One quick search on Google for “fitness” will reveal over 2,760,000,000 results. With such a staggering amount of information readily available at your fingertips, why do so many people struggle with their health and fitness? There may be as many reasons as there are search results, but here are 3 reasons you may not be reaching your fitness goals.
Your Program is Only Based on Science
While fitness and health professionals agree in the benefits of physical activity, science alone is not a good source for exercise program design. The old status quo in the fitness industry used to be that biomechanical knowledge and technical expertise were enough to help people adopt and maintain active lifestyles. It has been revealed over time that personal training clients need more than just instruction and technical support to remain committed to their exercise programs. Research has shown that clients sometimes need to address a wide range of issues relating to, but not limited to areas like emotional needs, nutrition concerns, addictive behaviors, and unsupportive lifestyle habits before experiencing success. Personal and family challenges may also be of concern, and can lead to missed commitments, loss of interest, and neglect. More often than not, Personal Fitness Trainers are not equipped with the necessary communication skills and models for intervening in these aspects of their client’s lives. In other words, many people need more fitness coaching than fitness training…
Your Trainer Needs To Be A Coach
What is the difference then between a trainer and a coach? A trainer “instructs” someone on how to perform a task or achieve a goal, while a coach helps an individual find a way to achieve that goal in a way that is more aligned with their being. In other words a personal trainer teaches a person how to exercise effectively toward a specific outcome. This process may or may not be in line with the psychosocial needs of their client. A lifestyle fitness coach uses a more holistic approach by having a guided and ongoing dialogue with their clients about fitness related elements that will more closely relate to the needs, interests, personal orientation, and lifestyle of the client.
Essentially, if you feel like the program you are on with your personal trainer doesn’t work for you…you’re probably right. It’s not you, it’s probably your trainer. It’s also not their fault, necessarily. They are only doing what they have been trained to do…instruct you on the proper technique.
Life Keeps Getting In the Way
Anything worth doing is worth doing every day. That sounds great, but life seems to always find a way to get in the way. There’s work commitments, family duties, your son’s soccer practice, school recitals, and other obligations that keep getting in the way of your health and fitness goals. You’re not alone in this. Studies show that only about 20% of the US population maintains a regular fitness program of dedicated physical activity 3 or more times per week. We are busier than we have ever been, despite all the modern conveniences that technology has brought forward. For most of us, it feels like something always falls into that time gap set aside for the gym.
The solution is also not always as simple as “set aside time to exercise”, either. Being a better person is complicated, and coming up with solutions that stick is really hard. I like to use the analogy of trying to rewire the guidance system on a Tomahawk missile. You can’t just rake that off into the floor and stomp away in disgust if it’s not working. And, you can’t do the same with your health.
Coaching
If any or all of these issues strikes a chord with you, you might think about seeking guidance from a health and wellness coach. A coach will collaborate with you to determine what is the best course of action based on what is available to you, and what is appropriate in your life. A lifetime of health and fitness is more than just sets, reps, and weights. You need a more holistic process that creates a balance between physical activity and an active lifestyle. Your coach can do that, and also hold you accountable for those times when you slip off course.
It’s a good investment.
If you don’t know where to start, I’m here for you. Each and every week I set aside times for what I call Success Strategy Sessions. These short (and FREE!) coaching calls are designed to get you moving toward your goals and reaching them at lightening speed. During the call we’ll talk about where you currently are, where you’d like to be, and come up with some quick actionable steps you can take right away.
These calls are FREE, but I only have a limited amount of time to do them each and every week. They are “first-come-first-serve”. If you’d like to schedule a free Success Strategy Session CLICK HERE!