INShape
Internship in Kinesiology
During my capstone internship, I worked with a client over a 9-week period where I was responsible for creating and leading her individualized exercise program. At the beginning of the internship, we set goals together and completed initial exercise tests to establish a starting point for her strength, endurance, and overall fitness.
Each week I led two in-person training sessions and also created weekly exercise programs and homework workouts for her to complete outside of sessions. These included a mix of strength training, cardiovascular exercise, balance and coordination work, and stretching. I made a new plan for her each week, adjusting and progressing as her strength increased.
Throughout the 9 weeks, I monitored her progress and modified exercises when needed to keep her challenged but successful. At the end of the program, we repeated the initial exercise tests to compare her progress and see how far she had come from the beginning.
Group photo with my classmates who also served as INShape trainers.
Reflection
This experience was important to me because it gave me full responsibility for designing, progressing, and evaluating a training program over time. Instead of just running individual workouts, I had to think about how each week connected and how the program as a whole would help my client reach her goals. Over the 9 weeks, my client made great progress. She became noticeably stronger and shared that she felt more flexible and had better balance in her daily movements. Her improvements showed not only in her performance, but also in her confidence, which was really rewarding to see.
One of my biggest takeaways was understanding how consistency leads to real progress. The improvements were not always obvious week to week, but when we compared the beginning and end testing, the changes were clear. That reinforced the importance of being patient and trusting the process instead of expecting immediate results.
I also learned a lot from designing both in-person sessions and independent “homework” workouts. It pushed me to think more clearly about how to make exercises simple, effective, and realistic to follow outside of supervision. Throughout the experience, I became more confident in leading sessions, making adjustments when needed, and getting more creative with how I adapt workouts to fit the individual.
Overall, this experience was really rewarding and helped me grow both personally and professionally. It strengthened my ability to plan and adjust programs, communicate effectively, and support someone over time. Seeing my client’s progress made the whole experience feel worth it and showed me the impact that consistent support and structured training can have.
Fern performing BOSU ball squats that I added to her program to work on her balance and stability.
Fern and I getting our steps in on the track during our session.