24/09/2026
There’s a phrase in healthcare: “make every contact count.”
Personal trainers are not healthcare professionals, and they shouldn’t try to be. There are clear boundaries around scope of practice, and knowing when to refer someone to a GP, dietitian, physio or another professional is an important part of good coaching.
But I do think personal trainers can play a really meaningful role in supporting someone’s health.
A person might see their GP a handful of times a year. A trainer might see that same person two or three times every week. That creates a lot of small opportunities.
That might look like a quick conversation about sleep, noticing that someone seems particularly stressed, talking about how they’re managing food around a busy week, or adjusting a session because they’re exhausted.
We also give people an hour away from work and everything else going on in life, where they can move, spend time with other people and do something positive for themselves.
And “making every contact count” doesn’t mean turning every training session into a health lecture either. Sometimes the most useful thing a coach can do is listen, notice, support and create an environment that someone wants to keep coming back to.
Health is influenced by so much more than one workout, one meal or one appointment. Exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress, relationships, work, environment and many other factors all overlap.
Personal trainers won’t be the expert in all of those areas, but because of how regularly we see people, we can still have an important influence.
And I think that’s quite cool.
- Josh
