Proper procedure for medical clearance for client?
I’m curious if there might be more to obtaining medical clearance from a client with many risk factors. I have a client who has been sedentary for a long time, has chest pain, is taking medications for a heart condition. We went through the PAR-Q and told her she needs a medical release form (which I provided) from her doctor, and we can then start an exercise program. Is there anything that I can do on my end to make it easier for the client to get medical release? Trying to stay professional as possible and go the extra 10% 🙂
Hi Tyler,
at this point, this is all you can do.
I have found that I got medical clearances often more easily than I would have expected and sometimes wondered whether the physician took the time to look at the patient’s records. Having said that: if you get clearance from her doctor, I would stay very close to her in all she does and monitor her. If you feel that there is anything that makes you feel uncomfortable with the situation, you need to refer her back to her physician. You can write a note with your observations which she can hand to her doctor.
Most personal trainer certifications only cover the ‘apparently healthy’, and she is clearly not in that category.
Proceed with caution.
Karin Singleton
www.KarinSingleton.com