Recharging Trainers From The Inside Out

by Biray Alsac-Seitz (IDEA Author)

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing clients smile—and not because they lost weight or improved their fitness, either. When clients exude confidence that comes from having adopted a healthier outlook on life, it is because their transformation was more than external—it came from within.

Personal trainers strive to deliver programs that impact clients from the inside out. So why shouldn’t professional development conferences do the same for personal trainers? 2013 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute™ East had over 800 attendees in Alexandria, Virginia, to develop their expertise, further their skill sets and enhance their business acumen. Below are several themes that surfaced at this sold-out event:

• Holistic assessments. Client assessments extend beyond traditional metrics like height and weight or a series of cardio and strength tests. More trainers are mapping training to clients’ lifestyles, personalities and behaviours. Assessment protocols that also consider happiness levels, sleep patterns, digestive function and physical activity preferences may have greater influence in future program design.

• Stability and mobility training. Fitness pros are training more clients debilitated by physiological pain, emotional stress, obesity and chronic disease. Conventional exercises may be too complex or challenging for these people. Presenters stressed stability and mobility training, demonstrated effective regression or progression techniques and shared best practices for training foundational movements.

• Focus on behaviour change. Trainers are aligning programs with behaviour change processes in hopes of influencing clients before, during and after their sessions. Session topics included motivation techniques for non-exercisers; the effects of exercise on the brain; integration of fun and play into programming; and use of social media to promote adherence and overcome relapse.

• Professional partnerships. Personal training skills are highly versatile and transferable to other settings and industries. The transitions from commercial to corporate wellness, on-site to online trainings, and private to group programs were among the trending topics within the business and marketing track.

Demand for personal training services is growing, and fitness pros are always looking for effective ways to improve their programs and differentiate their services. The 2013 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute East addressed “real-world” approaches during their sessions, elevating industry discussions and creating meaningful experiences. For more visit www.ideafit.com.

About the author
Biray Alsac-Seitz, MS is a fitness technologist and instructional designer. She specializes in eLearning and uses interactive technologies, exergames and social media tools to enhance fitness programs and develop educational trainings for professionals and organizations in the health, medical, exercise, fitness, wellness, and public health industries. As a consultant, she helps her clients design, deliver and evaluate new programs. Follow her on Twitter (@befitt) or read her blog to learn ways you can ‘exercise the web’ (www.BeFitWithBiray.com).