Adherence . . .

Walk into any gym and you will see an abundance of cardio equipment. In fact, the proliferation of so many machines is a savvy marketing strategy employed by gyms. The sight of individuals casually walking on treadmills, while busy looking at their phones, hoodwink the onlooker that getting fit is not going to be that difficult. 

Why would gyms use such a misleading strategy?  

Do not fall for the deception that all they have is your best interest at heart. What they are most interested in is protecting their bottom line. They know that the average person who signs a gym membership will quit within six months. Which is why they are so eager to sign you up as quickly as possible, and to get the monthly payments withdrawn straight from your bank account. 

Stages . . . 

An individual goes through a series of stages before deciding to join or quit the gym. 

• Precontemplation: An individual is not exercising and does not plan to within 6 months. 
• Contemplation: An individual is thinking about making a change to their physique, but has not taken any real serious steps. Perhaps they will start within the next 6 months. 
• Preparation: The individual intends to act. Normally within the next month. So, he or she visits their local gym. 
• Action: The individual has joined a gym or started working out at home, and has made modifications in their exercise routine over the past 6 months. 
• Maintenance: The individual has been working out for more than 6 months and is working hard to prevent a relapse. 

Although I laid the stages out in sequential order, an individual may jump back and forth between stages before deciding to begin or quit their fitness endeavor.  
 

6 Months! 

This is the demarcation line every CPT is trying to get their client to reach. If a client can be motivated to last 6 months, it increases the likelihood that he or she will continue their fitness journey. I on the other hand set the mark at 3 months. 

The Three E’s . . . 

It takes 6-8 weeks for an individual committing to changing their physique to see a modicum of progress. What I am looking for is more internal than external. I judge the individual’s temperament. I am looking for the three e’s: Energy, Enthusiasm and Excitement. 

Each must be present at every workout over the next 3 months, otherwise the individual is in danger of regressing and quitting. I don’t have time to waste with an individual who wavers constantly if they truly want to change their physique. 

I will coach, push and use whatever methods I deemed necessary to help them achieve their desired goal, but I will not babysit them. I’m not there to coddle them. I will offer emotional support, in a form, which I hope will make him or her angry enough, to show me that they’re not going to quit on themselves . . . 

I hear you asking, “What if he or she cannot live up to your expectation of them?” 

Do You Really Want to Hear My Reply . . .? 

B.M.Booth