Trainer AND Therapist

What is the job description of a personal trainer?

• Motivate

• Accountability

• Prescribe exercises

• Provide nutrition advice

• Be a role model

In my 3 years of personal training, I find a lot of joy in providing care to my clients as in the job description above. It becomes a responsibility for us to make sure that clients get on the right path for their goals. This comes with a lot of trust from the client’s end.

With my experience of training clients in my PT career. I have met some great people with the most incredible stories. It has become familiar to me to see why people need exercise and most importantly, coaching and guidance. For years and years, I thought exercise was something that you can truly do on your own and really achieve so much. The mind can play so many tricks on you and really distract you from being on the right path to achieving results.

Personal Training is part of the people industry. Trainers work with PEOPLE. People have emotions, feelings, and sh*t days. There have been many days I have been a therapist more than a trainer. People want to talk to you about what they’re going through. It is my responsibility to listen. I don’t necessarily have to give them advice but being all ears is sometimes all a client needs. When clients cry in front of me or open up to me it’s a real privilege as they trust me enough to show that side of them.

Now in this lockdown, I’ve seen a lot of vulnerability in my clients. Every day I can see how much not being able to live a normal life affects them. Now this made me think, imagine if exercise was not available. I can see how much the ability to train can at least distract them from the current state of the world. Now exercise also comes with benefits such as endorphins (feel-good hormones). Having the ability to progress in some way is such a privilege, especially in lockdown. Exercise lets you do that and you can definitely control it.

I think now more than ever people not only need exercise but someone to spill their emotions to. This isn’t really in the job description of a personal trainer but it’s a given. So many of my clients have told me; “I’m just over this lockdown bullshit”, “I just want to go back to the gym already”, “Same shit, just another day”. I truly feel for my clients, but I guess now more than ever we all need to not let these circumstances determine our mindset. What I think is healthy is to spill it to people (or trainers) and talk about it. But see this as an acknowledgement and not a definition of you. The worst-case scenario this goes on for another 6 months – will you let yourself be like this for another 6 months? That’s half a year of growing down the drain!

Now, I’m not calling people out for having this mindset, if anything I’m saying you’re allowed to BUT, human beings are capable of so much. Go out there and have your rant to people (or your trainer) and tell them how you feel and what YOU want to do to make your life better in these circumstances. Exercise! go for a run, buy some weights, invest in a coach! Don’t wait until the gyms open their doors again.

Oh man, it will be such a good feeling to be able to go out to dinner with your friends, have a drink, watch a movie, go to the gym and have people cheer you on. It will come. But for now, it’s time to make this lockdown your b*tch.

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