How to address over exercising?
I have a client who regularly spends 3-4 hours working out per day. I do a corporate class at her office and then she had asked me for personal training sessions on days I am not at her office. We started going with this just fine, but she began to tell me all the other things she’s been doing, and finally the last straw for me was catching her at the gym for 4-hours. Straight.
She is obese and has a terrible diet. Initially when she had asked me to train her I had suggested her money would be better spent on a dietitian, but she was not open to the idea. Instead she said she knew what she had to do as far as nutrition and just needed the exercise part. She has not upped her game as far as nutrition goes so she is trying to exercise more to make up for it.
I confronted her about the amount of time she is spending working out and told her I would no longer be willing to personal train her if she kept up at this rate. Things were better for a little while, but she has fallen back into her habits.
How do I address this again in a meaningful manner?
Hi Ameilia,
It was good that you brought your concerns to her attention and discussed them with her. My question for you would be does your client show any signs of overtraining such as fatigue, elevated resting heart-rate, depression, consistently sore muscles, irritability or have repeated injuries? I’m not sure how she would have the energy or stamina to train with you if she was really active for all that time per day.
If you have had a discussion, and she is showing signs of overtraining, and you are certain she is doing this (and not just taking her time because she’s not sure what to do, talking,socializing, etc…) then you may think of referring her to another health care professional. She may have a lot more going on and using training to cover her emotions.
There is only so much you can do as her trainer, and sometimes a referral is necessary.
Best wishes to you and your client.
Christine