It’s so refreshing to see local personal trainer Bernie junior fitness taking his first steps in learning about mental health.
It would be great to see more personal trainers upskilling in this area to help individuals who are suffering with their mental health. As trainers we are fully aware of how exercise can help individuals psychologically.
This qualification will enable Bernie to help provide mental health support and comfort to anyone going through a mental health condition or crisis. Having worked in the fitness industry for over 14 years, from experience it is very likely you will come across individuals who are suffering with their mental health.
We often define health and fitness as being physically fit in appearance and having a good diet. That’s just how life works in the fitness industry.
The problem is it’s not easy to see. I can unfortunately say that I have worked with clients who are suffering mentally.
As trainers we will come across individuals who are physically fit and eats well. However they may also be suffering in silence with a condition such as body dysmorphia or anorexia. There is very little advice and professional support in the fitness industry to help these individuals.
Trainers get caught up talking about prepping for the next competition, body-fat levels, food prepping etc that we neglect the important factors that may also be affecting our clients mental health.
Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, depression, and substance abuse are conditions that can potentially end peoples life. These individuals or clients may come across a person who may seem outwardly “healthy”, this is why it’s so important to be mindful of this.
The statistics are staggering.
In the UK alone, 1 in 4 adults each year will experience a mental illness, and those who suffer can be expected to die as much as 10 to 20 years earlier than those in the general population. According to a Mind survey 2 in 4 people experience a mental health illness when names were kept anonymous.
When it comes to optimising and improving our client’s health, we need to begin to see beyond the scope of how they look and feel physically. More emphasis could be used to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses.
We don’t hesitate to make changes when we notice our fitness levels have declined. We seek medical assistance when we are physically ill, why don’t we do this when someone is ill mentally?
We have to remember that “health” goes much further beyond how our body looks and feels physically. Health means taking care of minds too.
Bernie Junior Fitness is now available for personal training sessions at the 24/7 gym in Norwich. Contact details: 07921936983.
Our Level 2 Award in Mental Health Awareness course is now available, Please click here for further information: https://norfolkhealthandfitness.com/additional-courses/
For more information on this topic, contact Kevin via email: kevin@norfolkhealthandfitness.com