Why Sometimes the Best Advice Isn’t Another Exercise
In the fitness industry, it’s easy to measure success by numbers: how many clients you’ve signed up, how many sessions you’ve booked, how many memberships you’ve sold. But behind the scenes, the real measure of a trainer isn’t just about sales — it’s about integrity.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a personal trainer is that our duty of care comes before everything else. When someone approaches us with concerns about pain, injury, or long-term wear and tear, our first responsibility isn’t to close a deal. It’s to listen, respect their situation, and make sure they get the right help — even if that means referring them to another professional first.
This restraint might seem counter-intuitive in an industry that sometimes rewards quick sign-ups over careful judgement. But telling someone what they want to hear, or pushing them into training without clarity, isn’t doing them a service. It’s ignoring boundaries, risking harm, and ultimately eroding trust.
The truth is, integrity in personal training means knowing where your expertise ends and another professional’s begins. It means respecting the signals someone’s body is giving them, and recognising that a diagnosis is not within our scope. A great trainer knows when to step in — and when to step back.
Yes, plenty of people in gyms live with some form of discomfort or injury. And yes, many trainers take the view that “everyone has something,” so it’s fine to carry on. But that doesn’t mean brushing off pain or skipping the important step of getting the right assessment. A client deserves more than band-aid solutions. They deserve a clear understanding of what’s happening in their body, and only then, a program that supports their goals safely.
That’s why I see my role not just as a trainer, but as a guide and collaborator. I’d rather build long-term trust and be the trainer someone comes back to after getting the green light from a physiotherapist, than rush them into sessions just to boost my numbers.
In an industry where it’s tempting to chase the next client, I believe the stronger choice is to put the client’s wellbeing first — even if it means walking away in the short term. Because at the end of the day, integrity lasts longer than sales.
