Exercising is something that people are more into than ever these days. We all know how vital it is to stay healthy, stay in shape, and keep active. Many people take this love for staying in shape and make a career out of it as a personal trainer. They help others to achieve their fitness goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Last year, it was estimated that there are now more than 370,000 registered personal trainers in the USA. While it is a very enjoyable and satisfying role, there can sometimes be hitches along the way to challenge you.
One of these is a client getting injured during one of your workout sessions. Many PTs do not plan for this and start to panic when it happens. That is not advisable! But what should you do if this does happen in a workout of yours?
Stop the session
There are many helpful ways for people to stay fit now, including popular fitness apps to work out at home. Many still choose to hire a personal trainer because they value the knowledge and experience you can impart. When a client is injured, it is the time to show these qualities in full. Of course, the very first thing any decent PT will do is stop the session immediately. This will avoid the client making their injury worse by carrying on working out after the injury has happened. Even if it is a minor twinge, you should still stop until you know it is safe for them to continue.
Check how they are
The next thing to do is to make a calm, proper assessment of their injury. This will allow you to ascertain how serious it might be, whether they can be moved and whether further medical attention is needed. If the injury can be dealt with via basic first aid, now is the time to sort this out. You may be qualified to do this and have the right kit on hand to treat the injured party
If not, and you conduct classes at a gym, there should be a nominated member of gym staff to contact for certified help. Do not try to treat any injury if you are not qualified or are not sure what to do. For more serious injuries (such as breaks or dislocations), you may need to call an ambulance and get hospital treatment for the client. If no actual first aid or medical attention is needed, do not be afraid to cut the session short if you feel that continuing is not wise.
Check your insurance policy
Once the immediate concerns of assessing and treating the client have been dealt with, you will want to double check what your insurance policy covers when you get five minutes. The crucial thing is that it protects against liability claims from clients. Next Insurance are one of the most respected providers of PT insurance on the market and their plans include this, which shows how important it is. Although you may not believe what happened to cause the injury was your fault, the client may think otherwise.
This could mean a compensation claim for bodily injury against you and facing huge costs if not covered. A client who ruptures their Achilles tendon in your session may blame you for it and then sue for $100,000. This is not a cost you want to be taking on! By seeing what your policy includes, you will be prepared if any claim does arise.
Keep in touch to track recovery
The last major step to take if a client injures themselves in your fitness session is to keep in touch with them as they recover. Even something minor like a sprained ankle could see them miss a week or two of classes. Keeping tabs on their recovery shows the client you care about them as a person and their well-being. It is also simply the right thing to do – even if the cause of the injury was not your fault. It is wise in a business sense as the client will be more likely to return to sessions with you and tell everyone they know how caring you were.
Client injury? Make sure you know what to do
Working as a personal trainer is a rewarding job that lets people indulge in their passion for exercise. It is not without its dangers though and unforeseen disasters though. A client injuring themselves in your session is certainly one and something you should know how to respond to. If you need a few helpful tips, the above is worth taking onboard.
