Have you gotten real with yourself and asked the question, what would I do if my client got hurt? When you’re planning a long career in fitness and learn precautions to help your clients, you’re also helping yourself.
The best way to protect your client? Take steps to prevent injury altogether. Here are a few simple tips, to help you accomplish your goal of keeping your clients and career safe.
- Place equipment properly. Don’t leave weights lying around after a client has used them. All equipment should be returned to its rightful and safe place after use. The same goes for yoga mats left on the floor, as well as balls, bars and ropes, etc. Even a minor stumble over gear left out can result in a major injury.
- Stay up-to-date with all of the equipment in your gym. Become an expert in knowing how to safely use all of the equipment that you’re using in the gym. You’ll also want to be sure that you’re extremely accurate in your demos for clients. By properly training your clients, they have the skills needed to practice proper form, even when you’re not around.
- Secure the weight pins in the weight machines before your sessions start. It’s a small step you can take to reinforce your own security and that of your client. Too many injuries, which have resulted in extensive and costly harm, have occurred because this quick step was overlooked. Peace of mind comes when you take all precautions to avoid risk.
- Use the safety clip on treadmills. We’ve all probably seen a YouTube video where a person on a treadmill loses control, loses their shoe, or loses their balance, flying off the back. Treadmills accelerate to very high speeds, and when your client fumbles mid-step, serious accidents can occur. It’s important to remind all of your clients that the treadmill clip is there for a (very important) reason. When the clip is pulled, the machine comes to a halt, and the health risk to your client is reduced.
- Be quick to clean up any spilled water in the gym. This is another example of a slip-up, which can have grievous consequences. If a client slips on water spilled near the drinking fountain in your gym, they could hit their head, rip muscles, tweak their back, or worse. All of these are painful, put a stop to their progress in their sessions with you, and can cost you extra, particularly if you are not insured.
Five speedy fixes can save you a lot of heartache over injured clients and potential lawsuits or claims. Be sure to share this small safety guide with your fellow trainers, too! For an instant quote on personal trainer insurance, click here.
