Qualified Exercise Professional

Certified Personal Trainer, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, or Kinesiologist

The RENEW Trial | University of British Columbia Fitness, Aging, and Stress Lab

5955 University Boulevard, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

renew.trial@ubc.ca | https://fastlab.kin.educ.ubc.ca/projects/

Remote $35–50/hour Part-time, flexible Temporary (18–36 months)

Overview

We’re looking for motivated exercise professionals (Certified Personal Trainer, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, or Kinesiologist) to deliver physical activity counselling to participants in the RENEW trial, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded remote exercise intervention trial led by Dr. Eli Puterman and Dr. Jasmin Ma at the University of British Columbia. In this role, you’ll support healthcare workers across British Columbia in building sustainable physical activity habits through regular online behaviour change counselling sessions.

This is an opportunity to enhance skills in physical activity counselling while contributing to behavioral medicine research and directly improving the wellbeing of people on the front lines of healthcare. The role is remote and offers flexible scheduling, making it a great complement to other full- or part-time work.

Please note that weekly hours will vary depending on the pace of participant recruitment and the stage of the trial. On average, you can expect to work between 3-6 hours per week, though hours may be higher during peak periods and lower as the trial nears completion. Candidates are asked to remain available for up to a 36-month period, the maximum expected trial duration.

Training

Before working with clients, candidates will complete a structured training program in physical activity behaviour change counselling. Training includes a combination of asynchronous online modules, an in-person workshop (4 hours) on the UBC Vancouver Campus, and 6 hours of remote workshops. Please note that progression into the ongoing participant-engaging role is contingent on demonstrated proficiency in the skills covered during training. All candidates will be compensated for their time completing the training workshops regardless of outcome (completion of asynchronous online modules will not be compensated).

This training focuses on developing the knowledge and practical skills required to effectively support physical activity participation among healthcare workers (HCWs). Participants will learn how to:

• Deliver client-centred physical activity counselling using evidence-informed strategies
• Conduct behavioural assessments to guide individualized recommendations
• Apply motivational interviewing techniques to explore readiness for change
• Use shared-decision making to provide clear, safe, and actionable education to promote exercise self-management

Responsibilities

• Meet regularly with research participants via video call over the course of their 6-month involvement in the trial.
• Over the course of the trial, you can expect to work with approximately 30-35 participants in total, with around 6-12 assigned to you at any given time. The 6-month timeline for each participant is as follows: (a) a 1-hour onboarding session (b) bi-weekly follow-up sessions over 2 months, and (c) monthly booster sessions over the remaining 4 months. All sessions include 15 minutes of paid preparation and note-taking time.
• Build genuine rapport with participants and deliver high-quality motivational interviewing (MI) in line with training and study protocols.
• Tailor your approach to participants’ preferred exercise modalities, whether that’s using the study’s mobile app suite (HIIT, Yoga, Pilates, Barre from DownDog^TM), aerobic exercise, strength training, or other forms of physical activity.
• Maintain accurate session notes and manage participant scheduling using study tools.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science, or an equivalent field, including a course in exercise prescription (e.g., UBC-V KIN 320 or equivalent)
• Certification or membership as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CEP), Kinesiologist (BCAK or equivalent), or Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Commitment to participant safety and adherence to research ethics standards
• Openness to learning new behavior change skills and working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research team
• Available for one in-person training at UBC Vancouver (late July/early August) and two online follow-up trainings (August). Trainings will be scheduled once candidates have been selected and provided their availability).

More About the Trial

Healthcare workers report significantly worse mental health and wellbeing than the average employed Canadian. Evidence suggests that healthcare workers’ leisure-time physical activity is associated with higher mental and physical health, while occupational physical activity is not. Our pilot work demonstrated that previously inactive healthcare workers who develop sustained off-site, at-home exercise routines using mobile apps have improved depressive symptoms and burnout, and lower rates of sick leave. Yet, in our work, only 23% of healthcare workers remained engaged with the apps for at least 80 or more minutes on average per week at the end of the 12-week study.

In semi-structured interviews completed following their participation in the study, healthcare workers voiced their desire to have support from our team to help them maintain their motivation and improve their adherence. Here, we propose to conduct a randomised trial with two conditions of an aerobic exercise mobile app (using a suite of apps for whole body weight-based training, yoga, Pilates, barre) with or without qualified exercise professionals trained in motivational interviewing to improve healthcare workers’ engagement with the suite of apps in their leisure time. In turn, we aim to improve their mental health and wellbeing as their exercise levels increase. By targeting adherence, our goal is to develop a feasible, engaging, and accessible solution that can be implemented as a more widely utilized program in the future, for healthcare workers and beyond.

Motivational Interviewing is a supportive approach that includes relational (e.g., social support) and content-based techniques (e.g., goal setting), aimed at increasing motivation, overcoming barriers, and discovering facilitators to engage in health-enhancing behaviours. For more information on motivational interviewing, see https://motivationalinterviewing.org/

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your application to renew.trial@ubc.ca with the subject line RENEW Trial Application, and include the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter detailing your relevant experience, academic coursework in exercise prescription and physical activity behaviour change, your availability to commit to a role of up to 36 months, and what motivates you to develop skills in physical activity counselling

Applications will close on June 10th at 12:00pm PST.