Businesses of all kinds are using artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline their operations and communicate with customers and potential customers. It underpins so much of how the world works and is being used in ways of which consumers are often unaware. So, why should you or your business—even if you are an independent contractor or sole proprietor—be any different? When used well, AI can save you time, fill in gaps in your expertise and expand your business.

As a health coach or exercise professional, integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into your daily routine can revolutionize how you do your job. From creating personalized exercise programs and generating fresh content ideas to brainstorming new business strategies, AI can become a powerful ally. Imagine having a virtual assistant that provides innovative solutions and enhances your productivity, allowing you to focus on what you do best—helping people live healthier lives.

Last year, I wrote an article for CERTIFIED entitled Say Hello to Your New Personal Assistant: How AI Can Save You Time and Help Build Your Business. In that article, you can read about ChatGPT and other AI-driven tools, including their capabilities and limitations, as well as ideas for how to use them effectively.

Here, I expand on that article by offering three creative ways to use AI in your day-to-day work (note that all AI content in this article was created using ChatGPT).

1. Exercise Programming

AI can be used to help you create personalized and progressive exercise programs but rest assured that you are not going to be replaced by computer-generated workouts. As Ted Vickey, PhD, founder and CEO of Fitwell, LLC, and professor of kinesiology at Tulane University, likes to say, “You’re not going to be replaced by AI, but you may be replaced by another professional who knows how to use AI.” So now is the time to set aside any fears and embrace its capabilities.

Erin Nitschke, ­­EdD, exercise science professor and Program Director of Sciences at Laramie County Community College in Wyoming and an ACE Certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer, agrees. She says that the biggest mistake is thinking that you can type in a simple prompt—“create an 8-week workout for a healthy 25-year-old woman”—and simply use what ChatGPT provides. “AI is a great place to start,” she says, “but it cannot replace the human conversation that you as a professional use to get to know your clients.” Note: Be sure to check out Dr. Nitschke's video tutorial on using AI to brainstorm ideas for your clients' programs. You can find it at the end of this article.

So, how should you use AI in exercise programming?

You might ask it for help when you’re drawing a blank or are blocked creatively. For example, you might ask it to create a generic introductory program that you then modify for a client.

This is where you can take advantage of the conversational element of ChatGPT. As with everything related to using AI, the quality of what you get depends on the quality of your prompt (see sidebar). That said, the conversational aspect allows you to slowly get it right by asking additional questions.

For example, “Using exercises included in the ACE Exercise Library, create a beginning-level upper-body workout that can be performed three days per week.”  (For each of the exercises listed below, ChatGPT provided an appropriate number of sets and repetitions, as well as instructions for how to perform them properly and tips regarding rest, form and progression.)

From there, you can modify the program by asking follow-up questions, such as: “My client doesn’t have resistance bands. Provide replacement exercises for the seated row (resistance band) and resistance band pull-apart.” In response, ChatGPT suggests dumbbell bent-over rows and reverse flys (dumbbells).

Dr. Vickey, who, like Dr. Nitschke, is a member of the ACE Scientific Advisory Panel, recommends including the following elements in your conversation with ChatGPT to elicit more personalized workouts (being sure to never input a client’s personal information):

• Current fitness level
• Fitness goals
• Exercise preferences
• Equipment availability
• Health and medical history
• Lifestyle and schedule
• Nutritional habits
• Past workout experiences

Finally, how do you use the insight you’ve gained through your conversations with your clients, as well as the expertise you have as a health coach or exercise professional, to evaluate a workout created using AI? You might ask the following questions:

• Is this in line with what science is currently supporting?
• Is it in line with what ACE or other trusted resources are recommending? For example, Dr. Nitschke mentions the ACE Integrated Fitness Training Model™, which is the cornerstone of the ACE Personal Trainer credential. If a program conflicts with what you’ve learned studying or implementing that Model, evaluate it carefully.
• Does it account for the likes and dislikes of your client?
• Does it account for any injuries, diseases/conditions or other limitations, as well as the client’s experience and fitness levels?
• Does it progress safely and effectively?
• Does it take into consideration the client’s equipment preferences and availability?
• And most importantly, does it align with the client’s goals and values?

Treat AI-generated workouts the same way you would a workout you see in a magazine or online. “It’s your job to evaluate the credibility of what it provides,” explains Dr. Nitschke. “Approach it with both curiosity and skepticism. Ask, does it make sense and is it safe and effective?”

Dr. Vickey wholeheartedly agrees with Nitschke’s assertion that the real-world experience you bring as a health coach or exercise professional cannot be replaced by AI, but he explains that if you craft prompts using your unique insights, AI can help optimize workout routines, adjust intensity levels, recommend specific exercises and deliver customized experiences that maximize the effectiveness of your programming.

“When you master the art of prompting,” asserts Dr. Vickey, “that’s where the real magic happens.”

2. Content Creation

This is perhaps the area where AI can be most helpful, whether you’re writing blogs, crafting marketing pieces, building out your website, writing scripts for videos or posting on social media.

First, a word of warning: You must be diligent about reviewing content created through AI before putting your name on it or sharing it with clients. Is it accurate and evidence-based? Does it speak to the audience you’re trying to reach? Does it accurately express what you’re trying to say? Is it well written and does it use appropriate language and correct grammar?

Never lose sight of the fact that all it takes is one error-filled blog or poorly worded Instagram post to damage your credibility. You have to stand behind anything you post or publish, so be sure it positively reflects your values and brand.

All of that said, ChatGPT can be a fantastic content-creation tool. For example, maybe you want to offer your clients a few tips for getting a better night’s sleep. You might ask, “What are 10 ways to get a better night’s sleep?” [Note that these responses have been edited for brevity. Each of these bullets included a supporting paragraph.]

From that list, you might identify numbers 1, 2, 3 and 8 as being most appropriate for a social media post, so you write, “Create a one-sentence social media post about numbers 1, 2, 3, and 8 above for an audience of health coaching clients.”

Not a bad starting point. You might add a call to action to that post, such as, “Send me a message to learn more.” If you do, be sure to have a short blog written about the topic that you can send to anyone who contacts you. To create that, you might ask ChatGPT to “Write a 600-word blog about numbers 1, 2, 3, and 8,” which you can evaluate and edit as needed.

You can also use ChatGPT to help you in countless other creative ways, including modifying your writing style for different audiences. Say, for example, that you are a college student studying exercise science who is accustomed to writing in a formal, academic style. You might cut and paste something you’re written and ask it to “Rewrite this in a more casual style for an audience of personal training clients: The ACE IFT Model is a comprehensive system for exercise programming that pulls together the multifaceted training parameters required to be a successful personal trainer. It organizes the latest exercise science and health-behavior research into a systematic approach to designing, implementing, and modifying exercise programs based on the unique abilities, needs, and goals of each individual.”

Or, you might ask it to help you create social media posts or brainstorm blog topics for a particular audience, such as, “From the lens of an exercise scientist, create five attention-grabbing headings for students aged 18 to 25 who are interested in becoming personal trainers.”

Again, this is a great starting point. From there, you can ask for help with an outline (“Create an outline with subheads for number 3 above”) or even a complete blog that you can edit and modify as needed.

In addition to blog post outlines, which are a great way to embrace AI without using it to craft your full article, you can use AI to brainstorm titles and headings, write social media posts and captions, create social media hashtags and come up with inspirational quotes or words of wisdom to share with clients. You can even use it to help you identify and incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) keywords that will help drive more people to your content.

To learn more, and to get just a small glimpse of what ChatGPT can do, ask, “How can a personal trainer best use ChatGPT for content creation, including writing blogs, social media posts and website content?” The detail and creativity of the response may surprise you.

One more great strategy courtesy of Dr. Vickey: Take advantage of the ability to customize the voice of ChatGPT. Click on your initials on the top right, then click “Customize ChatGPT.” From there, you can say how formal or casual you want the language to be. You can even describe yourself, your education and your credentials and ask it to respond in that voice (e.g., “I have a master’s degree in exercise science and am a certified personal trainer and yoga instructor and want to provide evidence-based but practical content”). In addition, you can ask it to you use preferred sources (e.g., “prioritize content from ACEfitness.org and pull any statistics from CDC.gov or WHO.int”). Finally, you can add information about your brand so that the responses align with those values (e.g., “two focuses of my brand are inclusivity and health equity”). Note that any customization you do here will be reflected in all your conversations with ChatGPT moving forward.

3. Brainstorming to Build Your Business

Another great use of ChatGPT is brainstorming, as the conversational style allows you to revisit prior conversations, build on ideas or home in on exactly what you’ve been trying to figure out. “Using ChatGPT is a great way to brainstorm any project,” says Dr. Vickey. “From a blog post to creating a workout, just starting the brainstorming session on ChatGPT can open the floodgates to ideas. And what’s even better—I find the whole process of brainstorming with ChatGPT to be fun!”

Dr. Nitschke recommends using ChatGPT to help you with things like drafting a business plan, filling out loan applications and improving your marketing and networking efforts.

Consider these questions, which can serve as starting points for brainstorming strategies for building your business:

• Give me ideas for developing a more creative client welcome packet for my personal training clients.
• What do investors want to see in a business plan?
• What should I include on a website for consumers interested in health coaching?
• What are some creative touches I can add to my social media presence to help me stand out from the competition?
• What are some calls to action that I should include on my website to drive revenue?
• Rewrite the following into an elevator pitch (paste the executive summary from your business plan).
• What are five must-haves for creating a health and wellness newsletter that will let my clients get to know me better?
• What should I include in a monthly marketing email to send to current and potential personal training clients?
• Where are some venues in [input your area] where I can teach outdoor classes without paying a fee?
• How do I communicate an increase in my hourly rate without alienating existing customers?
• For personal trainers, what area of continuing education will yield the greatest return on investment in the next five years?

As mentioned above, these prompts are starting points that you can build on through conversation and any gained insight. The possibilities are truly limitless, as AI can help you fill in gaps in your expertise and will lead your conversations in directions you might never have expected.

Final Thoughts

“AI is becoming more and more integrated into the fabric of what we do as professionals,” explains Dr. Nitschke. There’s no need to fight it or fear it. Instead, embrace it and allow it to perform tasks that you don’t have time for, you don’t enjoy doing or that don’t align with your expertise. You’ll likely find that using AI can turn you into a more efficient and effective professional.

If you are still concerned about the ethics of using AI or maybe even about “being replaced,” Dr. Nitschke offers this reminder, “Understand and respect the seriousness of the work we do as health and exercise professionals. We are often dealing with very vulnerable situations—a person’s health, their weight, their body image. All the things that make humans messy, we get to deal with. And that’s a gift. AI doesn’t know how to deal with that. It doesn’t have emotional intelligence, but you do. It will never replace your empathy.”

Used well, AI can free you from some of the mundane tasks that your job requires. Less time doing administrative tasks or trying to figure out what to include in a business plan or in a newsletter, for example, means more time for coaching, training, teaching classes or doing none of that and instead quitting an hour earlier each day! Your newfound time is yours to use however you’d like.

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