{"id":694,"date":"2016-03-09T05:46:29","date_gmt":"2016-03-09T04:46:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.totalcoaching.com\/blog\/?p=694"},"modified":"2016-05-10T13:59:49","modified_gmt":"2016-05-10T12:59:49","slug":"exercise-adherence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.totalcoaching.com\/blog\/exercise-adherence\/","title":{"rendered":"Exercise Adherence: The Key to Getting Better Client Results"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"

As personal trainers, we have the awesome privilege of helping people improve their lives<\/a> by improving their health and fitness. We can help them change from an unhealthy lifestyle to one that will build great health, fitness, and longevity. <\/p>

You can help, but your clients<\/span> have to follow through for the rest of their lives. <\/h3>

We spend a great deal of time and effort helping our clients plan, prioritize and follow through with their commitment to better health. But still, they have the ultimate responsibility to make it part of their lives. <\/p>

Stick to a fitness program is known as \"exercise adherence\"<\/span>\u200b - While it's ultimately up to the client to stay on track, there are many things we as personal trainers<\/a> can do to help.<\/p>

\n\n\"Exercise\n<\/span>\n<\/div>

Are Your Clients Exercising?<\/h2>

Despite the best intentions from the client and your expertise, most of the people who start a regular exercise program, will be off it within a year. Helping a client adhere to regular exercise is one of the hardest things we do as personal trainers.<\/p>

When asked, the reasons given for dropping out of a regular exercise program are: Lack of time, inconvenience, expense, physical discomfort, embarrassment, poor instruction, inadequate support, or loss of interest.<\/span> <\/p>

It is difficult to accurately determine physical activity rates among adults, but studies indicate that 20% - 45% of Americans exercise on a daily basis<\/a>. <\/p>

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As few as 20% of adults exercise on a daily basis. It's time to get up and get moving!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There are several reasons why this activity is hard to measure: The varied definition of exercise, for example walking to work, playing tennis or golf, a bike ride for fun or transportation, may or may not be included in the definition depending on the individual\u2019s fitness and the exertion level.<\/p>

Another discrepancy for this variable is that most of the studies use self-selected data - The individuals polled choose whether they exercise regularly or not. Studies have also shown that most people over-estimate how much physical activity<\/a> they perform. <\/p>

In contrast most will under-estimate (or under-report) how many calories<\/a> they consume, leaving the research uncertain.<\/p>

\u200bSo, there is a good chance that your clients think they are exercising more than they are (and that they are eating less than they really are!)<\/p>

What is Exercise Adherence?<\/h2>

Exercise adherence has been defined in research literature both as exercise behaviour<\/span> within a structured program<\/span> and as exercise maintenance outside of a formal program<\/span>. <\/p>

This means that going to the gym and playing touch football in the front yard on Thanksgiving are both forms of exercise.<\/p>

This definition is vague and does not include frequency, intensity, duration or time span. Most of the studies on adherence take place over a period of six months, however, adhering for six months is not the same as adhering for six years, or sixty years.<\/span> <\/p>

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Exercise adherence is about lifetime adherence, not a few days, week, or even months. Lifetime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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To truly adhere to exercise, a person would have to maintain a regular habit for a lifetime.<\/p>

How You Can Help<\/h2>

Having a clearly defined definition of exercise adherence does not give us the tools we need to improve it with our clients. We need to help them \u201csee the light\u201d that exercise is worth the effort.<\/p>

Say this to yourself every morning! #fitness<\/a> #inspiration<\/a> #weightloss<\/a> #motivation<\/a> #exercise<\/a> #GetFit<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/SUFRlY2I70<\/a><\/p>\u2014 LEAP4LIFE (@L4L_LEAP4LIFE) March 8, 2016<\/a><\/blockquote>\n[tcb-script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"][\/tcb-script]<\/code><\/div>

You can do this by helping with your clients' motivation<\/a>, offering them rewards and accountability, building a support system, encouraging a positive mindset, and by providing a dose of reality.<\/p>

1. Improve Your Clients' Motivation<\/h2>

The motivation to exercise regularly generally falls in two major categories: Intrinsic and extrinsic. In other words, a person\u2019s motivation to exercise comes from either internal or external reasons<\/span>. <\/p>

Intrinsic motivation<\/a> often comes in the form of challenges, enjoyment, or satisfaction, while external reasons are usually body-related issues (e.g., appearance) or social factors (e.g., participation in activities).<\/p>

Most trainers know that a person\u2019s motivation is highest, and intrinsic, when they participate in something that is interesting and challenging to them<\/a>. For example, adherence rates for martial arts classes are much higher then they are for aerobics classes. <\/p>

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Make your clients' exercise more interesting and they will be more motivated to comply<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The reason for this is most people who participate in martial arts do so for the sport or competition \u2013 internal reasons such as self-satisfaction. While the majority of people who take an aerobics class, do so for external reasons \u2013 to lose weight or improve their health. <\/p>

Even though a person might find this activity more enjoyable than another, does not mean they would continue to do it if their external motivator disappeared.<\/h3>

Body-related e\ufeffxtr\ufeffinsic motivation<\/a> is not usually enough to maintain a regular and frequent exercise routine. A person will eventually lose interest and find reasons why they can no longer meet their plan of participation.<\/p>

We must maximize intrinsic motivation and minimize extrinsic motivation @kenoc7<\/a> #showmepd16<\/a> @LrnFwdMO<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Dr Chris V Templeton (@ChrisVTempleton) March 8, 2016<\/a><\/blockquote>\n[tcb-script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"][\/tcb-script]<\/code><\/div>

O\ufeffne study<\/a> found that for a person to continue in an exercise program they would need to find enjoyment and\/or growth of competencies in the physical activities. If this doesn\u2019t happen within a reasonable amount of time for that person, they are very likely to drop out.<\/p>

The researchers in this same study found that women are more prone to exercising for body-related, extrinsic reasons<\/a>, than men because women are, in general, less satisfied with their bodies. <\/p>

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Men tend to exercise for enjoyment or to improve competency, not as much for body image reasons<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What does this mean?...<\/p>

Men are more apt to exercise to build their competencies or for the enjoyment of the activity, equating a far better chance for exercise adherence. <\/span>Men often choose sports as a form of exercise and the camaraderie and competition serve as their intrinsic motivator.<\/p>

How To Create Intrinsic Motivation<\/h2>

One of the most remarkable studies involving exercise adherence resulted in a 94% adherence rate<\/a>. <\/p>

In this study, a group of women in an aerobic dance class for 16 \u00bd weeks. The researchers concluded that the reasons for the astounding adherence rate was attributed to many factors: <\/p>