Stripper or bin man: it's all about choice.
I grew up on a farm and one of my favourite activities was to play on the berry pickers' bus. It was a real old fashioned double decker and when it wasn't in use I treated it as my personal playground. My favourite manoeuvre was to leap from the top railing, twirl round and round the conductor's pole and swing feet first through the broken window onto the back seat. This had to be completed without touching the floor or walls or to my 7 year old mind was a failed attempt. It was around that time that I saw a very sanitized image of a pole dancer on the television and I felt that there was a job that I could probably do. Real grown up work didn't sound like something I'd have a lot of time for and up until then the only job that I had considered was bin man*. I remember feeling much happier that I now had a choice of career.
I think having choice is also key when training new clients. It's important that people can be in charge of their own fitness so being too prescriptive is off putting. Sometimes we have to consider client's routines , their families , work , obligations and interests . Other times people have had bad experiences in a gym situation or at school and it's easier to motivate people if they don't have to face up to bad memories. Ultimately, improving your well-being and fitness is my goal. If you want to relive some emotional trauma from your school days you can do that on your own time.
It doesn't mean that my clients lack direction. On the contrary, having a clear plan and method is imperative to success. It just means that we'll discuss and set out that plan together. No-one knows you like you. All I do is add the fitness know how.
Here's a quick tip: take 5 minutes to write down every physical activity you've done over the last year and look for classes / instructors in the area. Boom - there are your choices!
And if you've been told by your Doctor to improve your fitness but you don't like the options you've been given then get in touch right now and we'll find you a few choices. Job done!
*Why did I want to be a bin man? Well, I thought I would only have to work one day a week because I only saw them on Tuesdays. Rubbish job, great hours!
