Many mistakes occur in early stages of learning,
so you need to keep your client safe while they
are still figuring it out
time to teach properly, providing them with the extra level of detail
that not everyone will give, and helping them prevent injury.
Consistent standards
It is then important to not drop this standard over time: clients will
learn to perform movements well if they are consistently guided
and given feedback. A client that practices more good repetitions
of a movement will, over time, perform a movement more and more
precisely, and see greater results than those who execute without any
correction. If a client understands that they are avoiding niggles and
visits to the physiotherapist, and are establishing a strong base upon
which to build greater results in the long-term, they will appreciate
the need for a bit less excitement at times in favour of education.
Explain to your clients that not all movement is equal. Movement
that includes the deliberate activation of target muscles, passes
through a specific range and angle of motion, and involves a certain
level of control, will elicit a much greater result. The squat is a great
example of this that you can discuss with a client to illustrate the
importance of correct form. Failure to make depth will result in less
activation than there should be of several muscles. Allowing the
knees to cave inwards may, over time, lead to knee pain. Dropping
and relying on rebound may increase risk of injury, and in many will
result in less muscular activation. When you explain this to a client,
they will be able to see that rushing to perform exercises incorrectly
will not only expose them to injury, but will also be a waste of their
time due to the lesser results they will attain.
Watch, listen, learn
When teaching movements, you need to take into account that there
are multiple styles of learning, and that hardly anybody will learn in
just one way. We are multisensory and social beings, and all of this
comes into play in the process of learning a new skill. When you
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teach a new movement, involve as many
senses as possible, but not all at once. If you
allow a client to absorb the same information
repeatedly through several different means
in sequence, you will maximise the detail
that is absorbed.
When you first show a client a movement,
try to have them just watch so that they
can absorb the visual information of you
performing several repetitions of the
movement. Resist the temptation to speak
immediately. You can then either start to
speak after you continue performing more
repetitions, or you can stop and then provide
a verbal explanation from beginning to end
of the movement.
When you explain a movement to a client,
include information about what they should
be feeling in different parts of their body –
it is important to not forget tactile learning.
This is then a good time to stop and check
whether the client has any questions or need
for clarification.
Your turn
Once you have answered any questions
and can confirm that they are clear on what
they are supposed to be doing, invite the
client to try the movement. Note that when
they are first practicing, you should never
have a client try a new movement at a level
of resistance that you predict to be their
working weight, nor should you have them
complete a large amount of repetitions.
Many mistakes occur in early stages of
learning, so you need to keep your client
safe while they are still figuring it out. This is
also the stage at which the greatest amount
of tactile information is absorbed, so this
is when you should check what they are
feeling in different parts of their body: it
may even be appropriate to move or prod
them, as long as you have their permission
to do so and warning them first.
Stop errors in their tracks
If you spot a systematic error, stop your client
straight away: the mind is an association-
making machine, and the more incorrect
repetitions a client practices as a result of
not being immediately corrected, the more
likely they will be to continue performing
these errors. Once they have completed a
few repetitions, have them rest and provide
them with verbal feedback on what you
saw. Let them know which components
they performed well so that they know what
to continue doing, and then provide an
explanation of what needs to change and