March 28, 2007
How To Prevent Personal Trainer Burn Out
Abstract: gnc health food store
Tag: Gnc Health Food Store
Why did you decide to become a personal trainer? Was it your
love of exercise? The rush you felt when you lifted a new max
weight or beat your matchless time on the track? Maybe it was the
thrill of being able to do what you love each day and help
others to follow suite. Most likely it was your passion for
fitness, and your passion for helping others, combined.
With clients who are dedicated and excited about their workouts,
co-workers who share common interests and ideals, and constant
access to exercise equipment and health food we have a wonderful
and rewarding job.
Unfortunately, we usually end up with a few clients who make it
difficult to stay passionate about our work. Some of our clients
cancel at the last minute, or show up twenty minutes late. Some
seem to expect us to lift the weight for them, on every rep of
every set. And some simply want us to wave a magic wand and
grant them new bodies on the spot.
While the former type of client fuels our fire, the latter snuff
it out. So how do we keep our passion alive?
We take time to evaluate our situation, and make changes where
necessary. There is no point in spending hours in the gym
waiting for clients who do not show. Make a contract that states
the amount of time you will wait before the session is canceled.
Set up a prepay system; if the client has already paid for your
service they are in addition likely to utilize it.
Get to know your clients on a non-exercise level. Find out their
likes and dislikes, their hobbies and favorite types of music.
This is done simply with a short questionnaire, in your
introductory conversation, and over a period of time. Use this
information to tailor their workouts. For example, if a client
is a baseball fan incorporate some baseball drills into their
warm up, or have them play catch or run bases as part of their
cardio routine. When your client has fun, you have fun.
Of course, sometimes it is higher a matter over time that causes
our passion to burn out. We tend to put so much effort into
helping and pleasing our clients that we forget about ourselves.
Just as we plan our workouts and menus we need to plan time to
relax. If you spend all day in the gym with clients, squeeze in
a quick workout for yourself, and then rush home just to eat,
sleep and wake up to start all over again, it’s no wonder you’re
burnt out.
As fitness professionals we know that our muscles need adequate
time to rest, refuel, and repair. The same goes for our mental
and emotional health.
Perhaps this means taking a break from training clients on
Saturday mornings, or making sure you are out of the gym by
seven each evening. Maybe you need to schedule regular visits to
a masseuse or buy tickets to your favorite sporting event or
musician. Even spending as little as ten minutes in the sauna or
whirlpool after your workout to simply relax and regroup could
help.
Passion was what drove us to become fitness professionals, but
it is not in endless supply. Take a look at your schedule and
habits and then make the necessary changes. The spark of passion
is always there, and just a small change can be enough to refuel
the fire.
About the author:
Tom Perkins is a business solutions coach and certified personal
trainer He leads fitness professionals profitability. Send an
email to thecoach1-140208@autocontactor.com to receive the
Essential Business Success Checklist. Or visit his website at
http://www.fitnessindustrysolutions.com.
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