![Picture](/uploads/2/7/6/1/27612065/2929722.jpg?292)
I told my partner Hels’ that i had being playing Poo sticks with my clients and she was totally bemused, mainly because she doesn’t know what poo sticks is all about?
I thought everyone had played this wonderful game? basically throwing some sticks into moving water and seeing whos stick gets to a certain point in the shortest time, a deadwood race if you will.
This blog is all about the extra things that you can do to improve a client in as many ways as you can. I come from an miltary and adventure training background and fully understand the health and life benefits of “Scaring” a client a little sometimes.
So obviously poo sticks never scared my clients, but doing a little scrambling (lateral climbing without ropes) does. No real danger here as i am bellow them and they are never very high, but they feel fear, danger and afterward a sense of excitement and achievement. These particular clients are young children and as well as trying to instill healthy exercise and eating habits i am also trying to remove a number of irrational fears that they all ready have.
The reason
It is a shame to see adults that are scared of everything, the outdoors, water, dogs, heights and everything in between it reduces opportunities and fun. The best time to reframe attitudes and remove fears towards certain elements is during childhood, thats what my training is all about total inclusive training that really changes lives.
There is a curve that outdoor coaches use called the performance curve, sometimes called the catastrophe curve/scale. It’s a scale that understands that by overcoming fears by being placed in certain risks and experiencing fear you develop as a person and eventually even enjoy taking risks etc.
For example kids that have never fallen of a bike, camped out, fell out of a tree, walked up a hill, swam in a river end up being these adults that are scared of everything apart what they are used to (this is called their comfort zone). By exposing kids/adults to controlled risk their comfort zones or area of self efficacy becomes huge and they become well rounded individuals that understand risk, fear, excitement, danger and can decide better what is really dangerous and what is just a irrational rubbish fear.
No risks or fear your comfort zone will just be in your HOUSE and WORK!!
Try everything and your comfort zone will be the WORLD!!
I have previously taken PT clients that have a reduced comfort zone, mountain biking, hiking, scrambling, into the woods orienteering and map reading and evrything in between.
Some of the immediate benefits of a little risk and fear for adult clients is a seemingly improved confidence and happiness.
If needed with the qualifications I hold I couldtake them kayaking, canoeing, skiing, snowboarding or even just playing poo sticks at the river.
Glenn (Poo Sticks) Hill
Personal Trainer Specialising in stress and threat | 07983570574
www.itrainhard.co.uk