Making positive fitness change can be a challenge with the many stresses and commitments that we all have. Life has a tendency to throw curve balls at you, which can make it hard to prioritise your own health. This is especially true if you have kids, or run your own business!
The key to lasting change is consistency. Fitness consistency comes from creating a habit, and transforming it into a staple in your lifestyle. Unless it's important to you, it will always be put on the back burner. And even if it's important to you, unless it's scheduled and locked away as time for you, 'life' will often sneak in and hijack your time.
Getting clear on what you need
We use a motivational questionnaire developed by PTA Global called the Program Design Questionaire, or PDQ. This is not just any random client intake form. It was developed by the best of the best, and as a result the PDQ helps us quickly figure out a clients training goal, style, level and motivation. The PDQ has been an invaluable tool in helping our clients get clear on exactly what they need, want, and maybe didn't even realise about themselves.
The PDQ process takes about 9 minutes, and having this information enables us to understand the reasons behind the clients goal, and better match their training to their movement style and level. Getting clear on the above takes the pressure off the trainer for trial and error, and instead helps us deliver what the client wants, in conjunction with what they need.
Those who succeed the most in achieving their goal, and being consistent with their training have done a PDQ with us. We understand their needs better, and they have and increased rapport and accountability with us as their trainers.
Why?
Knowing your why's is important to your success. People often come to us with a vague goal about getting toned, or losing weight. But why they want that goal is often more important than the goal. Ask yourselves the following questions?
Why is your goal important to you?
If you don't make the changes you seek and stay the way you are, or regress how will that affect your life?
If you do successfully make changes and reach your goal, how will that impact your life?
On a scale of 1-10, how important is it for you to make these changes right now?
Why is it not a 2-3?
And how could you make it 1 point higher?
Are you ready and willing to change at this time?
Training Consistency
We see a lot of people succeed or fail in their fitness goals based on the options they choose for training. Over the years we have noticed those who stick it out are not necessarily the most motivated, or those who have the most time or money.
In general those who have a higher level of accountability and commitment to their training tend to use personal training or unlimited class memberships. In order words they show up more consistently simply because they have an ‘appointment’ with us, or they have purchased a membership they are driven to use.
Personal training ensures that you have somewhere to be, and a booking to attend with a consequence (cancellation fee) if you fail to attend. Unlimited memberships tends to encourage members to seek ‘value for money’ and so they attend as many classes as possible to get the best value, which of course leads to higher consistency of training, and therefore greater results.
We find that a whopping 50% of people who purchase pack class options or casual visits, run out of time to use their pack, or don’t come for weeks at a time. When there is no defined schedule, appointment or plan, there is a higher chance that ‘life’ can get in the way of your training and weeks can pass without any activity.
Increasing Training Consistency
Plan your week and book fitness sessions in your diary
Train with a friend to make yourself more accountable
Set an alarm to move / drink water / meditate/ (whatever health habit you want to build) during your day
How can you find ways to book yourself in so as to prioritise yourself?
Can you entrust a friend or family member to help nudge you towards your goal?
Can you surround yourself with people who are like minded?
Building the habit
Practice makes perfect, and each time you successfully integrate your new desired behaviour, the positive pattern becomes reinforced. If you need help making a more solid commitment to yourself so that you can reap the rewards of your training, contact us for a free 15 minute planning session where we can run you through a PDQ to determine your goal, desired training outcomes and plan a realistic schedule together.
If you need a hand, we are here to help and we thrive on seeing our members kicking goals and feeling great. If you are up for the challenge, so are we!
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