How to help female clients with body image – comparison trap & unrealistic expectations

Published: September 25, 2021

One of the biggest issues women are facing today is the problem of unrealistic standards. Whether those standards were put up by the society, fashion industry, or some other factor, they are just bad. Women often try to follow those expectations and then fail. They feel miserable, think of themselves as unhealthy and ugly just because they don’t look like a certain woman from some magazine or like some Instagram models. Let’s be honest. That’s one of the worst things about unrealistic expectations which are forced upon a woman. Let’s give you a few tips on how to help female clients with body image. Help them realize how beautiful they are and show them that they should care only about their health and not about unrealistic standards set by society.

If your client comes with a request to help them improve their appearance in some way, it’s your job to do that. However, you should also make sure your clients see the value in their own bodies and looks.

Find out why your clients want to lose weight

A really good and reliable trainer, like the ones DubaiPT provides, will make sure they know why their client wants to change their appearance. Of course, you shouldn’t intrude if your client finds the subject to be too personal to share. However, if you can find out, you will be able to help female clients with body image on a much deeper level.

You need to challenge your client’s belief that they aren’t attractive and that the ONLY way for them to feel comfortable in their own skin is to lose weight. Weight loss is good and important, but feeling good because of who you are is just as important.

A lot of women are even disgusted by their bodies. Your job is to help them realize they shouldn’t be. However, you also need to make sure you aren’t body shaming. Don’t make mistakes like these:

• Don’t insist that leanness or slimness is always a product of self-control
• Being as slim as it gets does not equal healthy
• Don’t be critical or judgemental about your client and their life choices. You are there to help
• Don’t support your client when they start body shaming themself

If, by any chance, you hear your client say “I’m so fat.”, you shouldn’t answer with “No, you aren’t!” because that way you are reinforcing the belief that fat equals bad. Being fat isn’t something people should be ashamed of and the best way to help female clients with body image is to make them realize that.

Help them realize what self-acceptance really is

Most women don’t really know what self-acceptance and body love really is and the best way to help female clients with body image is to help them learn about it. Since they come to you for help, it is a part of your job to guide them in the direction of facts. Your client can and should love herself even without a single change in their body. It’s good to introduce them to some of the best exercise to lose weight, however, they should accept themselves just the way they are.

There is no reason to feel weak because of your failures, flaws, or mistakes. It’s all a part of life and it’s really important to help your clients understand that. It’s a much better approach to actually get them to switch to a healthy lifestyle than to force them to look at all their flaws and parts of their health they need to work on.

Help them realize exercise isn’t just about calories

Most people who hit the gym are victims of comparison traps and unrealistic and unhealthy ideals. People visit the gym or go exercising only to become leaner. That’s basically a disorder and you should do everything in your power to stop that from influencing your client. That’s really the best way to help female clients with body image.

Exercise is about making yourself feel better. You get those energy boosts, adrenalin rush, and a lot of health benefits. Not to mention that it improves mood in people by a lot. All those hormones work better and you reduce the chances of depression by a lot. Sadly, exercise is one of the most underused tools for fighting depression. People totally forgot about it and now they’d rather turn to some other sources of satisfaction that aren’t as healthy.

Talk about food to help female clients with body image

Women often consider food to be taboo when discussing it with an affordable personal trainer Dubai has to offer. That’s a rookie mistake. There is a line between caring about what you eat and allow to enter your body, and between an obsession full of restricting or counting how much you ate or drank.

Don’t allow yourself to be a reason why a woman will feel ashamed or scared because of eating something. The way a person feels when they are eating is just as important as what they are eating. They shouldn’t be stressed. Food is a part of life that should be especially enjoyed by everyone. Why should your female client have to avoid enjoying food just because of some unrealistic and unhealthy standards? Make sure they know just how important is to be relaxed about food and enjoy it.

Make her remember what her body is capable of

Help female clients with body image by making them realize their body isn’t there just to be molded, or sucked in. The body is there to connect a woman to her energy, agility, skills, and all her other abilities she can use in her day-to-day life.

A woman’s body will change many times throughout life. And that’s totally natural. Just imagine a woman being thought about how she should look at a young age. It will leave scars because her body will naturally change and she will think something is wrong with her. It’s up to you to help female clients with body image and make them aware that they’re just as beautiful as any other woman, no matter the appearance.