Explaining the value of reflective practice in Personal Training

It is useful to reflect on the session delivered after it has ended.

The instructor can review their own performance and the performance of the client and can reflect on any feedback gathered from the client regarding how they found the session, e.g. the outcomes achieved and how they experienced the session (likes, dislikes, things they found easy, things they found hard, anything they didn’t understand, etc.).

When reflecting and evaluating it is important to consider:

– How well the exercise met clients needs, i.e. were they safe, effective and enjoyable, and were modifications made in relation to information provided by the client at the start of the session?

– How effective and motivational was the relationship between the instructor and client, e.g. was the rapport and energy positive and upbeat or was communication with the client challenging and why?

– How well the instructing style matched the clients the clients needs, e.g. did the client follow instructions correctly and perform exercises safely and effectively? Was the client clear or did they look confused at any point? Did they respond to questions?

It is important to be able to reflect objectively on the session to identify success (things that worked and why they worked) and to identify areas for development in future sessions (what didn’t work, why it didn’t work and how it could be made better).

The instructor that honestly evaluates their instruction will more effectively iron out inconsistencies in their teaching style and improve the ability to make future sessions more effective, in turn improving their personal practice. An instructor may not recognize their full potential unless they take the time to reflect on their practice accordingly.