Do you discuss politics with your clients?
It’s probably best to only discuss politics in a bipartisan manner. There’s nothing offensive about discussing the political atmosphere and the current polictical affairs but expressing how you feel regarding any particular subject could be a huge gamble because your client my not share your beliefs.
Hi Karin. I tend NOT to talk about such controversial (or at least passionate) subjects as politics or religion DURING a client’s session. I am a strong proponent of talking with my client during their sessions, however I try to keep the subject matter light (e.g. a movie they’ve recently seen or book read, or something about fitness etc.). I think that there are certain subjects that are just TOO HEAVY to carry on a conversation about during their workout, but love having these debates with my clients when we are not working out (I think it’s important to sometimes engage our clients in that type of back in forth as a way to show that we as trainers are multi-dimensional and learned beyond just exercise and fitness).
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
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Hi Karin,
I generally prefer not to engage my clients in any political discussion. Sometimes, I listen to their opinions about politics and I stay neutral. I am a professional and I like to talk about fitness and how I can help them improve their lives through healthy living. The danger of engaging into political conversations (among other things) is that you might upset clients if you don’t agree with their views, which could result in you losing clients. Furthermore, they may tell other people they know and you may lose potential clients as well. I like to keep things simple.