floor dysfunctions are a must to screen for . If over half your clients are women who haven ’ t had kids , then you probably want to know about their menstrual cycle and whether or not they ’ re on the pill . This process will also help you with your marketing , because you ’ ll have a clearer idea of who you want to talk to , what their problems are , and where to find them . The importance of good quality research at this stage cannot be over-emphasised . If you ’ re not familiar with
PubMed ,
Google Scholar , and the
Australian Bureau of Statistics you should get to know them .
• Incorporate questions that screen for these issues ; a combination of direct questions , and others that look for symptoms that may indicate an undiagnosed issue are important .
• Develop relationships with health professionals to correct / treat those issues . In some cases , like that of a physio , you may need to physically go and see them , including booking and paying for an appointment . For others , it ’ s enough to call or email and discuss a mutual client ’ s plan . It can take some time to develop this relationship , so be persistent , consistent , and let your good work do your ‘ selling ’ for you .
Are you the right person to be training a mum if you can ’ t address the very high likelihood of her having some form of pelvic dysfunction ?
• Over time , this will naturally develop your reputation as an expert , the one person the physio / cardiologist / GP will trust to prescribe exercise for their patients .
Asking the difficult questions
THE QUICK READ
• Conducting in-depth pre-screens with personal training clients can be daunting for both parties , but it has a number of benefits
• It can enable you to uncover health concerns before they become big problems for clients
• It can help stand you apart from the crowd by increasing your perceived professionalism
• It can better position you to build a solid referral network with allied health professionals
• By conducting a census of your client base , you can discover which areas to incorporate into your prescreening process
• Researching the needs of your key demographics will also assist with marketing , because you ’ ll have a clearer idea of who you want to talk to , what their problems are , and where to find them .
For many , asking clients ( and prospective ones ), these necessary questions is not easy . Whether your client base is male or female will decree whether they have health complaints that apply to their breasts , their bleeding , their prostates and other personal areas , and the intimacy of these questions may make you uncomfortable . This is fair enough , but are you the right person to be training a mum if you can ’ t address the very high likelihood of her having some form of pelvic dysfunction ? Not asking doesn ’ t mean there isn ’ t a problem , and the fact is that a key reason you became a personal trainer is to help people . If you really can ’ t discuss bowels , urinary tracts or vaginas , you should refer out immediately . Make it a pre-requisite of training with you that your mum clients see a women ’ s health physio and your dad clients over a certain age get their prostate checked .
Responding to what you uncover
Another hurdle is feeling out-of-depth with the answers that you receive from your indepth pre-screening . Rather than viewing this as a negative , however , you should embrace the opportunity to learn something new ! As a PT , it is out of your Scope of Practice to diagnose . The good news is that the best health professionals in each field can teach you a little something with every client . Your client does not expect you to know why her back hurts every day , but you ’ ll change her life when you know that it is a sign to see a pelvic physio , and refer her accordingly . Similarly , you don ’ t have
to know or decide someone has depression or anxiety to save their life , you only have to notice or screen for the change of mood or behaviour , then refer them to a GP for a mental health plan . If you ’ re training adolescents or young adults , the
Mental Health First Aid course is highly recommended .
To get a head start on responding to health issues , you can take the prescreening process online , using free form builders such as
Google Forms or
Wufoo . By streamlining your process in this way , you ’ ll have a chance to research any issues that come up prior to meeting new clients . The old chestnut that referring people out is ‘ bad for business ’ can be dispelled . In addition to the clear business advantages of establishing a professional referral network , referring a client out will make them feel that their health is your first priority – particularly if you clearly explain to them your reasons for doing so . They will be back .
Take some time out to have a thorough look at your screening processes . Learn exactly who you ’ re training , and how you can add to the current recommended pre-screen to provide an even greater service to your clients . They will thank you for it , and so will your business .
Clare Hozack A former athlete and strength and conditioning coach , Clare applies this experience to her work training and educating pre- and post natal women to help them develop ‘ next level ’ fitness for parenting . A trainer with IntoYou studio on Sydney ’ s Northern Beaches , she is also the Australian and NZ Master Trainer for
Burrell Education , which delivers a range of women ’ s health and pregnancyrelated courses . You can download Burrell Education ’ s free Pre-Screening tools for
pregnant women here and
post natal women here .
12 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2021