In 2024 the ASF–PHIG alliance began working with Georgia Active on national certification and accreditation of fitness facilities, programmes and instructors, aligned with EuropeActive and EREPS standards (source: Fitness standards programme page).
The work responds to a global problem: in 2022 about 31% of adults worldwide — roughly 1.8 billion people — did not meet recommended levels of physical activity, and WHO projects this could rise to 35% by 2030 if trends continue (source: WHO, June 2024).
Safe, quality-assured fitness services are part of PHIG’s pillar on Environment, Work & Health.
The project is the first systematic attempt to define fitness and physical activity standards within the Georgian health regulatory framework. Existing Georgian standards for gyms, personal trainers, and group exercise instructors are minimal and unenforceable. The new framework being developed with Georgia Active sets minimum competency requirements for fitness professionals and structural requirements for fitness facilities, using the ASF Fitness and Wellness accreditation standard as its technical base.
The initiative is also linked to PHIG’s broader public health mandate. Physical inactivity is among the leading modifiable risk factors for non-communicable disease in Georgia, where cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes account for a disproportionately high share of premature mortality. Establishing measurable fitness standards creates the infrastructure for public health campaigns that can make evidence-based claims about what “safe and effective” physical activity provision looks like.
A draft standard document is expected for public consultation in early 2027. Facilities and training programmes that meet the standard will be eligible for ASF Fitness and Wellness certification, the first internationally anchored fitness quality mark available in Georgia.
Professor, David Tvildiani Medical University | Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia | Founder, Accréditation Sans Frontières
