[Joe Cannon, MS, CSCS]

We can all learn from the passing of Michael Jackson - about what to do and not do.

Questions About The Death Of Michael Jackson.
What Can Personal Trainers Learn From This?


Joe Cannon, MS
www.Joe-Cannon.com

I have to say the more I hear about the death of Michael Jackson, the more perplexed I have become over who he was surrounding himself with.


This all started when I heard the now well-known 911 call recently. A man calls 911 and says something of the effect "we have a gentleman not breathing". Why didn’t anybody say "Michael Jackson isn't breathing"? Were the people surrounding him so afraid of added publicity that they would not say his name when he needed them most?


The other thing about the 911 call that jumped out at me was when I heard that they were doing chest compressions on Jackson when he was still in bed. Why were they not performing CPR when he was on the floor when the chest compressions would have been potentially more effective? I heard the 911 operator tell the person on the phone to move Jackson to the floor. It's my understanding that his personal physician is a cardiologist. Did this mean Jackson had a heart problem? if yes, was his staff CPR certified?


I have also read that Michael Jackson's had a "nutritionist" who it turns out is a nurse. Ok, so he had a nurse who was informing him about nutrition. Not to belittle nurses, but why would somebody to go a nurse for nutrition information? Everybody knows that it is the registered dietitians (RDs) who are the nutrition experts. If Jackson had a health problem he should have had a nurse AND a registered dietitian who specialized in his health issue. While I do not know about the laws in other states, here in PA, anybody can call themselves a "nutritionist". The word nutritionist is about as well regulated as the phrase 'All Natural".


I am just an outsider looking in to a very large and complicated story and I admit I am not paying particular attention to the headlines surrounding the death of Jackson. What I am getting is just bits and pieces. This story however brings to light two important facts:

1. Bad things can happen when we least expect it

2. Personal fitness trainers should be prepared when bad things do happen

So, what can personal fitness trainers learn from this? Well, while personal trainers usually don't think about it, the fact remains that ticking time bombs work out in every health club in the world. It's sometimes hard to pick them out (some visual signs are possible. You’ve heard me talk about some of them if you ever attended my certification seminars).


Just off the top of my head, here are some checklist items that personal trainers (and health club owners) should keep in the back of their minds, just in case they are ever faced with someone seriously injured or worse:


1. All personal trainers, group fitness instructors should have a current CPR certification and know how to use the AED (automated external defibrillator). The same goes for people who work at the front desk of health clubs.


2. All health clubs should have an emergency procedure in place and ALL staff should be familiar with that procedure. These procedures should be randomly tested with mock emergencies so that people do not get stale and forget what they have to do. These procedures should be written down and the general manager/fitness director should review the procedures with ALL new staff when they are hired.


3. In general, the first sign of an emergency at a health club is the front desk person making an announcement over the loudspeaker that goes like this: "Is there a doctor or nurse in the building?" Upon hearing this, fitness instructors should stop what they are doing and go to the site of the emergency. For example, if an emergency occurs in the ladies locker room, men should have no qualms about entering that locker room. The same goes for women, entering the men's locker room during an emergency.


4. If a personal trainer is self employed and traveling to the homes of people to do training, they should know the address of the people they train - and the addresses should be written down in their day planner/blackberry etc. If an emergency does occur and the trainer calls 911 from their cell phone, the 911 service may not immediately know where they are calling from (calling from a home phone will immediately give the location). People faced with an life threatening emergency may forget their current location so it's smart to have it written down somewhere just in case. Trainers should also have a first aid kit in their cars. I do not know of any personal trainers who have AEDs in their cars but as the prices of these devices drops, this may occur.


5. Personal trainers are often asked questions about nutrition. Knowing exercise does not necessarily mean the trainer knows about nutrition (even if they look buff!). This is especially true if the person asking the question has medical issues. This is why I often advise trainers to form an alliance with a registered dietitian.


If you work in a health club, don't assume that somebody else will go to help. You may be the best qualified person to help in an emergency situation. Will you make some mistakes? Possibly. Will you be afraid? Probably. most of us would and that’s ok. The important thing is to do something. Remember, in the US, fitness trainers cannot be sued if they are trying to save a person's life - if the person is unconscious, it’s a given that they want your help.

Ive posted a blog on this here http://joe-cannon.blogspot.com/

Joe Cannon, MS, CSCS