Need for a Multidisciplinary Approach
The human body is truly an incredible machine, capable of tremendous achievements, spectacular breakdowns, and even more spectacular recoveries. As a fitness professional, you have the opportunity to observe this machine, firsthand, every day. It is truly a joy to help guide a person toward their fitness goals while helping them to avoid the various pitfalls and traps along the way. And one of the most interesting and rewarding aspects to training is that no two people are the same or have the same goals. This is where the role of the fitness professional becomes crucial. Every athlete has their own unique physical and psychological traits that the fitness professional must take into account when developing a program to best meet his or her goals and avoid injury or burnout.
One of the many benefits of coaches, personal trainers, or other fitness professionals is their objective perspective. Fitness professionals are able to reevaluate a training program and change it as necessary to help an athlete or client keep on track. They are also able to recognize when a certain course of action is not in line with their client’s goals — sometimes even finding that it threatens their client’s health. However, an additional benefit that many both inside and outside the industry overlook is the ability to recognize when additional help or perspective is required to break through a performance plateau or to recover from an injury.
Benefits of a Multidisciplinary Approach
When a client comes to you facing a challenge or obstacle on the path toward meeting his or her fitness goal, the professional experience of a single person may not be enough. Knowing the limits of your expertise and when additional input is required can be difficult. If a personal trainer has been working with an individual for several months whose goal is to lose weight and there has been minimal progress toward weight reduction, it may be time for that trainer to refer that person to a dietitian. Although personal trainers often have knowledge about proper nutrition, it is not necessarily their area of expertise, and a client will likely benefit from a consultation with someone whose training is specifically in nutrition.
Every individual is a complex being with many different aspects that can affect his or her fitness goals. When designing a fitness program, particularly for high-performance athletes or those with challenging goals, a single plan of attack from one professional will only go so far. Multiple approaches will have the greatest impact. Almost every facet of fitness has a discipline associated with it that provides specific training in that area. For example, a sports dietitian, sport medicine doctor, massage therapist, personal trainer, sports psychologist, and coach all offer valuable insights, expertise, and ideas to help athletes become faster and stronger — helping them take their athletic performance to the next level. By using all of these resources and making the most of each approach, you provide the best service possible to an athlete or fitness client.
A multidisciplinary approach to athletic training and fitness instruction can be difficult for some members of the fitness industry. Fitness professionals often feel loyal to their clients and want to provide the best possible service, so some may feel that a client will perceive a referral as an indication of weakness, lack of knowledge, or poor service. Ultimately, however, a referral will help the client reach his or her goals, and in turn, perceive the service from all professionals involved as more effective and worth the investment.
Aside from the obvious benefit to the client, working with other health professionals in a multidisciplinary manner will also benefit the fitness professional. Referrals within the community of fitness professionals will help to build business relationships and establish connections, which helps connect fitness professionals with more clients in the long run.
An Example from My Own Career
As an endurance coach and athlete, I have the privilege of getting to know the athletes I coach on an individual basis: This is truly the only way that a training plan can be effective. After an initial consultation with an athlete, I began to describe to her my coaching philosophy and how that translates into a practical, everyday training program. She asked, “How do you know this is going to help me reach my goals?” I answered, “Well, I really don’t know, but given your current fitness level, your goals, and your various life constraints, coupled with my experience as an athlete and coach, as well as my education as a doctor, I think this is the best program for you. However, we will constantly evaluate and reevaluate to see if we are progressing and moving toward achieving your goals.”
After several months, she twisted her ankle and was unable to run during a critical training period. As a result, we had to shift focus for a period of time. I recommended ice, rest, elevation, and compression to help her recover. However, she was not healing as well or as fast as we would have liked. She wanted advice, diagnosis, and a prescription from me, as a physician. However, I did not feel comfortable acting as both her coach and her physician. As a result, I referred her to a great sports medicine doctor I know, as well as a physical therapist. Within a few weeks, she was running — able to get to the starting line of her race, ready to go.
When my client was injured, I was eager to provide advice I knew would help her; however, I was aware of the boundary between simple advice and professional opinion, and I knew that it was in my client’s best interest to seek additional help. First and foremost, my decision to refer benefited the athlete. But it benefited me, as well, in that it strengthened my relationships with the physical therapist and the sports medicine doctor to whom I referred. Appropriate referrals enhance business relationships within the fitness professional community.
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