Would You RUNAWAY or Train this client? - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[muscletrainerdh-NSCA CPT]

44 Year Old female
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Low Thyroid (Hyopthyroidism)
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
Medications:
Synthroid
Glucophage.

Too embarassed to workout at a gym or take group exercise classes
Confused about what diet to eat.

Would you Runaway, or take this client on as a challenge.

My main concern is that she will not see results quick enough as her conditions (hypothyroidism and PCOS) make it very difficult to lose weight. And thus she wont' be a client for long.

What are your thoughts?

[Sandy]

Hi Muscletrainerdh

My thoughts on this would be that with her having Hypothyroidism, as I do myself, she will not see results quickly. Hopefully she is on the correct medication and dosage. Once that is corrected she will be feeling and seeing a difference and hopefully on the right path.
As for the PCOS? I"m not fully up on that one.

Sandy

[muscletrainerdh-NSCA CPT]

Hey Sandy,

I found a couple of websites about PCOS:

www.soulcysters.com
www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com

Lots of good info. The health problem apparently affects a woman's menstrual cycle, fertility, hormones, insulin production, heart, blood vessels, and appearance. Women with PCOS usually have higher androgen levels.

I sent the woman a lot of information but have not heard from her. So I'm going to have to follow up to see what I can do to convince her that I can help.

Peace,
Dave

[Sandy]

Hey Dave,

Thanks for the websites. I am always learning more and more each day by websites and reading. It not only helps me but my clients.

As for the lady your waiting to hear from, I'm sure she will call. She may be waiting to hear from her physician.

Thanks again
Sandy

[cj]

I love working with special populations. Sounds like a challenging, but probably fun client.

If I think a client isn't going to see results because of a chronic condition (even if the condition is as minor as post kidney transplant, or as major as plain old laziness) I always take an approach of letting the client guide the workout, I let them lead me, instead of me leading them.

I try to find out what motivated them to contemplate changing their behavior, then I nurture that CAUSE they have.

Someone once told me that I will never accomplish my goals until I understand the reason WHY I want to... (My old boss when I was in the insurance business) a couple weeks later I quit, guess money wasn't my real motivation in life.

I find that the same thing goes for clients, some people say that they want to look good, when they really just want to feel good, and some people say that they want to feel good when what they really mean is they want to increase their social life, I always take time to try to figure out what the client really wants, sometimes it is hard, sometimes it is like pulling teeth.

If you build it around the client, you can't disappoint them, no matter what their situation is... If it is a chronic disorder holding them back, they will know it is that and not you.