7 Tips For Trainers On Client Injuries… and Some Cool Free Gifts

A Fitness Training Guest Post by Rick Kaselj

Eh, it is that Canadian guy again talking about injuries.

I did a blog post for Chris a few days a go. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

In the last blog post, I talked about how injuries can lead to moohlah.

Now I am going to give you 7 tips on how to get more injuries which will lead to more moohlah… plus I've included some free gifts for you towards the bottom of this post.

Here we go.

#1 – Have a Step Before the Grinder

Most of us throw our clients into the grinder.

They start training with us or join our bootcamp and we go hard from day one.

But clients with injuries, aches and pains will not make it through the grinder.

They will leave you, have their injury flare up or quit because you don't know what you are doing when it comes to their injury.

This is what you need to do…

Set up a step before your grinder. For those clients that are not ready for intense personal training or your bootcamp. You can create a four-week "prehab" or "body prep" program for them.

In this step before, you work on activation, endurance, strength and re-enforcing core movements (push, pull, squat, lunge, press). This will lead to your clients succeeding in their fitness goals and create a stronger bond with your injury clients. Plus prepare them for the grinder.

#2 – Look Professional

I was watching Dragon's Den a few days ago. Dragon's Den in Canada is like Shark Tank. This is where entrepreneurs meet up with potential investors. The entrepreneurs need money for their ideas and products, the investors have it.

There was a lady that had the idea of women selling hot dogs on street corners with bikinis on.

Interesting idea.

One of the investors said, "I can't take someone in a bikini serious."

Look at what you are wearing; can a doctor or health professional take you serious?

Do you wear short shorts, cut offs or muscle shirts? These may look good on the beach or in your class but not in a doctor's office.

You need to look professionals, clean and knowledgeable to get clients from doctors.

#3 – Understand Chronic Conditions

This is a big thing doctors and health care professionals will be sending you clients with. Know what to do about them and what not to do with them. Chronic conditions will be the big reason why a doctor or someone else will come see you.

We all know the big ones. They are obesity, diabetes, high blood press, arthritis and high cholesterol. Understand the basics of these and know what to do and not to do when you get clients with them.

#4 – Make it Easy for Doctors to Send Clients to You

How have you set it up so doctors can send you clients?

Call center? 1-800 number? Form on your website?

None of these are going to work.

Have you tried to get a doctor on the phone? You would have better luck like getting the president on the phone.

You need to go old school – pen and paper.

Create an exercise prescription pad and give it to your doctor and the other doctors in their clinic.

The exercise prescription pad is no different than the medication ones that you get but just make it exercise focus.

Make sure you put an offer on the prescription pad for the client to contact you. A good one is a free "30 minute injury tune up" consultation.

#5 – Speak Doctorese

You don't need be a doctor to talk to a doctor but you need to understand and be able to communicate with doctors.

Here are a few things to ask or understand:

- Are there any activities you patient should be avoiding?

- Is there a specific heart rate range you patient avoid or maintain?

- Should she minimize or eliminate impact activities?

- Would he benefit from core stability exercises that target making her back stronger?

- Does he have any outstanding diagnostic investigations?

#6 – Help them Out

Most clinics will have presentation for their patients or staff.

Offer to do a presentation for their patients on starting an exercise program or exercising with an injury. Any one of us can do a quick presentation on this for 15 to 30 minutes.

Also many clinics have in-services for their staff. Many times it is a lunch and learn. You can bring in healthy snacks and go through healthy lunch snacks that are quick and easy because most other speakers bring doughnuts. You can also offer doing a bootcamp for their staff or easy workout you can do during lunch. Remember, the food is the hook to get them there.

#7 – People Will Call You Crazy

I am called crazy that I work with clients with injuries but guess what? Everyone has an injury, ache or pain.

Looking at back pain, a minimum of 80% of people have had back pain and 40% of people will experience back pain to a level where it will affect what they do this year.

Yes, 40% will have back pain this year!

Incorporate injuries into your personal training or bootcamps and you will tap into that 10 to 20% that are sitting there looking for a someone to help them out.

And here's some super cool stuff for you…

1. Here's a free report about how you can help your clients overcome injuries, bust through platueas and stay injury free

Click Here To Download this Free Report