory groups who have years of experience doing the hard yards to get where they are. They inspire and push us to never give up when we engage policy makers on behalf of our members.

We are at the influential tables, in the key discussions, and making sure the voice of our members is heard. We have the runs on the board to show for it too, driving strategic policy change at the local, state and national level.

We have successfully negotiated with local governments to simplify park access for personal trainers, and we are working with a growing number of private health funds to simplify and streamline access to benefits, making it easier for our members’ clients to claim rebates on their activities.

Our specialists have created and implemented programs such as All ABILITIES.

This program delivers improved understanding and partnerships between disability service providers and business, providing significant new opportunities for safe and effective group exercise participation for people with disabilities.

We are always proactive in supporting and representing our members. This is why, from the first lockdowns in 2020, AUSactive has been the voice advocating for assistance to mitigate the staggering impact of the global pandemic on the sector. We have represented both the sector and all Australians throughout those famously ‘unprecedented times’, and while case numbers may no longer be headline news, we are still seeing the consequences of this disruption. Accordingly, AUSactive is continuing to support the development of strategies to hasten sector recovery and raise awareness of the strong links between physical activity and health.

COVID has shown us all what happens when people are not able to be active. The damaging effects on community health – both mental and physical – are still with us. AUSactive is proud to have been an active advocate contributing to the decision of the Queensland Government to declare fitness facilities as essential services during the pandemic. We are now championing this policy with all state and territory Governments to encourage them to follow Queensland’s lead.

We are also advocating for modalities including Pilates and yoga to be recognised as proven and highly valuable preventative health therapies for managing chronic conditions. We are currently liaising with the Federal Government to drive the necessary changes to achieve this.

9 Million

Australians (over 15 years old) engage in exercise every year.

51%

Australians do not meet the government guidelines for physical activity.

$13.8 Billion

Cost of poor health to the Australian health system.

A Healthier Australia

There are complex challenges ahead – and significant opportunities too. As research drives our understanding of the human body, we all learn more about caring for our health in ways that respect both body and mind, and that can prevent poor health outcomes.

It will be the professionals and business in the exercise and active health sector who help Australians everywhere to develop the activities, routines and habits to make the most of their active lives.

And it is AUSactive who is supporting these professionals to create a healthier Australia and improve our national health and economic outcomes.

Sign Up To Our Newsletter.

We guarantee 100% privacy. Your information will not be shared.