What is one thing you have changed your mind about in the past year?

I recently wrote this for Strengthcoach.com’s “Holiday Special” article: What is one thing you have changed your mind about in the past year? For me its not really one thing exactly, but more of a change in my overall approach to getting people, not only shape, but out of pain.

It seems like everyone coming in to train these days is in some sort of pain or has a severe movement issue. Baby boomers are now hitting their late 50's and video games are a full time job for most kids. Unfortunately, in the next 20 years it's only going to get worse, not better. In the past year I've realized most clients no longer only need just training, what they need is to get out of pain; and not until they are out of pain will any type of change you are trying to make happen. Pain in my mind is more then just the cause of injury. It also comes in the form of stress, anxiety, addiction, illness, & mental disorders.

Because of this I think this industry is moving towards a more holistic approach. It’s no longer something just one person can fix. Trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, psychologists, doctors, and nutritionists seem to be finally be getting together and realizing they need each other to really make a difference in somebody’s life.

This change is happening right before our eyes whether you know it or not. The best and most influential people in my business of strength & conditioning not only understand training and fitness, but they understand and integrate a lot of other “health” specialties into their work as well. For example good personal trainers and coaches read and seek out physical therapists to help them understand injury mechanisms and rehab better, and vice versa. This is not to say that as a personal trainer you should be practicing physical therapy, but that understanding what’s going on in the PT room makes you a better coach and a better programmer.

As a trainer having a team of people around, you can trust, makes you smarter and gets your clients results faster. This thought process has even led me to enroll in massage therapy school. Having only been in school for a few months, massage has already brought me a new appreciation for the inner workings of the human body and its amazing ability to adapt. The addition of massage to my education will allow me to help my clients get out of pain faster, make better recommendations when referring out, and it opens doors for me that would have been closed had I not pursued massage school… but even then I realize I still cannot provide everything my clients' needs, and I must rely on others in my network that I trust for help.

It is my hope that in the near future this becomes the standard in our business. Trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapist, psychologists, doctors, and nutritionists working together for one purpose. I know for me I will continue to build my team that I call on when I need them to be sure my clients have the best possible resources to change their lives for the better, and I encourage others to do the same.