It\u2019s seven months since I first cracked open the books to begin studying for my Level 3 personal trainer qualification with Future Fit Training and I\u2019m gaining a greater appreciation for Christopher Hitchens\u2019 genius by the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe measure of a good education is that you acquire some idea of the extent of your ignorance,\u201d the legendary contrarian once quipped, and I\u2019m finding him to be proved more correct with every passing module.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve mentioned in a previous piece how surprised I was by the sheer volume of knowledge that personal trainers are expected to acquire. The level of detail and insight required was something I had grossly underestimated and this has been exacerbated by the fact that the comprehensive course materials provided by Future Fit ensure that no stone is left unturned in your training. Lucky then, that the learning process has so far proved such a joy that I\u2019m genuinely excited and intrigued by how much remains to be discovered.<\/p>\n
From a personal perspective, one of the most interesting aspects has been the importance of behaviour change and psychology in motivating an individual to exercise. We all know the stats \u2013 physical inactivity costs the UK \u00a320bn per year and claims 37,000 \u2013 so these skills are essential weapons in a PT\u2019s armoury if we are to make a meaningful dent in the nation\u2019s inactivity crisis and save the NHS from bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
As someone who works in communications and public relations, it\u2019s fair to say much of my day (and nights) are consumed with questions of how to change behaviours. How do we persuade X that Y is the best course of action for improving their health? How can we best demonstrate that taking up Z will lead to a marked improvement in someone\u2019s happiness and wellbeing? You can probably see where I\u2019m going with this \u2013 when it comes to PR and PT \u2013 it\u2019s all relative. Never mind the initials, across the two disciplines there are huge similarities in understanding motivations, changing behaviours and helping people to be happier.<\/p>\n
Being neither a master in public relations or personal training (yet!) I\u2019m afraid I\u2019m not quite in the position to reveal all of the synergistic secrets that can help make both jobs become a doddle. But I can certainly see the parallels and would urge us all in the physical activity sector to treat our comfort zones like our muscles (stretch them often and watch them grow) by constantly seeking out advice and expertise from unlikely sources.<\/p>\n
As for my Future Fit PT course, having just passed my Exercise Programming and Coaching section, now all that stands between me and a fully-fledged Level 3 qualification is the Nutrition and Weight Management module. The studying for this has begun in earnest, but of course it\u2019s only when you\u2019re let loose on the public that the real learning begins \u2013 a sentiment I\u2019m sure Hitch would heartily agree with.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s seven months since I first cracked open the books to begin studying for my Level 3 personal trainer qualification with Future Fit Training and I\u2019m gaining a greater appreciation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":18681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n