Understanding Communication

Image is one of our most important assets.

The way we look, speak, handle problems and the professionalism we exhibit during our day-to-day activities as a fitness instructor, are crucial to our image.

The image we present will influence how we appeal to individuals and the type of client we attract.

Consider your own personal hygiene e.g. hair, nails and clothing. Avoid “scruffy” clothing and worn out footwear. Being “well groomed” will give you credibility and respect.

You should subscribe to high standards regarding the following:

• Professional Conduct: what you wear, how you appear and how you behave.
• Respect for your clients: unconditional positive regard.
• Punctuality: arriving on time to set up for your session and welcome clients.
• Understanding the professional boundaries that exist to protect both you and your clients (Code of ethics).
• Identify the effective and appropriate interaction between other professionals and the general public (Code Of Ethics).
• Understand who is at risk – anyone in a trusting relationship is at risk – adopt an ethical approach.
• Understand that anything that violates professional boundaries will constitute a breach of ethical practice.

Communication Skills

Effective communication involves the use of words, tone of voice, body language and listening skills. Communication is verbal and non-verbal. Body language forms a basic language that we all use, very often on an unconscious level, to communicate with each other. Things like posture and expressions play a powerful role.

According to Albert Mehrabain (1971) body language is the most important form of communication. Our body language often reveals subtle clues about the way we feel long before we speak. Mehrabain’s research suggests that 55% of the impact of communication comes from body language, 38% from volume and tone of voice, and only 7% from verbal content.

We have several different forms and style of communication available at our disposal:

• Written Methods Of Communication
• Verbal Methods Of Communication
• Non-Verbal Methods Of Communication

There are a whole variety of communication methods available to use. The type of communication methods used will be influenced by the situation, the client and available resources.

It is up to you as the fitness professional to decide which methods are the most appropriate.

Effective Communication

Effective communication is achieved by using a range of the different communication skills described. The way we communicate with our clients will have an effect on how they receive the information, which, in turn, will influence how they respond to it. The more they understand about the reasons behind our advice or a particular approach, the more likely they are to subscribe to it.

Knowledge is the key in shaping attitudes and behaviours.

Barriers to effective communication:

• Poor listening skills.
• Barriers to listening (distractions such as music volume, hearing impairment, general background, tv).
• Inappropriate non verbal communication – body language, facial expressions. Standing too close to a client, giving negative facial expressions or appearing uninterested.
• Set patterns of thinking – preconceived ideas – personal values and beliefs.
• Making assumptions of client’s abilities to perform by the way they look.
• Labelling and stereotyping – based on personal values and belief systems.
• Lack of trust.
• Lack of clarity.
• Personal style – too overpowering/too unassuming
• Social and cultural differences – (e.g. age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marriage/civil partnership) N.B. It may be necessary to present the information in a variety of ways to appeal to different learning styles and overcome language barriers.

Body Language

Understanding your own body language will enable you to present yourself in a positive manner and, possibly give you an understanding of how others are feeling. Becoming more aware of your own postures and gestures can open up more effective communication between you and your clients.

Victorian psychologist William James made a classification of postural types, which are as follows:

• Approach: forward-looking, open, relaxed postures demonstrate attention and warmth of personality.
• Withdrawal: turning away, holding back, closed postures, the opposite of approach, demonstrates boredom, shyness or lack of interest.
• Expansion: standing straight with an erect bearing, demonstrate, confidence and dominance. Extreme expansion demonstrates arrogance.
• Contraction: postures which draw the person into themselves demonstrate dejection, submission, depression or disappointment.

Your body language will reflect your underlying state of mind. Experiment in a mirror with different kinds of posture and you will soon realise its power. Try to develop a forward looking, open and erect posture in order to convey attention, confidence and warmth. Make positive eye contact for a short time, break it briefly, then make it again and continue in this manner. avoid making continuous eye contact as it can become threatening, overbearing, and make people feel uncomfortable. Smiling and nodding the head is reassuring. Try to maintain a neutral facial expression if something is said that does not match your own values and beliefs i.e. something you do not agree with. Remember to treat everyone with positive unconditional regard.

Voice

The sound of a person’s voice is an important part of their personality, so try to sound confident and positive. Quiet voices project a submissive image, whilst turning up the volume too much suggest dominance and aggression, neither of which are good qualities. Vary the tone and pitch of your voice using it to emphasis a point. Avoid raising the tone and pitch too much or speaking too fast if someone says or does something you do not agree with. Keeping your voice under control will convey confidence and assurance.

Actual Words

Try to be brief and concise with the words and phrases you use. Avoid “babbling” as you will lose the attention of the person you are talking to.

Only 7% of communication is about the actual words you speak.

Listening Skills

Listening is a basic non-verbal communication skill that involves paying special attention to what is being said. An excellent technique for listening is “active listening”.

Active Listening

Active listening is a communication skill that involves going beyond simply hearing the words that another person speaks but also seeking to understand the meaning and intent behind them. It requires being an active participant in the communication process.

Active listening contains the following 3 stages:

1. Amplification:
2. Clarification:
3. Verification:

Active listening techniques include:

• Being fully present in the conversation
• Showing interest by practicing good eye contact
• Noticing (and using) non-verbal cues
• Asking open-ended questions to encourage further responses
• Paraphrasing and reflecting back what has been said
• Listening to understand rather than to respond
• Withholding judgment and advice

Active listening is important because it keeps you engaged with your conversation partner in a positive way. It also makes the other person feel heard and valued. This skill is the foundation of a successful conversation in any setting—whether at work, at home, or in social situations.

When you practice active listening, you are fully engaged and immersed in what the other person is saying.

If you want to learn more about active listening, you can check out these sources:

• Active Listening: Techniques, Benefits, Examples
• Active listening – NHS England
• Active listening – Wikipedia
• What is Active Listening? | United States Institute of Peace

Passive Listening

Passive listening is a type of listening where the listener does not react, respond, or ask questions to the speaker. Passive listening is listening without putting 100% of your attention towards listening. Passive listening is one-way communication where the listener may or may not understand the speaker’s message. Passive listening can be achieved by focusing, sitting back, and being silent. Passive listening is common when listening to the radio, a lecture, or watching TV.

Passive listening has its pros and cons depending on the situation. Some of the pros are that it can improve interpersonal skills, effective communication, and concentration. Some of the cons are that it can lead to misunderstandings, boredom, and lack of empathy. Passive listening can also be contrasted with active listening, which is a more engaged and interactive form of listening that requires curiosity, motivation, purpose, and effort.

Personal Space

Personal space is very important. A distance from 0-46 cm is considered to be the “intimate zone”, a distance from 46cm to 1.2m as the “casual or personal zone” and from 1.2m-3.6m the “social zone”. Most conversations should take place in the personal zone.

Observe your client’s body language and let this be a guide as to whether or not this is acceptable. Adopting a position that is slightly to the side of your client can also appear less confrontational.

Non Verbal Communication

Non Verbal Communication, or body language is a vital form of communication. When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive countless word signals. All of our non-verbal behaviors, the gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how close we stand, how much eye contact we make all send strong messages.

Non-verbal communication can affect how a client is motivated/de-motivated. Particular attention should be paid to the following communication skills when dealing with clients: facial expressions, body language, posture, eye contact and gestures.

Learning Styles

We all have a preferred way of processing information which is unique to each of us.

This is referred to as a ‘learning style’.

Our preferences will be broadly based on the following three senses.

The VAK Learning Style

The VAK model identifies that most people possess a dominant or preferred learning style, yet some people have a mixed and evenly balanced combination of all three styles.

The model enables an easy and quick way by which to assess an individual’s preferred learning styles.

Then, and most importantly, to design learning methods and experiences that match people’s preferences:

• Visual learning style involves the use of seen or observed things, including pictures, diagrams, demonstrations, displays, handouts, films, flip-chart, etc.
• Auditory learning style involves the transfer of information through listening: to the spoken word, of self or others, of sounds and
• Kinaesthetic learning involves physical experience – touching, feeling, holding, doing, and practical hands-on

By using all three styles, you will appeal to most preferences in one way or another.

Involvement

Fitness instruction requires participants to participate in exercises shown to them.

This is to make sure they can perform the exercises correctly:

• For gym inductions: being able to set the machines up and safely lift the correct weight. In group inductions there will often be someone who is a little more reluctant to participate for the fear of embarrassing themselves. Remember not to put them ‘on the spot’. Reassure them that they are not under pressure and perhaps give them an opportunity to practise on a piece of equipment while the rest of the group gets on with a task you have set for them.
• For Exercise to Music sessions: being able to perform the choreography or exercises. If a participant is having difficulty picking up the choreography or is performing the exercise incorrectly, try to avoid singling individuals out. Give general instructions to the group to address the issue. Alternatively, if it is appropriate, you could offer them some one-to-one support either immediately after the session or just before their next session.

Approach to communication

Try to read your client’s body language so that you have their attention. Show that you are genuinely interested by making positive eye contact for a short time, break it briefly, and then make it again, and continue in this manner. Smiling or nodding the head is reassuring for the participants, also try not to react by changing your expression if the participants say something you do not like or agree with. Stand upright with your hands by your sides or behind your back. Try to look relaxed and professional. When addressing a group, keep the tone and pitch of your voice normal. Allow time for your voice to reach them and for them to register what you have said. Give plenty of opportunities for individuals to ask questions and contribute to group discussions.