This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, with the theme being based around community. Horsham-based female personal trainer shares her thoughts on the topic, and how it relates to fitness…
When I saw that the Mental Health Foundation’s theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is Community, I knew that I wanted to speak on the topic. The concept of the “gym community” is one that gets discussed frequently on social media. The idea is often framed in terms of many people believing that the gym is an unfriendly place when, in reality, there are plenty of people there who care for each other and develop positive relationships.
When this happens, it definitely fits the Mental Health Foundation’s idea of, “communities that support us to protect and nurture good mental health”, and I wanted to present another way in which this is done. Whilst my clients don’t typically meet each other, as I work one-to-one, and so don’t therefore share a community with each other, they are still part of one – Team Becky is a community, even when it’s my client and myself who are together.
I support the idea that our definition of “family” has changed a lot during the last few decades. I like the idea of a “chosen family” and I believe that a cohabiting couple, or a person and their pet are as much families as the previously fixed concept of a couple comprised of heterosexual adults and their two point four children. Similarly, I think that client plus me equals community.
I certainly form part of a client’s nurturing of their mental health. I’m always careful to remind people that I’m not a counsellor or a therapist, and am able to signpost people in those directions when necessary. But that’s an important part too – particularly when I see clients as frequently as weekly, I’m able to get to know them, and keep an eye on them. I know when their mood has changed – for better or for worse – and am able to offer appropriate support, or just monitor the situation in case I might need to take action.
I aim to provide a safe, inclusive space, where each individual is seen and heard. I also continue to develop my skills, via formal training, and assessing my practice to learn where I can improve, and better support my clients and their needs.
Throughout my time as a personal trainer so far, clients have chosen to express to me that they are either having a tough time in life generally, or are experiencing issues such as anxiety regarding entering the gym specifically. I try my best to listen, and always start by asking whether they want to talk about their issue, or whether they’d like to ignore it as best as they can for an hour – sometimes, a bit of breathing space and the chance to think about something entirely different is what they’re looking for.
Communities per se don’t have a fixed size. A community can be those who are tied by all sorts of identifying factors, from nationality or gender, to shared place of employment or hobby. The defining factor is sharing a space for a time, and therefore being joined in a simple coming together and being part of whatever they are doing or experiencing.
Being part of my community via my work means that your mental health is being impacted. The gym is both a physically and emotionally challenging environment, and my trauma-informed weightlifting training in particular teaches me that someone may be triggered by all kinds of scenarios. They may or may not be able to predict the occurrence of a trigger, and no matter the reason for it happening, the first thing to do is ensure that they are appropriately taken care of.
Communities grow in strength, experience, and impact over time, and I’m honoured that many of my clients choose to stay with me for extended periods. The longer I know them, the better I am typically able to help, and if that isn’t community, I don’t know what is.