As a mental mastery performance coach and a personal trainer myself, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing incredible transformations in athletes and individuals from various backgrounds. Throughout this journey, I’ve come across anecdotes from trainers that emphasise the importance of professionalism and the need to leave personal baggage behind.
The impact of personal baggage
When you enter a fitness facility, it is imperative that the trainers leave any baggage you may be carrying outside the facility. Your clients are not there to act as therapists for you; rather, they want your knowledge and direction to help them overcome the challenges that they face in their own lives.
It’s important to remember that your clients have chosen to spend their hard-earned time, effort, and money on training lessons with you because they think it will be worth it. They trust what you know and want your advice on how to make the changes to their bodies and thoughts that they need to make. They came to you because they want to work with a dedicated professional who will push them to do their best and help them reach their full potential.
Creating a therapeutic environment
Your clients’ training sessions should serve the same purpose as their therapy sessions; that is, they should provide them with an environment in which they may fully concentrate on themselves and their path. Now is the time for maturation, advancement, and personal development. Your customers rely on you to be an unwavering support system for them and to bring an upbeat attitude and a sense of drive to the table. It is up to you to provide a setting that encourages personal development and professional achievement.
Maintaining professional boundaries
Personal trainers are in a privileged position of trust and influence in the lives of their clients. Both clients and trainers need to have a solid understanding of the need to maintain professional boundaries at all times. This requires abstaining from behaviours that muddy the boundaries between the trainer and the client, especially in the context of personal relationships.
The use of messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, between trainers and clients should be limited to matters related to training sessions. Unnecessary talks and personal exchanges have the potential to lead to misunderstandings and put the professional character of the relationship in jeopardy.
When it comes to making physical contact with their clients, personal trainers have a responsibility to put their client’s ease and well-being first. Any instruction or evaluation that requires the use of physical contact should be carried out in a clinical and professional manner, and the client’s consent should always be sought before any such contact is initiated.
In a similar vein, clients have to be aware of and respect these limits, making certain that dialogue continues to centre on issues pertaining to training.
Anwar Wahhab is a Mental Performance Mastery Coach and a Bioprint practitioner. You can reach him at anwarwahhab@awefitness.com