Why Safety Has to Be the Fitness Industry's Top Priority in 2018
While the year is
just getting started it’s a good idea to set the proverbial mold now
before it hardens. What I’m saying here is that we need to set the
standard now and that standard must focus on a fitness environment that
values safety on top of achieving one’s fitness goals.
If you’ll recall,
2017 had a lion-share of new developments, but most of all we saw a rise
in popularity in some of the most intense exercise styles. In response,
there’s been a host of new negative developments, including conditions
born from the higher intensity workouts and lower recovery periods, atop
the lack of safety and precautions necessary to ensure a positive
outcome.
It’s gotten real bad
in some cases and we need to put our best foot forward and focus on
safety once again. Whatever happened to that agreement we made when we
became fitness professionals? Every professional should know that safety
is the top priority when working with clients. It seems that has
conveniently been pushed to the wayside for brasher and bolder workout
programs.
We’ve developed a new
standard that says intensity is the name of the game; it’s as if some
are being programmed to believe that unless their workouts are gut
busting, sweat inducing, or their legs feel like jelly after then the
workout didn’t hit the mark. Since when did this become the norm for a
successful workout session and why aren’t more professionals frowning on
it?
It doesn’t take a
high intensity workout to achieve results. Sure, it’s possible to design
a workout program that includes a few days where the intensity is
higher, but when is enough, enough? Where do we go from here and how
will fitness professionals seek to increase the intensity or the
challenge? Is it even necessary? I’m asking these questions to raise
suspicion because many know that it takes more than just exercise; it
takes good dietary habits and consistency.
If one thinks that
higher intensity workout programs are the way to go, there needs to be
designated time for recovery days and a keen eye on injury prevention.
Gyms are boasting all sorts of fat loss, weight dropping, and muscle
building programs, but their professionals, though qualified, aren’t
considering the members of their class. They aren’t considering
limitations, adequate modifications, or recovery time. All this will
eventually lead to more injuries; more people will feel overworked and
will fall right back into whatever habits they had prior to getting on
their fitness journey.
Members of the
fitness industry are supposed to help their clients achieve their
results in a safe and healthy manner, but too many of us are focused on
fast and somewhat unrealistic results. What’s worse are the
professionals who say that these programs can help, but know that they
can’t on their own. However, they’ll still push their clients to the
brink and over if need be because they stand by their method and their
clients believe it’ll work.
So, where do we go
from here? How do we start this ball rolling? If you’re accustomed to
higher intensity workouts or you want to incorporate them into your
sessions be mindful of what was mentioned here. Modify and make
accommodations for your clients. If you’re teaching a large class, be
aware that everyone in there won’t be able to do your workout, while
others will follow you to the ends of the Earth. Either way, this means
their wellbeing is in your hands so design a class where you can modify
techniques and set limits.
Ask clients to pay
attention and respect their limits; that could mean slowing down when
everyone is going fast. That could also mean taking more breaks and
ultimately attending the class more often to get into the groove of
things. Time is important, encourage them to stay consistent and tell
them the truth about achieving their results. Nothing happens overnight
and higher intensity doesn’t necessarily mean increased chance for
results.
Safety first, right?
We’ve all heard it, but it’s time we lived by this and take steps to
actively put measures into place to protect our clients. Sometimes, we
need to protect them from themselves, as they’ll no doubt want to push
and jump on everything that sounds like it could help them. Be confident
in approaching them and explaining how to make their workouts safer and
how to achieve their results over a healthier timetable.
With all this said, we’re proud of our NPI-Certified Resistance Training Professional™ (NPI-RTP™) certificate program. This program teaches professionals about the most
common exercises and shows how to modify them. The important part here
is body alignment and respecting one’s limits. We value you and your
clients, and want to help you put your best foot forward in 2018.
Here’s the program >>
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