By Brian Schulte, CSCS, FAFS
Spooner Coordinator of FIT

I already know what you’re thinking: “Brian, your clients pay for you to exercise?” Yes, that’s exactly what I am saying. I should preface myself by saying that not ALL of my clients “train me.” But some of them do, and for very specific reasons. Allow me to provide some clarity…

For those clients who enjoy learning about the process, or perhaps need a little more instruction, one of the strategies I implement is role-reversal. I find that a great way to learn something new is to teach it; thus, I will often ask my client to act as if he/she is the “coach” and I am the “athlete,” and then to show me the ideal way to perform an exercise we have completed before. For some clients, I use that strategy as a tool to test their knowledge of the exercise to ensure that they understand it or to reinforce cues. In some cases, I will actually move with the client and have him/her instruct me while we exercise together.

In my role-reversal proposal, I say that the client is the “coach” and that I am the “athlete”, which implies that normally I am the coach and he or she is the athlete. Some people are more athletically gifted than others; however, as Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike, once said “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” I have found that people tend to believe in their movement abilities more when they view themselves as an athlete. Finally, you’ll note in the paragraph above that I italicized ideal way to perform said exercise, as I stray away from the language of “right” and “wrong” ways to move when working with my clients. It is my belief that there are no wrong ways to move, just better ways to move.

I am currently working with a client who is combating Parkinson’s Disease in her 50’s, which is a statistically younger age for onset of PD. One of the challenges with PD is that although the individual can gain some relative wins in the short term towards fighting symptoms of the disease, neurobiology will eventually win and decline is bound to happen. While working with this resilient client over the years, I have, unfortunately, witnessed her world getting smaller. I don’t mean “small world” like running into someone from your hometown when you’re across the country; I mean that her condition has limited her independence and mobility. This client collapses to the ground on nearly a bi-weekly basis from her lower body freezing or simply giving out on her. Due to her struggles, her family (understandably) doesn’t want her doing even the most basic things alone, or at all. She can no longer cook by herself in the kitchen, she is not able to drive her car, she cannot go for a walk around the neighborhood, etc. Things are constantly being taken away from her, both internally and externally. This is how her world is diminishing. As a part of her medical team, it is difficult to witness her independence get taken away from her by the disease, but to some extent, there is nothing I can do about it. Despite that truth, my client inspires me to fight that diminishing world alongside her.

Due to the pandemic, we are currently training remotely through Facetime. During this time, despite our physical distance, she has mastered several exercises in which she has multiple points of stability while doing large-amplitude movements in all three planes of motion. After a few sessions of teaching a new “flow” of exercises, I will ask her if she wants to take me through the flow (the “you’re the coach, I’m the athlete” strategy). I may even ask her what she would like to work on for the day and we create an exercise plan together.

It has been fascinating to see the positive outcomes from utilizing the role-reversal strategy:

Amplitude (Specific to my client with Parkinson’s)

Her voice gets louder. One of her challenges with PD is she speaks very quietly and does not enunciate her words as well as she once did, like many others with PD. When someone is engaged in a teaching activity, he or she tends to project his or her voice, and often speak slower, and more fluidly so that their subject can absorb the information. Additionally, in the coaching role, my client tends to feel more comfortable, more in control of the movements, and moves with more amplitude.

Empowerment (Specific to my client with Parkinson’s)

In her role as “coach,” my client tends to exude a sense of feeling empowered (or empowerment). Her coaching me is one of those moments that I can give her where she’s now in charge of the situation. She’s given agency, confidence, and control where in other areas of her life, she is feeling the opposite.

I get a kick out of having my client take me through exercises and hearing her repeat the exact cueing and wording that I use with her. My own words get used against me in the best possible way.

Understanding – Knowing the “why” behind the “what”

I like to grant my clients with the understanding of the “whys” behind what we are doing. We may be using one body part to influence another; we may be using the principles of triplanar motion, adjusting duration/tempo/volume, etc. The more they understand about the process and why we are employing it, the more invested they will be and the more benefit they will gain.

Independence

Building off the knowledge I impart, I truly enjoy when my clients can demonstrate the ability to work through things on their own. Of course I want my clients to value me and what I offer, but my goal is never to have someone be dependent on me. I am a believer in the “if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he eats for his life” mentality. I want to give my clients tools that they can use for the rest of their lives to keep their bodies in motion.

Helping me help others

We all receive information and learn in different ways. It’s interesting to me what teaching points resonate with some, while different teaching points seem to resonate better with others. This has helped me not only sharpen how I communicate with a student, but also the different ways people receive information. In utilizing the role-reversal strategy, I am provided with instant feedback on how effectively I have communicated my instructions or guidance on an exercise or routine. If after my multiple attempts to instruct an exercise or movement to a client, they cannot articulate to me the key points, that’s not a failure on their end, that’s a failure on my end. Docendo discimus is a Latin proverb meaning, “by teaching, we learn.” As I expressed above, my clients learn by teaching, but I am grateful that in the process, I also learn from them.

To schedule an appointment with Brian, you can call 480-551-4960, email b.schulte@spoonerpt.com or request and appointment.