Fitness Training - Loving What You Do

   I just read an article in a free daily newspaper called '24'. There was an interesting article called 'Does your job make the world a worse place?' by Joanne Richard. The article suggests that certain jobs make people  feel bad about how they earn their money. A caption of the story states that "Fast-food workers top list of those who feel guilty about their jobs." Obviously serving unhealthy food to people that are already on the road to poor health can weigh down a working person's conscience. Obesity is reaching critical levels with the North American population. Warning - feeding this building epidemic may cause guilt!
   There are other notorious jobs on the list of guilt inducing occupations:

• Casino dealers. Do they enable gambling addicts?
• Telemarketers. Bothering people during their precious down time.
• Loan collectors. Chasing after money from the poor, the unlucky or the deadbeats.
• Bartenders. Mongers of strong liquid swill.

  Not everyone in these professions actually feel remorse over it. To many of them, it is just a way to make ends meet and pay the bills. Some may be students in their first job. Others may even actually like what they do.

   Then there are the other jobs. They don't cause guilt but they do not exactly fill the employee with self-esteem. I can remember an office job that was so soul-sucking and so lacking in any semblance of self-actualization that it was an ordeal to get out of bed each morning. It was the trap known as the 'golden handcuffs' where you stuck around for the paycheck but just went through the motions mentally.  Of course, I escaped every quitting time into my world of sports and fitness. That kept me sane,......barely.
 
   I have stated often that FitnessTraining can be a difficult profession. Clients don't just throw money at you
because you are a fitness expert. It can be hard work. There are fitness club owners that may think of you as mere cannon fodder. You can be taken for granted. You can be underpaid. You often have to go beyond your comfort zone by hustling for business or requesting financial compensation. You can have difficult clients.
   However Fitness Trainers do not feel guilty! Fitness Trainers offer a service that will improve the lives of those that participate. Fitness Trainers do not feed unhealthy lifestyle habits. Fitness Trainers do not enable addiction. Even an exercise addict would be counselled by a good trainer to moderate their lifestyle.  (Of course, an unrepentant, problem exercise addict would be referred to an appropriate professional.)  Fitness Trainers earn their pay by enabling active and healthy lifestyle improvements!  Working towards a positive outcome is the key to career self-actualization.
Self-actualization is one of the building blocks of personal happiness.
   I would doubt that many Fitness Trainers feel guilty about helping people improve their lives.
If the unlikely event that they do, they are definitely in the wrong profession. For those people....
a career on Wall Street beckons.

Until next time,..........keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net 

Only Cowards Target Runners!

   I hope they catch the cowards!

   Bombers and terrorists, like all cowards, attack soft targets. Few victims are more vulnerable for violence than marathoners in the late stages of a race. They have tunnel vision. They are focused mostly on the finish line. They are depleted of energy. They are mentally drained. I've run five marathons and I would have been incapable of much defensive action to protect myself from any personal threats in the closing stages.
    Marathoners are also an undeserving target. (Not that there are deserving targets for this type of horror)
Long distance runners in particular are an unlikely lot to be worthy of the wrath of the perpetrators.
As a demographic group in general distance runners often show certain traits.

• They are environmentally conscious
• They care about the poor and the disadvantaged. Many road races donate a portion of the race profits to such charities.
• They tend to have more of an anti-war attitude than the general population
• They are often sympathetic to the plight of underdeveloped nations and support other solutions besides military intervention

Why pick on them?  I am trying to use reason to determine why this was done. Such action was done by those without reason. Their motivation is pure hate and cowardice!

Running is supposed to be an escape from the issues of the everyday world. Someone in a routine office job can hit the trails after work and on weekends and feel a sense of freedom. The outside world is not supposed to interfere in this time of escape.
   Unfortunately such acts of insanity have happened in the past. At the Munich Olympics, Palestinian terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage and later killed them. A bomb exploded in a public park at the Atlanta Olympics.
   These treacherous acts did not specifically target runners but they were too close for comfort. A less murderous situation occurred at the Athens Olympics in 2004 when some nut case jumped the leader of the marathon with a few miles left to run. The unfortunate runner got loose and still finished 3rd. They should have awarded him a specially cast extra gold medal.

The runner's temporary escape from the cold cruel real world may not really exist! This bombing at the Boston Marathon has taken this away!

I hope the catch the cowards that did this. They never had the guts to actually run a marathon!


Little Bobby Strong

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net   

 

Proper Screening for Fitness Training Clients

  A Fitness Trainer should not knowingly expose a client to any health problems!

   No Fitness Trainer wants to turn away prospective clients. Just getting them to the table can be challenging enough. Signing them up seems to be a priority. However we also have to cover our butt from a legal perspective. Always think safety first! There are certain circumstances in which it is best to refer new clients to the proper professional before working with them. Here are some red flags to be wary of:

• Consistently high blood pressure readings of over 145mm Hg systolic or 95 mm Hg diastolic 
• Consistently high resting heart rate of over 100 beats per minute
• If client is on high blood pressure medication
• If client is on heart medication
• If client is diabetic or hypoglycemic
• If you suspect client has an eating disorder or abnormal body image issues
• Severe orthopedic issues such as joint or bone issues 
• Suspicion or knowledge of anabolic steroid use
• If client answers 'yes' to any of the questions on the Par-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) medical screening form

   If a prospective client shows any of the above red flags refer them to the proper professional. The purpose of such screening is not to turn away business. The purpose is to ensure safety first and avoid any liability issues. The physician that you refer your client to may send them back to you with some guidelines for training. Then you have knowledge about the client on your side. You will be better able to come up with the proper exercise prescription. Keep in mind that if the prospective client falls into the category of a 'special population' you may not be insured to work with them without an advanced level of Fitness Training certification.
   This is not something to fool around with. A Fitness Trainer should never go beyond their scope. They should be ready do what is best for the client within their capabilities.

I know Fitness Trainers that have had clients drop on them with a medical emergency
due to a missed physical condition. It is bad for business!
Try to limit the chances of it happening to your client!

Until next time,.......keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong!

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net