Precision Saves You Time
By Melinda Perkins
Life is busy.
You get one hour a couple times a week or a month with your client. You want to educate them, inspire them, facilitate behavior change, and most of all, keep them coming back because you get them results!
No wonder that single hour (and the weeks and months and years) pass in a blur.
Now more than ever, it pays to be precise.
Luckily, the information age has us covered.
As health professionals, we have access to more information, a broader range of research, and more technology than ever before.
But we seem to have less and less of the biggest factor: Time.
How do we sift and sort through thousands of articles, research papers and reviews of technology to find the precise plan for the person in front of us? Especially when that person will change in an hour?
Luckily, you are well-versed in your industry juggling act and have perfected your technique.
Wouldn’t it be great to step-up your game while freeing up your time?
That’s where precision health comes into play.
Think of the next client on your schedule.
Now imagine that client was your best friend. (Maybe they are! Lucky you!) Chances are you would know whether to hit the floor immediately or grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a chat first. You would automatically alter the pitch, cadence and flow of your voice to match the way they hear you best. You would know which way to adjust the thermostat for their comfort. You might pull up that article you read or share a motivational post to set the tone for your session.
Basically? You would be miles ahead of the game, working to accommodate exactly what they need from you to optimize your time together.
Welcome to precision health!
Precision health lets you know your client on a deeper level even when it is their first time in your consultation room.
What does that mean?
Let’s take a look at movement. From heavy weight lifting and marathons to a simple walk in the park, we know moving the human body is essential to good health.
The question is, how do we get people to move?
That involves a few steps.
You want to educate your clients to get them to take action, right?
Some clients need facts, figures, statistics and details dumped on them text-book style, while if you did that to another client, they would suffocate under the weight. Some won’t hear you unless you get them started on the treadmill first. Others won’t hear you if you don’t close the door and put on ambient noise. Some want rapid-fire, others want to hear about your family first.
Once you get your clients moving, now you want them to keep going.
Some clients want to send you selfies twenty times a day just for your thumbs up reply, others adopt the don’t-call-me-I’ll-call-you method. Some need to see the big picture, know precisely where your work together fits, and track their progress every step. Some need a friend, or a bevy of them just to walk in the door. Some need three-weeks notice if you’re going to change their plan, while others expect something new each time. You know that exact line between too much challenge and not enough.
Once you have them moving and have that momentum, you need the results to follow.
This is where all your experience and skills coalesce. This is where you’ve pinpointed the goal, charted your course and made those crucial adjustments to ensure success. By far, this is where the majority of your time is eaten up. This is where knowing your client on a biological, psychological and physiological level saves you time and effort.
Gone is the guesswork.
You know when your client works out in the morning, whether they will have all-day energy or be more insulin resistant.
You know if your client is more likely to put on muscle or lose precious muscle during endurance training. You know whether lifting heavy weights overhead is essential or possibly detrimental to their physical body.
You know precisely how to use exercise to recover sleep cycles.
This is all knowledge that you gather over time, assuming your clients stick with you long enough.
How efficient could you be if you had it instantly?
How much time would it save you?
Precision fitness is fitness for the future. The melding together of time-tested science, practical application and cutting-edge technology culminates in efficiency and effectiveness for both you and your clients. It’s an easy way to expand your client base, maximize your results and have more time on your hands.
And who doesn’t need more time?
References:
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/11/5217/5519298
Saeed Reza Toghi-Eshghi, Jane E Yardley, Morning (Fasting) vs Afternoon Resistance Exercise in Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized Crossover Study, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 104, Issue 11, November 2019, Pages 5217–5224, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2018-02384
Allen, Jaclyn & James, Carole & Snodgrass, Suzanne. (2012). The effect of load on biomechanics during an overhead lift in the WorkHab Functional Capacity Evaluation. Work (Reading, Mass.). 43. 10.3233/WOR-2012-1386.
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpregu.00355.2002
Exercise elicits phase shifts and acute alterations of melatonin that vary with circadian phase
Orfeu M. Buxton, Calvin W. Lee, Mireille L’Hermite-Balériaux, Fred W. Turek, and Eve Van Cauter
American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 2003 284:3, R714-R724