I’ve been in the fitness industry now for over 7 years and in that time I have trained all manner of people, from those who are “healthy” to those that have various injuries and illnesses, from 15 year olds to 95 year olds and everything in between. One thing all these people have in common is that they want to have the best quality of life they possibly can. For some people this might mean losing weight, for others it might be feeling stronger, and for some it is simply being able to perform their daily routines better. Whatever a clients goal, I endeavour to work with them to provide meaningful assistance in the gym through training sessions and outside the gym through ongoing support.
Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to help a number of clients achieve major goals including running their first marathon, completing their first ever push-ups on their toes, passing the NSW Police Force physical tests, regaining mobility in frozen shoulders, and many more. Nothing compares to the feeling of having a client thank you for helping them achieve a goal they didn’t think possible.
I was lucky enough in my early career to work with a large number of clients with different injuries and illnesses, this allowed me to develop my skills and to this day I enjoy the challenge of being able to help a client with various conditions through exercise intervention. It is not uncommon to hear people think that because of an injury or illness they are not able to exercise… this doesn’t have to be the case!
With effective communication and programming there is no reason why these clients cannot achieve their health and fitness goals and improve their quality of life!
Below is just one example of how exercise can help with someone with anxiety and depression. This is an interesting example as mental health is becoming a more commonly talked about issue.
Exercise and Depression
In Australia currently 1 in 6 people are experiencing anxiety, depression or both according to Beyond Blue. Quite a confronting statistic when you consider that this equates to approximately 3.2 million people, but did you know regular exercise has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression and improve mood, sleep, appetite and other functions.
So if you or anyone you know has any injuries, illnesses or other conditions which you feel may affect your ability to exercise please don’t hesitate to talk to me about it. Live Well’s studio number is 9587 4100.
Niall Oates
