How Behavioral Science Can Aid Your Clients and Participants in Achieving Their Goals

Does this sound relatable? You get a new client or participant in your class, and they’re excited to start. They love the workout and are eager to work with you to figure out what they can do at home to keep improving. You feel positive about the session, hoping you’ll help them progress. But the next week, you find out they haven’t done anything they planned. Week after week, you both come up with good, practical steps, but they never follow through. It feels like hitting a brick wall. You might start wondering, “Why won’t they just do what they say they will do?”

You’re not alone. This is a common issue in the health and fitness industry, and it can lead to doubts about the client’s willpower, discipline, or commitment. But understanding human behavior and why people do or don’t do things can help you and your clients move forward.

The Information-Action Fallacy

Dr. BJ Fogg explains the “information-action fallacy” in his book Tiny Habits. People often think that giving the right information will change behavior, but it doesn’t. If it did, everyone would eat healthy foods and exercise regularly. Simply knowing what to do isn’t enough to make people do it.

Instead of assuming a client’s lack of commitment, ask better questions. The key question is, “What is stopping you from doing this?”

Fogg has a formula to understand behavior change: B = MAP (Behavior = Motivation + Ability + Prompt). Motivation, ability, and a prompt must all be present for a behavior to happen.

Asking the Right Questions

Start by asking the “discovery question”: “What is making this behavior hard to do?” This helps identify barriers. For instance, if a client wants to walk for 30 minutes four times a week but isn’t doing it, find out why. Is it a time issue? Lack of ability? Weather? Routine? Desire? Understanding these barriers lets you work together to remove them.

Creating Supportive Environments

Once you know the barriers, create an environment that supports the desired behavior. Does the environment need to change, or does the behavior need adjusting?

Using the walking example, environmental changes might include planning a route, getting a treadmill, waking up earlier, or laying out exercise clothes the night before. Adjustments might include splitting the walk into shorter segments, like three 10-minute walks instead of one 30-minute walk. The goal is to make the behavior easier to accomplish.

Group Fitness and the ACE RRAMP™ Approach

If you work with groups, the ACE RRAMP™ Approach can help create a supportive and motivating environment. This method focuses on effort and improvement, reducing competition and intimidation, and building intrinsic motivation. The key elements of the ACE RRAMP Approach are:

  • Respect: Foster mutual kindness and respect.
  • Recognition: Acknowledge effort and improvement.
  • Alignment: Encourage cooperation among participants.
  • Mistakes: Accept mistakes as part of learning.
  • Participant: Ensure each person feels important and involved.

By understanding barriers and creating a supportive environment, you can help clients overcome challenges and stick to their fitness goals.

Courtesy: ACE Fitness

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Active Aging Starts Early: The Importance of Childhood Fitness for Lifelong Health

Building strength and cardiorespiratory fitness during adulthood is important for healthy aging, but the decline in physical fitness begins in primary school. Many children lose interest in active play and sports at a young age. While adult fitness habits are important, the best time to establish healthy lifestyle behaviors is during the first 10 years of life.

Today’s youth are generally weaker and slower than previous generations, with most not getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Only 27-33% of children and adolescents meet these guidelines. The consequences of early physical inactivity include weak muscles, poor motor skills, bone health issues, sleep problems, academic difficulties, and mental health challenges. It also increases the risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart-related issues later in life.

To promote lifelong physical activity, it’s essential to recognize that children are active for different reasons than adults. While adults focus on health benefits, children are motivated by fun, making friends, and learning new things. Exercise programs for youth should prioritize enjoyable and varied activities rather than just meeting MVPA targets. This approach enhances enjoyment, adherence, and overall outcomes.

Exercise professionals should integrate developmentally appropriate strength, skill, and aerobic activities into youth programs. Effective interventions should target neuromuscular development and address barriers to physical activity. Strength-building activities are particularly important, as they support the ability to jump, kick, and run proficiently. Regular participation in these activities develops robust physical capacities needed for various physical activities.

Like food macronutrients are essential for health, three main fitness macronutrients support muscular strength, movement skills, and cardiovascular function in growing children. Encouraging active play, exercise, and sports throughout the day helps establish lifelong healthy habits. This requires balancing the benefits of MVPA with understanding youth’s physical and psychosocial needs.

To activate today’s youth, consider the “F-words” of youth physical activity:

  • Fun: Promote enjoyable and engaging activities. Encourage trying new exercises or creating new games, offering a mix of structured and unstructured activities.
  • Family: Involve family members in physical activities to strengthen bonds and make fitness a daily priority. Educate parents on the importance of daily MVPA.
  • Fitness: Integrate strength, skill, and aerobic activities into youth programs. Emphasize the importance of building a strength reserve for sustainable participation in exercise and sports.
  • Feelings: Focus on the enjoyment of participation rather than success. Encourage discovering talents, setting achievable goals, and creating a sense of belonging.
  • Flourish: Promote outdoor activities in natural settings to provide a break from screens and enjoy nature. Activities like scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, and tag games can enhance physical and emotional well-being.

By addressing these aspects, youth fitness programs can effectively promote lifelong physical activity and overall health.

Courtesy: ACE Fitness

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No Pain, No Gain: Debunking the Dangerous Fitness Myth

We’ve all heard the saying “No pain, no gain” when it comes to working out. It suggests that to get fit and strong, you need to push yourself to the point of pain. But is this true? Let’s break down this common fitness myth in simple words and understand what it takes to achieve your fitness goals.

What Does “No Pain, No Gain” Mean?

The phrase “No pain, no gain” implies that you must experience discomfort or pain during exercise to see results. It often leads people to believe that if they’re not feeling sore or tired after a workout, they’re not working hard enough.

The Reality: Pain Isn’t Always a Good Thing

While it’s true that you might feel some discomfort when you push your body beyond its usual limits, pain is not a necessary part of getting fit. Pain can be a warning sign from your body that something is wrong. Here’s why:

  1. Muscle Soreness vs. Sharp Pain:
    • Muscle Soreness: Feeling sore a day or two after a workout, known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), is normal. This happens because tiny tears in your muscle fibers, repair and grow stronger.
    • Sharp Pain: If you feel sharp or intense pain during exercise, it could be a sign of injury. This type of pain should not be ignored.
  2. Injury Risk:
    • Pushing yourself too hard can lead to injuries like sprains, strains, and stress fractures. Injuries can set you back, making it harder to reach your fitness goals.
  3. Overtraining:
    • Exercising too much without giving your body time to recover can lead to overtraining syndrome. Symptoms include fatigue, poor performance, and increased risk of injury. Recovery and rest are crucial parts of any fitness routine.

Effective Exercise: Quality Over Quantity

Instead of focusing on pain, focus on the quality of your workouts. Here are some tips for a balanced and effective fitness routine:

  1. Listen to Your Body:
    • Pay attention to how your body feels during and after exercise. If something hurts, stop and rest. If the pain persists, consult a healthcare professional.
  2. Gradual Progression:
    • Increase the intensity and duration of your workouts gradually. This helps your body adapt and reduces the risk of injury.
  3. Mix It Up:
    • Incorporate a variety of exercises into your routine. Include strength training, cardio, flexibility, and balance exercises to keep your workouts interesting and well-rounded.
  4. Rest and Recovery:
    • Rest days are essential. They give your muscles time to repair and grow stronger. Make sure to include rest days in your weekly workout plan.
  5. Proper Technique:
    • Using the correct form during exercises helps prevent injuries and ensures you work the right muscles. If unsure about your form, consider working with a trainer or attending a fitness class.

The Bottom Line

The idea that you need to experience pain to see fitness gains is a myth. While some discomfort is normal when challenging your body, sharp or intense pain is not. Focus on a balanced approach to fitness that includes listening to your body, gradual progression, and proper recovery. By doing so, you’ll achieve your fitness goals safely and effectively, without unnecessary pain.

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