Organize Your Sessions For Efficiency

When studying to be a Physical Therapist, my practical exams were not just based on my techniques, but the order in which I performed them.  For example, when evaluating or treating a patient with lower back pain, there are certain Special Tests I would like to do in order to help diagnose my patient's condition.  Some of these tests are performed standing, others in sitting, a few with the patient on his/her back, side or stomach.  The last thing a client with back pain is going to want to do is to constantly change positions from one side to the other, sitting to standing to sitting again, etc... So in our practical exams, we had to not only know how to perform the tests, but had to strategically minimize our patient's transitions from one position to the next, minimizing their pain.  You want your patient/client to return for treatment, not leave thinking they are in more pain now than they were before they came to you.  This takes some planning.  In the personal training realm, you may not have clients that are in such acute pain, but many of them are not in the best physical shape and do have difficulty transitioning from one position to the next.  With that in mind, think through each session.  Customize it not only in terms of what exercises you will have your client do, but in which order they will do them.  Try to group as many supine exercises, sitting exercises, standing exercises, etc.. together.  You do not want them to be exhausted before they even attempt the exercise, because they had such a hard time getting into position to do that exercise.  Simple organization will help your sessions run smoothly and efficiently.