Personal Fitness Professional - January/February 2009 - (Page 21)

[THE B A L A N C I N G BY KELLI CALABRESE As I began my ﬁtness career in 1998, my initial unique selling proposition was indeed my degree in physical therapy and sports medicine experience. Clients with rotator cuﬀ injuries, arthritis, lower back pain and ACL injuries began seeking me out to guide them back to play or instruct them what to do or, more importantly, what not to do in the gym. I quickly realized many trainers were not able to provide the detailed instruction I could based upon individual injuries, surgeries or speciﬁc medical conditions. Herein is the opportunity for trainers in this emerging market. ACT] DIFFERENCE move another step forward in achieving a balanced and prosperous life. Unifying involves aligning with those around you who can help build your arsenal of tools to make a diﬀerence. A majority of people go with the ﬂow and hang around with people who go with the ﬂow. “Like attracts like,” as my wise grandmother would say. If you subscribe to the philosophy that the economy is down, the costs of business and living are outrageous and the sky is falling, it’s likely you have friends who will commiserate with you. On the contrary, if you seek abundance, move forward with prosperity and balance as your motivators and have a positive self-outlook, you are more apt to attract like-minded individuals. Speciﬁc to personal training, if you continue to strive to be the best personal ﬁtness professional, you are likely to attract the best chiropractor, massage therapist, orthopedist, business advisors and associates to unite with and strengthen your ﬁtness empire. You may be thinking, “Kelli, I don’t want to build an empire, I just want to pay my bills and have enough left over for a new hi-def TV and an annual vacation.” That may be okay for now, but I am urging you to dream bigger. When you are seeking to unite with those at your level and even above you, it’s going to take some stretching beyond your comfort level. Some of us are naturals at networking, and others are terriﬁed. If you want to grow faster than you can on your own, or if what you are currently doing is not working or is missing some critical components, it’s necessary to stretch to align with others with who you can beneﬁt from each others’ businesses. If unifying with like-minded medical, health, wellness and business professionals is beyond your current comfort level, reconsider! First, break oﬀ any unhealthy or unproductive unions so that you can make room for meeting fantastic new people. Be on the lookout for experts and connectors who can help to elevate your business and who need your ﬁtness skills. Work on your networking skills, thinking about who you know who you can help and who can help you. Strike up a conversation with a goal in mind as to where it can lead. Typically, personal trainers see other trainers as a competitive threat; however, even aligning with another ﬁtness professional with a diﬀerent skill set than yours can be the thing that helps you to grow personally and professionally. Instead of seeing others as a threat or being paranoid that they are out to steal your business, carefully keep your options open, and remember: There is strength and power in numbers. Look for next month’s issue for the ﬁnal step in FOCUS: Success Planning. TO MAKE A UNITE in physical therapy, athletic training or kinesiology is a big plus, it is certainly not a prerequisite to be successful. To be competent and attract this special population, trainers need to possess speciﬁc knowledge about the population they elect to work with. They should have a sound understanding of speciﬁc medical conditions (i.e. arthritis, tendonitis, fractures, total joint replacements, herniated disc, etc.) and know how these conditions aﬀect tissue healing and stress response. Personally, I believe trainers must understand anatomy and biomechanics to eﬀectively analyze human movement and select appropriate exercises for clients transitioning from rehab. Understanding the real “why” behind each exercise is absolutely critical to success. Exercise must be prescribed and dosed accordingly to avoid re-injury and correct imbalances. Training must be directed at restoring function as opposed to just building strength or focusing on weight loss. Based on my experience, clients do extensive research on their condition, and trainers will not be able to fool them or gain their trust if they are not truly knowledgeable about their problem. It is always best to refer them to a third party if uncomfortable training them. Therefore, ﬁtness professionals need to gain experience with each type of condition. When starting out, it is best to align yourself with an established medical professional who can help direct the training and consult with you as questions arise. Make sure this person is an expert in the type of clientele you are attempting to attract in your business, as they will add instant credibility to your business and become a referral source over time. Acquiring Needed Skills While having a health-related degree T hus far, FOCUS represents your Future as ﬁtness professional, Observing what is going on in your life and Clarifying what you desire to accomplish. Now you can move forward to “U”: Unifying in order to Establishing a Strong Referral Network Ideally, you want your business to be referral-only. The fastest way to accomplish this is by gaining trust and respect amongst the medical community you work and live in. Nothing carries more weight than the recommendation of a physician. When physicians are sending you direct referrals, the cost of your services is never an objection; however, landing a referring physician will take time, especially if you haven’t had any direct experience with them. It is generally best to ﬁrst identify the type of client you are passionate about working with and then seek out physical therapy clinics or hospitals who service this target market. See the sidebar on the following page for a quick how-to on attracting referral sources. Gaining Physician Support Why is it important to meet the physicians? The answer is simple: They are at the top of the food chain. They hold all the power, and their recommendation gives you instant ➤ Kelli Calabrese [kelli@kellicalabrese.com] is the co-author of Personal Training — The Prosperity Formula. Go to www.CalabreseConsulting.com for info on this JAN-FEB2009 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM career-escalating program and the monthly coaching oﬀer. 21 http://www.CalabreseConsulting.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - January/February 2009

Personal Fitness Professional - January/February 2009 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Ready to Rock the Podium What It Takes to Change Fitness Marketing Makeover Be Better Top Club Building a Base of Special Populations The Balancing Act Take Action! Nutrition Solutions Datebook Journey to Success New on the Market The Four P's Exercising Your Influence No More Pain in the Back!

Personal Fitness Professional - January/February 2009

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