Meet Tim ...
He works for the YMCA as a Personal Trainer in their gym and works with a large variety of clients who are working towards many different types of goals, some of which include improvements to their body composition.
What is body composition?
Essentially it is the proportion of body fat, both essential and excess, to the other non-fat or lean mass that constitutes the human body such as bones, muscles, and water.
What methods do you use to assess someone's body composition?
In the first instance, I take their height, weight, and other body measurements. These are fairly non-invasive means of determining if someone is overweight or underweight or just right. I can use the statistics from these measurements to calculate ratios and match them to various charts and indexes. If a client wishes to have a more comprehensive body-fat analysis then I can conduct skin fold tests or use a bio-electrical impedance analysis device.
Why is it important to have a healthy body composition?
Our bodies are like machines, they require fuel to run effectively but it has to be good clean fuel and we must also maintain our body so that it runs effectively. That's why healthy eating and regular exercise are so important to overall health. So many chronic health conditions can be prevented or even reversed by observing these two guidelines. Unfortunately, modern lifestyles such as office-based jobs, a tendency to sit and watch TV for hours, and easy access to very unhealthy food tends to cause people to be overweight and unfit.
How do you motivate your clients?
I help them to set SMART goals with clearly defined benchmarks that are achievable yet still challenging. I also take the time to get to know them on a personal level and determine what sort of rewards they prefer. Some people are happy to just achieve their own personal goals and perhaps have a discreet encouragement or congratulatory comment during an appraisal session, others are quite competitive and ambitious and they need lots of recognition, praise, and even tangible rewards.