It's a holiday, and I'm with my family when a client messages me because their connected fitness device's internet is down and they don't know how to work out. While I'm training another client, my phone pings with a message from someone who hurt their shoulder and can't do certain exercises. I wake up to find late-night messages that my client only has dumbbells in their hotel gym instead of a cable machine.

Every week, there are moments when I'm unreachable, and clients face unexpected workout scenarios, feeling they need my guidance. I love that they trust my judgment, and my goal is to help them realize they are the best experts of their own bodies and exercise journeys, so they can eventually make these decisions on their own.

It would be great if fitness followed a precise map, but life happens and things often throw us off course. Sleepless nights, time constraints, unexpected meetings, babysitting duties, new injuries, unavailable equipment, or exercises that don't feel right are common challenges. As a personal trainer, I've learned to make quick decisions to keep my clients moving. Like mastering an exercise, this skill takes practice. I hope this blog provides tools and strategies to make these decision making in workouts easier. The goal is to choose a 'good enough' solution, not a 'perfect' one.

Common Scenario #1: Your workout says to do squats, but your knee feels "kinda funny" today, and you think you should skip it.

Solution: Instead of stopping or waiting for your trainer, substitute another lower body exercise like glute bridges, deadlifts, or clamshells. Continue your workout and let your trainer know what you altered.

Common Scenario #2: You’re traveling and don’t have access to your normal equipment.

Solution: Being in an unfamiliar location can feel like a workout derailment. Remember, moving your body doesn’t always need a plan. Check if your hotel has a pool or cardio machines, explore local hiking trails, or engage in physical games with kids in the family,  like red light/green light or plank challenges. You'll enjoy the time together and get a workout too!  Check out my 5 Tips to Exercise While Traveling blog for more.

This doesn’t feel right…

Pain, discomfort, and fatigue can disrupt a workout. As a corrective exercise specialist, I modify exercises, but you are the CEO of your own body. If something hurts or feels off, skip or change it. Choose an easier exercise, a movement you like, or a stretch. Whatever you pick, you're still moving and making smart choices for your body!  Watch this video to learn techniques to modify an exercise.

Decision Fatigue

Stressful situations can make decision-making harder, so create a Plan B, or Contingency Fitness Plan. Think, "IF this happens, THEN I will...":

• IF I miss my morning workout, THEN I'll walk at lunch.

• IF my back hurts lifting weights, THEN I'll foam roll or stretch.

• IF my meeting runs late, THEN I'll use quick YouTube workouts saved on my phone, like this 5 Minute Tricep Workout

• IF the gym is crowded, THEN I'll use dumbbells instead of barbells or cables.

Having a backup plan helps you switch approaches smoothly, stay active, and have confidence in your fitness.

Here are techniques I use for myself and clients to make quick decisions:

• Exercise Modifications: If a movement bothers a client, I suggest a similar exercise, less weight, or a smaller range of motion.

• Quick Workout Solutions: I save shorter workouts from fitness apps or YouTube and use cardio equipment for quick 15-minute sessions.

• Splitting Workouts: On busy days, I break up my exercise: 10 minutes of core exercises before clients, a 15-minute weight circuit at lunch, and a 10-minute cardio session after my last client.

• Unavailable Equipment: If equipment is taken, I get creative. A stability ball can replace a TRX, dumbbells can replace barbells, and cable machines can replace the lat pulldown bar.  Household items can even double as exercise equipment! 

Workouts don't always need to be perfect; good enough is okay. Embrace flexibility, creative workout solutions, and congratulate yourself for not giving up.  My client Nicole L. said our sessions “helped me overcome my ‘all or nothing’ attitude about movement” in her Yelp review.

I love when clients share, "This didn’t go as planned, so I did this instead!" It shows they feel confident making exercise decisions independently. I hope seeing me adjust workouts in real-time inspires them to do the same. I was happy to hear Zoe L. say “I've had personal trainers before but Natalie was the first one I felt who trusted me to know my own body.” in her Yelp review

If you’ve been struggling to workout on your own because something always seems to come up, or you don’t know where to start, here are some ideas for you:

• Reach out to me for personal or virtual training sessions so we can create a customized plan for you

• Read or listen to “The Joy Choice”, a book on approaching fitness with a flexible mindset

• Find a local group workout class or a fitness app you like and signup for classes. You can workout with me on the FitBit Premium app, which has lots of short workouts in all different formats.

Remember, you are the expert of your own body!  Working with a personal trainer is a great investment, and will hopefully help you to feel more confident on your own fitness journey.  

Have questions?  Leave a comment below or reach out to me through my Get In Touch page or instagram!