Something that has been drilled into me a lot throughout the end of my current round of training is developing what they call, "just the right challenge." And after doing my first round of sessions back to back, working with each unique individual this matters even more.
My fiancé and I did an exercise to help prepare me for field work. He wrote down the same workout for all the clients, and my job was to adapt the workout based on the client I was seeing. Let me tell you, no one got the same workout.
When you zero in on each person, they all have unique strengths & weaknesses. Motor control looks different. Compensations are different. But the bottom line of the lesson was - you can't really give everyone the same workout. I found myself adding challenge to some exercises. I found myself regressing some exercises, and I also switched out exercises for other ones based on what the client said they enjoy more as well as what I was seeing.
The fun benefit of the group of clients I got to see where they are all almost retired or post-retired. So they cared about functionally aging well.
What is functional aging?
There are a lot of different definitions of this term, but the one I like to use is this - developing and maintaining functional ability which enables well being in older age.
What does this look like?
Outside of encouraging your client to stay social, see their doctor, etc., the goal of functionally aging a person is making sure they can do the things they need to do everyday without pain. It is also about fostering a sense of independence, and preparing the body for fall responses in a way that helps minimize injury.
I don't like to look at my clients as fragile. I think the body does as much as we allow it to. Especially for clients post-retirement, they say to themselves they can't do something when really they CAN! All it takes is someone they trust to show them what they can really do, and what they are capable of with just a little push. When the mind is scared, but the body is able, sometimes it takes a friend to hold onto while doing the exercise. Or to hold onto while re-learning to walk.
I think about my grandma, and after she broke her hip, how much her confidence deteriorated, and with that deterioration, so was her independence and quality of life. Part of me wishes I would have gotten a degree in exercise therapy sooner, because maybe I could have kept her alive longer, more independent, and confident still.
Exercise therapy focused trainers know when to be there just to give them the confidence to try. Today I gave them some very challenging exercises, and to watch them put in their best effort, and grab my arm for stability when I told them, "Don't worry about balance right now, I want you to focus on what your leg is doing." You'd be surprised with what someone can do. Sometimes they just need permission to be imperfect, and focus on something specific.
Because honestly, personal training should be personal. If they want to focus on developing more strength in the glutes, then of course, hold my arm while you focus just on the glutes right now until this exercise becomes less challenging. THEN we can add core stabilization in there once the glutes are firing properly in that movement in the first place.
Everyone I saw today were amazing. They have been working with my fiancé for a long time, and it was nice to see all the progress they have made with my fiancé. He is fantastic and gave me a great foundation to work from. It will be my pleasure seeing them grow and what they will be able to do a couple years from now. It's inspiring, and it makes being a trainer worth all the money, time, and effort to be qualified to help people.
It was an honor, and a pleasure. Thank you for those who trusted me with their body. I take that privilege extremely seriously.
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