Stroke survivor client: NEED HELP!

[AmberCPT]

I have a new client that is a stroke survivor. She's 58 and has left side weakness. Her doctor recomended she exercise and hire a personal trainer. I'm fairly new to personal training and would very much appreciate any suggestions or input as to what I could do with her. She will be coming in for sessions with a 32 year old, healthy and injury free female who is looking to lose weight. I will be training them at the same time so I'm having a little trouble coming up with similar and modified movements and exercises.

Thanks!

[PeteratCastle]

Run a very comprehensive range of motion test on her before you do anything. I would set an hour apart just to see what she can do. Get her to get a note from her doctor that shows she is OK to exercise and what the doctor recommends she works on. The doc will probably tell you exactly what to do to be honest.

Edit; also give her plenty of homework to do and show her how she can do things herself.

Exercises both can do would be lunges, which a easily adaptable. You'll also have to have her do loads of stretching as the muscles might me contracted quite a bit. Give her weights to train her left arm etc if she is right handed get her to do as much as possible with the weaker left hand, such as grabbing things from a cupboard etc

If you do this right you'll have a very happy customer

[SFT]

I suggest that anyone who wishes to train special populations clients either goes out and purchases materials from ACSM or other organizations, or does their research via scientific literature.

If your question is more of how to balance working with the two as a group, I would suggest that you have "busy" work for the 32 year old. This isn't an ideal situation and the stroke client will probably need considerably more attention. If they are family members this will likely be okay. If they are not, you need to be careful to not leave the 32 year old out. I would try to work them on and off in between rest periods. While the stroke client is resting, be working with the 32 year old and vice versa. As I mentioned above, "busy" work in the form of exercise that does not take a lot of skill/technique to perform will be good for when the stroke client needs more attention.

[carl.c]

Amber: Sorry to say but there is no way to train both people at the same time. The stroke survivour will need your attnetion 100% of the time for awhile. The risk of injury to the client is to great to play games with, the damage from the stroke is more then just muscle weakness.
Hit the books and do some studing on rehab for a stroke pacient, training special populations is a very rewarding part of are buisness but it takes a lot pacience since gains are slow.
I will say from personal experiance there is little more rewardign then helping someone become self sufficent physicaly.

[WoofieNugget]

You should not be training them together.

You should not be training a stroke victim if you are new to personal training.

The best thing you can do for her is to refer them to somebody who has experience dealing with special populations. If you can, ask to shadow a session or learn from the other trainer.