Identify Client Fitness Goals

The highest priority of a trainer is the health and safety of the client. It is the duty of a trainer to observe or obtain as much information as is necessary to establish the health of a client and their health and fitness-related goals. The pre-exercise health screening and fitness orientation session can provide valuable information that will help to ensure the ongoing safety of the client. Data from these processes can be used to help establish fitness goals.

Ensure you abide by any workplace ethical guidelines outlined in documents such as the Workplace Code of Conduct or other Policies and Procedures. These documents are usually established to ensure applicable legislation is followed, consistency is maintained, and the workplace's Vision and Mission are achieved.

Information gathered may include:

• Identifying any medications currently being taken or taken in the past by the client.

• Family history of illness.

• Previous injuries or surgeries.

• Health limitations such as diseases or conditions.

• Presence of chronic pain or discomfort.

• Existing or previous experience with training or exercising.

• Athletic history.

• Any additional information that a trainer should be made aware of.

Regardless of the goal the client is working toward, the relationship between a client and their trainer is one of trust. Begin by having an open and honest conversation with the client. It is vital that personal trainers use professional communication skills when interacting with clients, asking questions and taking notes.

Talk through what the client hopes to achieve. Some clients may want to lose weight, gain weight, increase muscle mass or just work on their endurance. Are the goals realistic and reasonable? 

Investigate to identify their goals and the underlying motivations and behaviours:

• What are the outcomes the client wishes to achieve?

• What motivates them? Is it a reward or conquering a challenge? Is it externally driven (extrinsic motivation) such as "doctor's orders?"

• What behaviours, within the client's control, will aid in achieving the intended outcome?

• Are there behaviours that would hinder a positive outcome?

• What is the client's level of commitment to achieving the outcome?

Methods used to capture this information may include surveys, interview questions, self-evaluations, and/or physical appraisals.

When discussing personal information with a client you must be aware of applicable legislation, regulations, policies and procedures related to the workplace, health and safety; client confidentiality; and ethical considerations.

Any written records that are created must be stored securely in locked cabinets and/or transcribed into a database that is password protected. Confidential information that has been entrusted to you or the organisation must only be shared by appropriate and authorised personnel and the client must be aware of who these people are. Permission must be sought if you are planning to liaise with any third party organisations or people, including family members and friends. 

From a safety perspective, it is imperative that the client is fully aware of correct techniques, operating instructions for equipment, and health considerations and risks. It is also important that you, as the fitness professional:

• Provide adequate explanations and demonstrations of each exercise or activity, including any risks involved.

• Supervise and monitor for exercise intolerance or other issues.

• Provide further information and feedback regarding the client's exercise technique, expected adaptations and their timeline, and any adverse signs or symptoms they should be aware of.

Supporting clients so that they can achieve their goals doesn't have to be a complicated process. It can be as simple as listening, assisting them to establish and document their goals, attempting to remove as many barriers as possible, providing feedback, and help them celebrate their wins along the way.

In order to provide effective support, it is first necessary to be aware of all the different components, strategies, and principles of goal setting. 

There are three main types of goals:

Goals will have varying durations depending on the desired outcome:

• Short term - Small goals that can be fully achieved in one day, or one week or one month. For example, "join a gym", "book appointment with a personal trainer", "start jogging three times a week".

• Medium-term - Moderate sized goals which will take a regular commitment to achieve. For example, "lose 10kg in 10 weeks", "run 2km without stopping", "learn how to swim".

• Long term - These are much larger, often life-changing goals which will not be achieved without a significant level of commitment and effort. For example, "quit smoking", "loose 50kg", "undertake a marathon". 

Once the client understands what their goals are, work on deciding how they can achieve them. Create a timeline and discuss what tools and resources could be used to support them. The concept of the SMART Goal may be a useful tactic. It is commonly used in business environments, however, it can also be applicable in personal situations:

A fitness professional's scope of practice in regards to goal setting is to give advice on what can be accomplished and to support clients in reaching their goal/s, but the client ultimately makes the decision on what outcomes they want and undertakes the effort required to achieve them. Trainers can support their clients throughout the goal achievement process by considering factors such as:

• Client health.

• Previous experiences including any failures or set-backs.

• Time frame.

• Lifestyle and bad habits.

• Personal desire and motivation.

Real or perceived barriers to achieving fitness goals may exist for some people:

• Perceived barriers are issues that the client sees as barriers but which are often just their opinion or attitude. They can be overcome by providing information, support, and flexibility. For example, the perception that they are too old, too 'stuck in their ways', or too busy.

• Actual barriers are real obstacles which must be addressed but are not insurmountable. They can be overcome by taking preventative measures, developing a strategy for coping with the situation, or seeking expert advice and support. For example, financial limitations, logistical difficulties, family obligations, or a disability. 

It is important to conduct a range of discussions with the client in order to determine which of their barriers are perceived and which are actual barriers. 

Some common barriers include:

Help the client identify any potential obstacles, barriers or high-risk situations that may stall their progress and/or hinder achievement. For example, a busy schedule and family responsibilities may mean an hour of exercise a day is unsustainable. 

Discuss strategies for overcoming the identified obstacles, barriers, or high-risk situations. For example, schedule an hour of exercise first thing in the morning and ask for family support to stay on track.

Here are more examples of perceived obstacles and suggestions to overcome them:

Personal and situational factors that may affect behaviour and/or exercise adherence include:

• Family, cultural and social situations can be time-consuming and/or restrict a client's ability to purchase services and equipment. Consider incorporating children in routines or provide on-site childminding, be mindful of cultural norms such as dress codes or communication, and/or providing financial discounts and payment plans.

• Bad habits such as smoking can be hard to overcome without commitment or support. Conduct pre-exercise health screening to determine overall risk category. Provide general advice/information on smoking cessation. Refer them to a quit smoking support program. Monitor them closely during exercise for any signs of exercise intolerance or other adverse conditions.

• Lifestyle behaviours such as being sedentary can result in extreme body composition issues, low fitness levels, and other health-related concerns. Ensure pre-exercise health screening is undertaken. Consider referral to medical or allied health professionals if necessary. Gradually increase the intensity and set achievable goals.

• Personality and their self-concept of themselves may mean they have low-self confidence/esteem, suffer from depression, are impatient, or are too relaxed/care-free. Encouragement, rewards, smaller achievable goals and progress celebration may help.

Regardless of whether a barrier is perceived or actual, there is usually some way of overcoming the problem or working around it.

There are a range of products and services available in the fitness industry that could be used to meet client goals:

• Pre-exercise health screening - An assessment conducted to identify people who may have medical conditions which put them at a higher risk of an adverse event during physical activity/exercise. The screening forms are available on the Fitness Australia website, accessible here.

• Fitness assessments - These involve a series of measurements that help determine the physical fitness of an individual. Examples are strength and endurance tests.

• Health assessments - These involve a series of measurements that help determine the health status of an individual. Examples are Blood Pressure and Resting Heart Rate.

• Referrals - The process of referring someone to a medical or allied health professional for consultation, review, or further action. Fitness Australia provides detailed information on the Referrals process and guidelines. They are accessible here.

• Group exercise classes - Allows a fitness instructor to train more than one client per session. From high-intensity sessions to gentle reconditioning and everything in between, the options are numerous. Group exercise can be a great motivator for client's who don't like exercising alone. Popular examples are Aqua Aerobics, Zumba, Pump, Boot camp.

• Gym memberships - If new to exercise, a gym is a great place to start. Access to fitness equipment and machines, qualified staff and workout space for classes. Some modern gym memberships offer a variety of services and extras to members including swimming pools, physiotherapy, nutritionists, saunas, one-on-one training sessions, specialised programs like boxing and mixed martial arts, 24 hr gyms, women-only gyms etc. 

• Personal training - Involves teaching others how to exercise, designing personalised exercise programs and reviewing a client's progress. For those that can not achieve their fitness goals unless they get some help and have someone to direct them, personal training is very important. 

• Equipment and Machines - Includes weight training equipment (free weights and machines), cardio equipment, such as treadmills, exercise bikes and rowing machines but also technology used to measure health and fitness levels and track progress and exercise intensity.

• Education - Learning how to exercise safely and effectively and understanding how the training program leads to achieving set goals.

• Mentoring and Coaching - Mentoring is oriented around professional relationships (between Mentor and Mentee), providing support and guidance. Coaching is oriented around defined tasks. Helping individuals become more proficient in certain areas or address skills they might be lacking.

• Supplements - A few examples of supplements used in the industry are sports drinks, protein supplements, electrolyte supplements, energy snacks. Always make an informed decision when contemplating the use of a supplement/sport food. Is it safe? Is it permitted for use? Is there evidence that it will provide a meaningful benefit to the client? Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has an in-depth article on Supplements. It is viewable here.

Methods for matching client goals to services and products in the industry include:

• Being familiar with all available products and services. 

• Being knowledgeable about the benefits that each of these services and products can provide to a client. Also knowing what the limitations are.

• Having a strong awareness of fitness programming that will achieve client goals.

• Creating a good network and becoming a trusted partner.

• Communicating.

• Knowing client's goals.

Individuals undergo various stages of change when undertaking health and fitness activities. Being aware of these stages and being able to recognise when they may be occurring can help you to adapt your communication, motivational strategies, rewards, feedback and many other aspects of the relationship to help your clients to achieve their goal/s.

• Pre-contemplation - People in this phase are not ready to change and most often have not recognised the need for change. They may defend their current behaviour and may not see it as a problem.

• Contemplation - People in the contemplation phase are able to see the benefits that change may provide, factors related to the need for change may be pressuring them at this point, therefore forcing the contemplation of change.

• Preparation - During this phase, a person may have recently attempted change or understands that change is essential or imminent, support is required during this phase as many decide that change is too difficult and may remain in this phase for a long time.

• Action - This is the phase where the change will actually take place, actions will be planned and undertaken in order to ensure that the change can be taken.  This stage requires a great deal of planning and support as action to change can be difficult and many attempts and techniques may need to be tried.

• Maintenance - This is the phase where steps need to be taken in order to ensure that the change is able to be maintained and that the person will not go back to their old behaviours. Strategies and support will be required until new habits have been formed.

• Relapse - The relapse phase can occur if the focus and motivation of the client is not maintained or if triggers cause the client to relapse back to old habits and patterns, it is important to determine what these triggers may be and to aid the client in not relapsing at any part of the program. If relapse does occur it is important to ensure that the client is supported back through the stages of change.

Each of these stages may result in various reactions and emotions being experienced by the client. For example, a client may be experiencing anxiety about starting a new and potentially challenging exercise routine, they may also feel stressed if they begin to relapse. 

Some techniques which can be used to help control these reactions include:

• Anxiety management - Visualisation of the goal; Imagining other events during exercise; Focusing on calm; Slow/deep breathing; Small initial goals "baby steps".

• Progressive relaxation - A technique that is similar to meditation in which the participant will focus on a specific thing throughout the exercise in order to calm the mind and focus the body. For example, focus on the footsteps during running, the footsteps sounds create a constant beat that lulls the runner's mind and allows them to focus on this rather than the energy that is being output, causing a relaxed yet energetic running state.

• Stress management - Similar to anxiety management, tactics include: Slow/deep breathing; Counting; Focusing on calm.

• Visualisation - Having a visual reference of one's goals during a workout is a great way of enhancing motivation and focusing away from the task at hand, it can aid people in working harder and in a more focused manner. Some people can imagine this visual reference, other prefer more physical visual sources such as photos of a healthy body or another goal.

• Self-talk - Requires the person to continually tell themselves that they can do it, "I think I can, I think I can...", and push hard to focuses energy towards success.

Evaluating and managing a client's self-motivation, self-efficacy, stages of change, and resulting reactions can be as simple as:

• Building rapport with clients.

• Understanding how they are motivated.

• Being aware of the barriers they may be facing.

• Utilising relevant products and services at appropriate times.

• Conducting regular evaluations.

Occasionally, a client may be experiencing a set-back in their goal progress, this may require an empathetic and motivational pep-talk or a reassessment of goals and their associated timelines.