The AKA is a professional association for kinesiologists in the province of Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1995 to support, promote, and move the practice of kinesiology towards the goal of regulation in the province.

The AKA offers a wide range of services to its members, including professional development opportunities, networking events, advocacy on behalf of the profession, and access to liability insurance and other benefits.

A list of benefits of each membership type can be found on our membership requirements page.

The AKA works closely with other professional organizations in the field of kinesiology, both within Canada and internationally, to promote the advancement of the profession and the sharing of knowledge and best practices.

All continued education opportunities offered by the AKA can be found on our Events & Education page. This page is also regularly updated to include courses, webinars, and opportunities that are offered by external parties to enhance the knowledge base of our professionals.

Email admin@albertakinesiology.ca for discount codes if you are a member.

The AKA is actively involved in advocating for the regulation of kinesiology in Alberta. The organization works closely with government officials and other stakeholders to promote the importance of kinesiology as a profession and ensure that practitioners are held to the highest standards of practice.

While holders of other certifications receive training in both kinesiology and exercise science, what distinguishes AKA members is the comprehensive scope of practice. This expanded scope of practice encompasses the ability to conduct assessments, develop treatment plans, and prescribe exercise programs, allowing AKA members to provide extensive and specialized care in promoting health and wellness.

You must hold an active membership with your current PKA to be entitled to this benefit. 

Step 1

The Prolink Professional Liability Policy offered through the AKA covers the kinesiology scope of practice. It also covers the CEP/CPT scope of practice.

The CEP/CPT insurance covers the CEP/CPT scope of practice, but does not cover the entirety of the kinesiology scope of practice.

There are ways to extend your existing policy to include the kinesiology scope of practice if you already have a policy for CEP/CPT. Please reach out to admin@albertakinesiology.ca for more information.

 

A Non-Practicing Professional Kinesiologist membership is an option for professionals who are taking a break from actively practicing kinesiology but intend to eventually return to practice.

This membership may be right for you if you are on a maternity/parental leave, a sick leave, going back to school, working in a management position, etc.

It is not a good choice for individuals who are actively seeking a job as a professional kinesiologist. Please consider a regular Professional Kinesiologist membership if this is the case.

A Non-Practicing membership does not provide you with insurance that covers the scope of practice.

The benefit of holding a Non-Practicing membership while you are on a leave from practice is that it will act as a placeholder so that when you choose to renew as a Professional Kinesiologist member again, you will not be required to undergo the reapplication process.

A Student membership is a great opportunity to take advantage of the benefits that are offered by the AKA. It allows you to keep up to date with the latest news in the kinesiology field and gives you an idea of how the AKA supports its members. Discounts on courses are available to our Student members as well.

A Practicing Student membership is a great option for students in their third or fourth year who want to work, volunteer, or complete a practicum while they are still in school.

The Practicing Student membership includes insurance that covers the student while under the supervision of a Professional Kinesiologist or another approved professional.

A full Professional Kinesiologist membership has a practical hour requirement of 300 hours. See Membership Requirements for more details. The Practicing Student membership allows an individual to begin completing those hours in preparation for the Professional Kinesiologist application.

The AKA performs two types of audits regularly.

Practical Hours 

Each month, a randomly selected group of new Professional Kinesiologist members are contacted.

If you are selected, you will be required to provide a signed letter from your listed supervisor(s) specifying that the hours that you claimed on your practical hour log are truthful and have been completed as reported.

You will be given around four weeks to contact your supervisor(s) to acquire the letter(s) and submit them via email to the AKA.

Professional Development Credits 

Each year in January, a randomly selected group of Professional and Non-Practicing Kinesiologist members are contacted. You will only be selected if you have been a Professional/Non-Practicing member for at least two full years. If your membership has not yet been active for two years, you will not be selected.

If you are selected, you will be required to submit a PDC reporting form for all of the PDCs that you have acquired during the last two years. 30 PDCs are required every two years. See Professional Development for more information.

Along with the PDC reporting form, you will have to submit proof of attendance for each of the experiences that you report. This can be in the form of a certificate of completion, a receipt with proof of payment, a signed letter from the organization, etc.

You will be given around four weeks to submit these documents via email to the AKA.

If you are applying to become a member of the AKA and you already have an insurance policy, or if you would prefer to acquire insurance from a company other than Prolink, that is acceptable.

Applicants and current members need to ensure that their insurance policy covers the entire scope of practice of kinesiology. Contact your provider to make sure. The scope of practice can be found here if needed: Legislation & Standards

The insurance policy that you hold must also include at least 2 million in professional liability.

All members must provide proof of degree, official transcripts and the Core Requirements checklist. This will all be reviewed prior to the validation of a membership.

If you are having issues with renewal of your membership please contact the Admin email to discuss the issues you are running into.

Students from qualifying universities or selected schools are eligible for discounts on memberships. Please contact the admin email for more information.

All Kinesiologists are expected to register with the association in the province that they reside and provide services within. There is the potential for cross-border service for those kinesiologists who live near borders of other provinces; for example, in the border towns along Highways 1 and 3 between the AB and BC. 

If you have insurance with an alternative provider, you must contact your broker directly to clarify. For those with CKA Professional Liability Insurance policies through Prolink, your policy provides coverage for any advice, services, and training that you provide in a digital format (i.e. online or virtual care)— as long as you ensure that you are operating within your scope as a Kinesiologist as defined by the CKA. 

However, please be advised that this policy will only respond if a lawsuit or allegation is brought against you in Canada.

If you are providing online services to clients and patients based outside of Canada (such as within the US), please contact PROLINK at CKA@prolink.insure. We will help you secure separate coverage for lawsuits and allegations brought against you outside of Canada. 

There are some instances where registration with BCAK is required to treat ICBC motor vehicle clients and bill the corporation directly, but AKA members could still bill the client directly, with the client submitting bills for reimbursement to the corporation. This is only an issue currently while Telehealth treatment is permitted, but will resolve once ICBC reinstates its in-person treatment requirements after the pandemic has resolved. To clarify this instance, please email the BCAK at: office@bcak.bc.ca

While both kinesiologists and personal trainers work with clients to improve their physical performance, kinesiologists have a more extensive education and training in the science of human movement, and they are qualified to work with clients who have medical conditions or injuries that require a more specialized approach.

Kinesiology is the study of human movement, and it encompasses a wide range of topics including exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor control, and sports psychology. Kinesiologists use this knowledge to help people improve their physical performance, prevent injuries, and manage chronic conditions.

The Scope of Practice for kinesiologists in Alberta includes the assessment, prevention, and management of movement-related disorders, as well as the development and implementation of exercise programs for individuals and groups. Please see more on the AKA website.