I was excited to start my placement as it is very similar to what I want to do after university. I had emailed my mentor during week 1 of semester to arrange a meeting to chat about the placement. My mentor was very helpful, I felt comfortable in the environment. She showed me around the facility and arranged a date for my start.
Upon starting my placement, I was confident as I already work in a gym that has an exercise referral programme, so I had a rough idea on what to expect and how to work with clients. I was nervous about small details such as what to take with me, what to wear and where to find the other staff members I was working with and meeting them for the first time. On my first day, I entered the gym and my mentor wasn’t there so I had to find other staff to direct me to the right people which was slightly nerve wracking in case they didn’t know I was coming or wasn’t as keen as my mentor to have me working with them. My nerves were quickly settled as I found out the other staff I would be working alongside had previously been employed at my current workplace and were very welcoming.
I shadowed 2 classes and a short 9-week review, the first class was a stroke specific which was interesting seeing the interaction from people at different stages in their recovery and learning how to scale exercises up and down I took part in some of the class. I met the participants who happily shared recovery stories with me and how the scheme has helped them which fuelled my motivation to get involved as I am passionate about physical activity for treatment of ill health. The second class was with a different staff member who was also friendly. The class was less specific and open to anyone with any condition. This class was lot bigger and I was needed to set up equipment and help participants with technique and choosing their weights. This was good as I got to get involved and use my skills. I got chatting with the staff about my work and he gave me some information on jobs and good courses to add to my cv. I am returning next week for different classes and to shadow programming.
It was great to read your first blog and seeing how much you are enjoying it. Hopefully through time with your placement you will gain more knowledge and experience. -Chelsea
Sounds as though you have been very busy already in regards to your placement and will definitely be making the most of this experience. Good luck for the weeks ahead! – Lewis