While working out at a local gym a few weeks ago, Morit Summers, an NSCA-certified personal trainer and the owner of Form Fitness Brooklyn, witnessed an incident that instantly made her blood boil: A fitness coach placed their hands on their female client’s waist, then guided her body through a lateral lunge, she says.
That means coaches should hone their ability to use language to explain movements, as demoing the move may not be totally effective, says Delgado-Lugo. "Bodies are different — your body may not move the way the other people may move, so it may not actually translate," she explains. "So take what you know about that movement you're trying to get them to repeat, [then think about] how you can really use words to help them figure out how to do it for themselves."
More importantly, fitness trainers, particularly when they're first kicking off their career, should reflect on the impression they're giving their clients and how they're using — or inadvertently abusing — their power as an expert and service provider, says Delgado-Lugo. "It's a tough question to ask yourself," she says. "But if you're starting at that endpoint and you're really thinking about how you can deliver your services with professionalism, you're probably not going to end up doing things that are inappropriate."
