9.1 Needs Analysis
9.1 Needs Analysis
A crucial aspect of program development and design is performing a comprehensive needs analysis for each client. This process helps you identify the client’s specific goals, physical abilities, limitations, and other factors to consider when creating a personalized training program. Conducting a thorough needs analysis ensures that the program is tailored to the client’s individual needs and leads to more effective and engaging training experiences.
The needs analysis process typically includes the following steps:
- Goal setting: Begin by discussing your client’s goals and objectives. These could range from weight loss or muscle gain to improved athletic performance or injury rehabilitation. Ensure their goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to help set realistic expectations and track progress over time.
- Medical and exercise history: Gather information about your client’s medical background, including any pre-existing conditions, injuries, or surgeries that could impact their training. Also, inquire about their exercise history to understand their experience with various forms of physical activity and identify any preferences or aversions.
- Physical assessment: Perform a series of physical assessments to evaluate your client’s current fitness level, including tests for strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and body composition. These assessments provide a baseline from which you can measure progress and help inform the selection of appropriate exercises and training intensities.
- Lifestyle factors: Consider the impact of your client’s lifestyle on their training program, such as work schedule, family commitments, and stress levels. Addressing these factors can help you design a program compatible with their daily routine and promotes long-term adherence.
- Nutritional analysis: Discuss your client’s eating habits and provide guidance on proper nutrition to support their training goals. Optimal nutrition is essential for fueling workouts, promoting recovery, and achieving desired results.
We have already discussed goal setting in Chapter 2, delving into the psychology behind it and explaining how people progress through the stages of change. Using the SMART goal-setting framework, you should clearly outline your client’s objectives at this point.
In Chapters 3-6, we have taught you about the human body’s structure, energy systems, and various components of fitness. This knowledge is essential for conducting assessments, as covered in Chapter 7. With the necessary assessments and tests performed, you now have the data required to carry out a comprehensive needs analysis.
To make this process more practical and relatable, let’s explore it through the lens of a case study. This real-life example will demonstrate how you can streamline the process and master it with ease.
Let’s examine the case of Karen (the name has been changed for privacy reasons) and explore her issues that will be addressed in a needs analysis. Karen is a 39-year-old mother of an 8-year-old daughter, and she is taking care of the household. Therefore, she doesn’t have a regular job and stays home. During the initial consultation, we discovered that she had tried several different diets without long-term success and had used various home training programs. Karen is obese, standing at 172 cm (5ft 7) and weighing 128 kg (282 lbs), with a BMI over 40 (Class III obesity). As a result, she is experiencing multiple health problems related to her weight.
The home training programs, which included high-impact exercises unsuitable for her joints, only caused discomfort and pain after workouts, leading her to stop after a few weeks. In addition to her physical challenges, Karen has been struggling with depression and has been prescribed antidepressant medication to manage her symptoms.
Antidepressant medications, while effective in managing mood disorders, can impact weight regulation. As a result, some individuals may experience weight gain as a side effect of these medications. According to research, certain types of antidepressants, such as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been associated with weight gain (Serretti & Mandelli, 2010).
A study by Serretti and Mandelli (2010) found that long-term use of antidepressants, particularly paroxetine (an SSRI), was linked to a significant increase in body weight. However, it is essential to note that the impact of antidepressants on weight may vary depending on the individual and the specific medication used.
Fitness professionals must be aware of these potential effects when working with clients on antidepressant medications, as this may influence weight loss or weight management goals.
Armed with this information, it is evident that Karen’s case is far from simple. We have collected substantial information about her, but fortunately, there are no significant concerns. Despite her class III obesity, Karen has not been diagnosed with diabetes or any other factors that could limit her training. Moreover, the Health History Questionnaire did not reveal any considerable risk factors. This positive outcome allowed us to proceed with exercise testing since the initial resting data was collected earlier in the client onboarding process.
A brief aside: The timing of resting data collection depends on your service level standards and business model.
Given that Karen’s primary goal is to lose significant weight, we have already identified her top priority and, therefore, her main goal. At this stage, conducting an invasive body composition analysis would not be advisable, as it could cause emotional distress for Karen. Instead, we aim to keep the process as straightforward and friendly as possible.
It is essential to recognize that we, as fitness professionals, must decide which testing methods to use based on our clients’ apparent conditions. In Karen’s case, her aerobic capacity is not exceptionally high, while her lower body strength likely surpasses her upper body strength. This assumption makes sense, considering Karen carries her weight daily during activities such as walking, standing, and sitting.
The next logical test we chose to conduct was an observational movement analysis. Essentially, this analysis began when Karen first entered our facility and continued throughout her time in the fitness center. We noticed Karen compensated her movements while sitting down and standing up from the bench. Upon questioning her about the compensation (she noticeably shifted her weight to her right leg), she explained that she had knee pain she had forgotten to mention.
It is common for clients to forget to share essential details or omit them from the Health History Questionnaire (HHQ) or Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q). Therefore, maintaining open communication with your clients during physical assessments is crucial. Remember, asking questions and receiving feedback should always be a top priority.
We discovered that Karen’s knee pain resulted from an imbalance in her gluteal muscles, causing knee valgus (knee traveling inward while sitting down or squatting). Karen had recently been performing a lot of deep squatting during household tasks. Unfortunately, due to her excess weight, her squat form was not optimal, leading to the development of compensatory movements and resulting in knee pain.
Because of the knee pain and subsequent compensations, Karen began experiencing tension in her lower back. However, it was not severe enough to mention. This revelation helped us identify our second priority: relieving Karen’s knee pain.
The data collected helped us establish a priority system as follows:
- Priority: Losing weight, with an overall target of at least 40 kg (88 lbs). However, as we discussed during our goal-setting session with Karen, we decided to break this down into smaller steps. The initial focus is losing 10 kg (22 lbs) within the first three months. Dividing a significant goal into smaller steps aligns with the SMART goal-setting model, specifically targeting the “A” for Attainable.
- Priority: Relieving knee pain and addressing compensatory movement patterns to prevent future back pain risks.
Our findings indicated that Karen needs to increase her energy expenditure and that walking may not be the best option due to her acute knee pain. Additionally, we discovered an imbalance that needs to be addressed to alleviate her pain. Another crucial aspect is educating Karen about nutrition and gradually helping her build better food choices and eating habits. We also discussed her emotional eating patterns, although this is outside the scope of this certification.
With these insights in mind, we can now move on to the next step of program development: selecting the appropriate training methods and exercises for our client.
Once you have gathered all the necessary information from the needs analysis, you can begin to develop a personalized training program by selecting appropriate training methods and exercises for your client. Keep in mind that ongoing communication and regular reassessment are crucial to ensure the program remains effective and relevant, as the client’s needs and abilities during the training process might evolve.