As a certified personal trainer (CPT), smart phones and mobile apps are becoming a must-have from scheduling appointments with clients to managing client workout and performance information. So let's take a quick look at 3 pros and 3 cons of smart phones in fitness training.
Pros:
1. Fitness apps make it easier to track your client's progress over time. You can also email or text the latest workout or progress data, and motivational support directly to your client.
2. Most smart phones have health monitors. These monitors track the number of steps taken, speed, heart rate, allowing you and your client to set goals and track their daily activity level.
3. Unconventional apps like a metronome can be used to enhance a workout with correct timing. And remember with a smartphone, you always have a built-in stop watch, music, and flashlight!
Cons:
1. Phone obsession. If you are a trainer who can't put away your smartphone when engaging with a client, sadly, you won't keep your clients for very long. So practice some restraint and give your clients your full attention.
2. Unwelcome distractions. If your phone keeps ringing or text beeping during a client's workout--it may become an unwelcome distraction and disrupt their results.
3. Inevitable breakage. Keep in mind as you are tracking all of your client's progress on your phone during active workouts, there's always the risk of smartphone damage as weights and kettlebells sometimes collide in a shared space, or take a dip if you are training poolside. Practice situational awareness and your smartphone will survive just fine.
We hope these pros and cons helped you determine whether using a phone as a training tool is a good fit for your growing exercise business and your clients. Always do what you feel is in the best interest of your clients' health, safety, and well-being.
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