Exercise is a critical component when it comes to both mental and physical health. Almost 30% of Americans, or over 80 million people over the age of six, live a sedentary lifestyle, which can have a significant negative impact on health. Unfortunately, not all of us are able to work out safely due to chronic conditions. Underlying health issues can prevent a person from exercising, and it’s critical that fitness experts and physical trainers help their clients to understand these conditions before pursuing any workout routine or diet plan. With a sensitive approach, you can help push clients towards a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Find Out The Facts
Before giving any advice to clients, it’s important to consider the facts. You need to know about their personal situation beforehand, including nutritional intake, eating habits, activity levels, and medications. Strategies that may work for one individual can have disastrous results for another.
It’s also a good idea to help clients set expectations. While someone might want to hear that they can change their eating habits overnight, promising this will only lead to disappointment. As a professional, you can help to guide your client towards realistic weight loss and activity goals to avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
It’s also a good idea to help clients set realistic goals. Even if someone wants to hear that they can change their eating habits overnight, this sort of promise will only lead to disappointment. As a professional, you can help to guide your client towards realistic weight loss and activity goals.
Limit Your Advice
Most fitness gurus aren’t medical professionals. For clients with serious health issues, working out and eating healthy may not be enough to solve the problem. It’s crucial that you be aware of your own boundaries and know when to recommend someone to a doctor. This is especially important for clients who suffer from cardiac or pulmonary issues that may flare up during exercise.
Be Wary of Fads
There’s a good chance that your latest client might ask you about the efficacy of certain fad diets or crash courses. While many of these plans can help to shed initial pounds, the results are often short-lived and sometimes even dangerous. The Atkins diet, for example, cuts out essential carbohydrates that are needed for energy and growth. Cleansing diets such as juice fasts are designed to “flush out toxins” and shed pounds, but often, they end up doing the opposite. When your body goes into a fasting state, it retains as much fat as possible to prevent starvation.
Fad diets can be particularly harmful to those with underlying health conditions. If your client wants to go on a diet, it’s best to avoid any fad phenomena. Instead, encourage them to stick to tried and tested methods such as the Mediterranean diet, which helps to preserve both physical and cognitive abilities. Simply cutting back on calories can also help to lose weight and improve overall health.
Millions of Americans live every day with chronic health issues that affect their ability to stay active. As a fitness expert, you can help to point them in the right direction so that they maintain a healthy fitness level. Just make sure that you’re giving accurate, up-to-date information to keep your clients safe as they take on new diets and exercise regimes.
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Sally Perkins
