LEADERSHIP

My internship experience at Parker Health and Wellness Group has allowed me to observe and work with fitness professionals in various roles. My internship mentors and advisers helped guide me to become a stronger leader. During my internship, I had practical experience applying the knowledge I learned at Rutgers. This knowledge has prepared me to be a confident leader within the fitness industry. As there are many myths surrounding fitness and health, I can be a leader to people on their own path of success in their fitness journey as I train people based on scientific evidence-based research. It is important to use evidence-based approaches to design effective fitness programs for clients. I will lead clients to achieve their fitness goals. 

As a fitness professional, it is crucial to have strong leadership skills as you guide clients through their fitness journey. Trainers must motivate their clients and push their clients to achieve their personal best. Fitness trainers are strong leaders who make strong connections with their clients and maintain an environment where the client feels trust and can look to the trainer for advice.  Seniors can be at high risk of injury from exercise if they suffer from underlying health concerns. Therefore, it is important to establish a professional relationship with the clients where they feel comfortable to speak with you about concerns they may have. During my internship, I learned how essential it is to deliver clear and concise explanations for each exercise. Many of the seniors I worked with suffered from hearing loss, memory loss, as well as neuromuscular diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. It was important for me to take on the role of a leader and take the necessary approaches for each client. I let the clients know I was an intern, and that I would help guide them through the series of exercises. 

During my internship, I had experience with training both a group as well as individual clients. At Parker, I helped teach the “Project Healthy Bones” class. Each class began with advice about living a healthy lifestyle and how to maintain and improve bone health. Each client received their own copy of the healthy lifestyle information flyer so they had it for future reference. After giving the class guidance about ways to improve their bone health, the strength training aspect of the class began. Each client was given a set of adjustable ankle weights and dumbbells. The class focused on the major muscles groups of the arms and legs and progressed each week. I helped guide the seniors as I demonstrated the exercises during the class and I gave helpful advice about how to correctly perform the exercises.

I also gained leadership experience during personal training sessions where I helped design strength training programs for clients suffering from memory loss. I demonstrated each exercise and gave loud and concise instructions. As many of the clients had trouble remembering how to perform the exercises throughout the entire set, I performed the exercises along with the clients. I made sure to help the client feel comfortable, and I made sure to ask how they felt to gauge their rate of perceived exertion. I learned that many seniors have difficulty with movements that may seem simple to perform from the perspective of a younger person. I will be able to use this information to design and lead fitness programs for older adults in my future. My internship helped me develop a better understanding of the perspective of older adults, and this will be extremely useful in my future career as a fitness professional. 

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