Coaching & Mindset
Using Games with Clients in Pain
From the FASTER syllabus: this article is taught in full in All FASTER courses and CPD →
In short: Games give clients in pain a reason to move for something other than the pain — they distract from discomfort, build engagement, and let the trainer read movement and adjust in real time.
If your clients in pain are stuck in the same guarded, joyless routine, the problem may not be the exercises — it may be the framing. Bringing games into a session gives someone in pain a reason to move for something other than the pain itself, and that changes what's possible.
Why games work for clients in pain
Traditional routines can leave clients in pain bored and reluctant, and reluctance around movement tends to make pain worse, not better. A game does three useful things at once:
- It taps competitive and playful instincts, so clients push a little further than they would if you simply told them to.
- It makes the session enjoyable, which improves how well people retain what you're teaching and how likely they are to come back.
- It shifts focus away from the discomfort. When attention is on the task, the perception of pain often drops, and the session feels lighter.
None of this is about ignoring pain. It's about creating conditions where a wary client is willing to move and explore again.
A game is a live assessment
For the trainer, a game is one of the best assessment tools you have. While the client is absorbed in the task, you get to watch their real movement — patterns, form, the choices they make under a bit of pressure — without them stiffening up because they know they're being observed.
That gives you immediate, honest feedback. You can adjust the challenge on the spot, dial the demand up or down, and tailor the session to the person in front of you rather than to a plan you wrote yesterday.
Rebuilding a healthier relationship with movement
Many clients who come to personal training carry pain from old injuries, chronic conditions or simply the discomfort of pushing their bodies. Pain can become a barrier both physically and mentally — it feeds a fear of movement.
Games offer a safe, controlled way to test that fear. Within the structure of a task, clients learn to listen to their bodies, tell the difference between discomfort and genuine warning signs, and adjust as they go. Gradually exposing someone to challenge inside a game builds confidence and trust in their own body — which is what a sustainable return to movement actually depends on.
They also engage the whole body rather than isolating one muscle group, and they bring a social, motivating energy — especially in small groups, where clients cheer each other on and feel less alone with their pain.
The takeaway
Play with purpose. Use games to lower the pressure, read your client's movement honestly, and help them rebuild trust in their body. To go further with these ideas, explore the full range of FASTER courses and CPD.
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Frequently asked
Why use games with clients in pain?
Games shift attention away from discomfort and towards a task, which lowers the perception of pain and makes the client more willing to move and explore.
Do games help the trainer as well as the client?
Yes. A game is a live assessment — you can watch movement patterns, form and choices in real time and adjust the challenge on the spot.
Are games just a distraction?
Distraction is part of it, but they also build confidence, engage the whole body rather than isolated muscles, and create a social, motivating environment.
Can games teach injury awareness?
Playing through varied, real-world-style challenges lets clients learn how to move and adjust safely, building trust in their body over time.
Who is this approach for?
Trainers working with clients who are wary of movement because of past injury, chronic conditions or fear — it gives them a lower-pressure way back in.
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