Exercise counselling helps you find comfortable ways of moving
Espoo has offered its residents exercise counselling free of charge for over ten years. The service aims to guide people of all ages in topics related to exercise. Above all, it seeks to inspire those who are not moving much or who are new to exercise to find their way of staying active.
In Espoo, exercise counselling is provided at most health stations and many sports facilities. The counselling is provided by trained sports instructors with whom you can book an appointment by phone. You can be referred to the exercise counselling also through healthcare services.
The total of 12 sports instructors provide guidance to about 100 customers annually.
"You can call the Espoo exercise counselling line and book an appointment for personal exercise counselling. The counselling can take place over the phone or face-to-face. The counselling session takes from 30 minutes to an hour, and during it, we look at the customer's initial situation, needs and goals. Our aim is to work together with the customer and prepare a written plan that they can start realising," says Sports Instructor Susanna Lundqvist.
The goal is to make a plan to which the customer can and wants to commit. As such, the plan pays attention to the realistic and feasible amount of exercise in the customer's daily life, their opportunity resources and any special needs that affect their movement.
Another point to consider are motivation factors, so that exercise starts from the person's internal motivation and they are able to exercise even when getting up and moving feels more difficult.
"It is easier for the customer to commit to a plan we made together. The idea is not for the instructor to just prepare some fitness programme. Finally, we agree on the progress tracking, since for some people the process may take up to a year. The most common method is phone follow-ups, meaning that we call the customer after some time, ask how exercising feels and motivate them to move forward," Lundqvist says.
One of Susanna's customers is Janne Kotiranta. who booked an appointment with exercise counselling in late 2022.
"I am overweight, and I have sleep apnoea. These entitle me to receive the swimming and gym wristbands for special groups. When I asked after the wristbands at the swimming hall, they told me about the free-of-charge exercise counselling. I was not aware of the service before," Janne Kotiranta says.
Janne is a busy father, and he needed tips for how to be more active in his everyday life and how to train efficiently in a short time.
"I got an appointment with the exercise counselling a few weeks from the call. I met with Susanna in Tapiola. The first time, we looked at my situation: what my needs and habits are and what kind of advice I needed. It was good that we didn't try to change the things that are already working, but instead we thought about what I could add to my life."
Janne Kotiranta likes to go to the gym, but he needed more motivation for his workouts.
"My goal was to find ways to work out efficiently even if I don't have a lot of free time. The counselling gave me tips for my gym routine. I also learned that, if I'm short on time, I can only do a rowing workout or go on a walk, as long as I exercise in some way. I will keep cycling as well, since that's good exercise for weight management."
After the meeting, Susanna called Janne a couple of times. They had their last follow-up call in early autumn.
"That's when we agreed that I can stop using the service and continue on my own, since everything is now working well," Kotiranta says.
Janne Kotiranta says that the exercise counselling gave him the motivation and accountability he needed to keep moving.
"The exercise counselling gave me more variety for my workouts, which had turned into a bit of a slog. I also received tips about exercise facilities and outdoor gyms nearby, which I have now visited a few times. I would recommend the service to others since it was professional, encouraging and customised to my needs."
According to Susanna Lundqvist, exercise counselling is different from personal training in that the exercise counselling instructor does not spend time with the customer as intensively or train with them. The primary aim of the counselling is to motivate the customer to exercise diversely and regularly.
"We may direct the customer to an exercise group when necessary, but other than that, we are more like motivators and supporters."
Exercise counselling is available to all ages, from children to seniors, but the largest customer group are working-age people and those close to retirement age.
"Some of the things that bring people to the counselling are various health problems, overweight and challenges with weight management. Many also want to hear tips for resuming exercising after taking a break for some reason. There are also people whose exercises are too one-sided. Many do aerobic exercise, but no strength training. What all customers have in common is that they either don't exercise much or they are only beginning to exercise," Lundqvist says.
Book an appointment to exercise counselling
Text: Thea Ekholm