A few weeks ago, I approached a complete stranger on the gym floor and asked her how she felt about her sports bra. Here’s why personal trainers should ask these questions, and how to do it without being weird…
Picture the scene
It was a Saturday morning in February, and I was on the gym floor training myself. It was a day off, I was attending as any other gym member, and appreciating the fact that it was a little quieter than usual. There was a machine I wanted to use, and a woman was training near to it, so I caught her attention and asked whether she was using it before going ahead.
When I’m off duty, I try not to observe other gym users too keenly. It’s not my place. But there are sometimes real safety issues that it’s not right to ignore. And on other occasions, I know that a piece of heartfelt and friendly advice can go a long way.
Which is why I thought carefully before asking this stranger a question…
I picked my moment
Firstly, it’s really rude – not to mention dangerous – to interrupt someone whilst they’re mid-exercise. So I waited until the stranger and I were both resting before getting her attention again. Then I qualified myself: “I’m Becky, I’m a personal trainer, but this isn’t a sales pitch, though I would like to ask you quite a personal question.”
She was understandably a bit surprised, but invited me to go ahead. “How do you feel about your sports bra?” I asked. Because I could tell that she was wearing one, but in my opinion it wasn’t very effective.
“I do know that I need a new one…” she offered. I smiled encouragingly, and continued the conversation.
I qualified myself further
The stranger and I are a similar shape in the bust department, so I indicated myself – wearing a well-fitted and performing sports bra – and let her know that I’ve worked with a sports bra retailer in the past. I also added that I’ve completed a female physiology training course, and she looked more comfortable with continuing the chat. Then I shared the statistic that the movement of breast tissue increases energy expenditure, to the extent that, over the course of a marathon distance, incorrectly supported breasts equate to the energy used to run an additional mile. Her jaw dropped.
“I’d be really happy to share some information, and help you shop if you’d like,” I said. And that’s when she looked genuinely relieved. “Obviously free of charge. I’ll give you my number, and send you some information through, so that you can get started.”
Sports bra information was later shared
The stranger sent me a message later, and I replied with a series of paragraphs detailing what to look for, how to determine your size, and where to shop. I also added some important information on styles of sports bras, and how to go about choosing. I held back slightly and didn’t include anything about care, replacing bras, or searching for deals – I’m sure that most people who regularly shop online are good at the latter! And it was more that I knew I was throwing a lot at her already, so didn’t want to completely overwhelm her.
I left the door open and encouraged her to come back to me with any other questions, or if she wanted help when she had some bras to try on. At the time of writing, I’ve received grateful thanks from the stranger, and I’m hopeful that I was able to help.
What does this prove? That there’s a compassionate way to share knowledge, even about intimate topics when people are strangers, and information is power.
This is a service I provide to all of my clients too, so if you want to work with someone who’s informed and unafraid, get in touch to find out more.