What’s the difference in a personal trainer and a doctor?
23 Jan 2009To listen to some folks talk, nothing.
I’m not sure why people get it into their heads that personal opinions can trump information from qualified medical professionals. I know it’s all the rage these days to hate on science and people with that filthy education, but when you’re asking a personal trainer about things like adrenal dysfunction or what anti-depressants you should be taking, you’re in a whole new world of naivete.
I’ve said it before, and apparently I’ll have to keep on saying it until my fingers fall off: unless you’re actually doing controlled tests, you do not know your body. Saying that “research is bad so I’ll just do what I want” is pretty dumb in the best of circumstances; when you’re talking about a potentially critical matter of health, it crosses the lines from stupid to dangerous. I’ve already ranted about that lately, so it doesn’t really bear another lecture.
People really do boggle me at times with the lengths they’ll go to just to justify their own beliefs, regardless of any facts. It’s frustrating and sad at the same time.
All I can tell you is that if you’re ignoring medical advice and seeking to self-medicate because you “know your body”, then you’re doing yourself a major disservice. If you are seeking alternatives, which may well be an option mind you, a personal trainer is the last place to look for that information.
Score one more for the US culture of anti-intellectualism, I suppose.
My language lacks the expression "scope of practice", too many people in too many professions are guilty of stepping over the line. My clients found it weird that working with me meant also working with 5 other people who took care of their health. Yeah, there's a supplement person, and a doctor, and a physio, and a shrink, and a Thai massage person…
We would all be better off if everybody minded their own business (literally). As for client laziness, we know all about that :)