I recently took part in a training event which was the first of it’s kind in the UK! Mental health has always been a significant professional (and personal) interest for me, and with the public conversation continuing to bubble away, more educational opportunities seem to be popping up each day. But I’m picky, so let me explain how I came to spend a day studying a Trauma Informed Approach to Exercise Provision with The Movement Charity…
Mental health as part of fitness
Lots of people describe exercise as their therapy. I agree with those who say that movement is not a replacement for formal therapy, but it can be a useful tool for feeling good, or using alongside therapy. Many of us recognise the mental health benefits we gain from training – including, but not limited to, improved relationships with our bodies, better sleep patterns, decreased stress levels – but exercise can also be highly triggering, or people can train when already emotionally overloaded. So how do we manage this?
Being trauma informed
I’ll be the first to admit that the phrase “trauma informed” is already starting to give me the ick. Just ever so slightly. Because it’s fucking everywhere. This phrase appeared a couple of years ago seemingly from nowhere, and now every educator, coach, and internet personality has tacked it into their bio with no real proof of origin or further explanation. So I was wary of this term to say the least…
Until I read Lifting Heavy Things. And that’s when I knew that there were ways of genuinely receiving such an education, and actually being meaningful with it. As with so many things in life, it’s about spotting the real deal from the fake shit. Which meant that I proceeded to look for opportunities with caution.
Buyer beware
There are a very small number of mental health trainings specifically aimed at fitness professionals in the UK. Whilst I was busy researching, I leaned on my own practices, my self-help and psychology reading, good-quality online creators, and my previous training (I’ve done some non-therapeutic mental health trainings within a different job, which have transferable skills) to get me through.
Two courses I learned about early on were Hope Ignited’s Trauma-Informed Personal Training certificate and a continuing professional development (CPD) course with The Movement Charity. There were issues with both: Hope Ignited is a highly-reputable organisation, but US-based. When I learned about it, I had already invested a lot in my existing training, and wasn’t in a position to commit more funds, so I decided to leave it for the future. The Movement were still developing their training, so I signed up for updates and crossed my fingers.
Right place, right time
During the summer of 2022, The Movement launched their course. I was available on the date. It was affordable. And it was in a location I could get to. Sold.
I spent several months looking forward to the day, and finally attended during October. I’m delighted that the course sold out, and it was great to meet a like-minded room full of fellow professionals. Coaches had come from all over the country to meet in London and discuss what it means to be a trauma informed fitness professional, and how to go about practicing that.
We discussed use of language and coaching cues. We talked about screening clients, safeguarding them (and ourselves!) and how to set up the environment for classes and sessions in order to support our attendees. As always with fitness, we also talked about boundaries, and how to refer on.
It was the most comfortable atmosphere I’ve yet experience during a fitness course. Some of that is because there was no strict, formal assessment involved (it was just a different kind of course in that way), whereas my CanRehab course in particular had several, detailed assessments which were (justifiably!) challenging. Overall, there was a sense of recognition that development in this area is fully ongoing, and that the time has long since come for the fitness industry to step up, acknowledge what it gets wrong, and make serious changes.
Trauma Informed Approach to Exercise Provision – should I train?
My heart wants me to tell you that every fitness professional should do this course. My gut knows that the vast majority of the industry still isn’t ready. My head knows that some of them never will be, and that makes me very sad. It’s also not a reason to not try…
BUT, I do think that when the student is ready, the teacher appears to an extent. Some people will be ready and raring to go at this (if you: cringed your way through every moment of the nutrition and/or fitness assessment part of your Level 3 PT, this is for you); some people will be ready to take a deep breath and a big step up (if you: nod genuinely along with that one PT who’s part of your team and has used the terms “Health At Every Size” and “body diversity” and “inclusivity”, or refuses to weigh or measure their clients, this is for you); some people need to sit down, read some books, and work on changing their TikTok algorithm before they take up a place that someone else would appreciate more (you should also read Lifting Heavy Things and Ayla Freitas Ghibaudy’s Body Neutrality).
My next steps
You’ll find me putting what I’ve learned into practice training with clients, and for my own use! And I’ll be manifesting making the full course with Hope Ignited happen…
If you like the sound of The Movement, you can also support them by making a donation here. If you’d like to talk to me about training, please get in touch!