Supporting people who are new to exercise is not as much about the exercise as it is the relationship, the support and how you communicate with your client. Part of that relationship, support and communication is being able to have a conversation around the benefits of exercise. Most people new to exercise are unable to connect to any benefits and the reasons to not exercise really do outweigh any benefits they do know. For example, if a client enjoys lying on the couch, eating cheese puffs and exercise is painful which do you think your client is going to choose; more often than not? More than likely they will choose the former. This is a difficult choice for someone who doesn’t really understand and can’t connect to the benefits of exercise. When this same client goes to the doctor and finds out he (now) has high blood pressure and needs to work out, how do you think that client will respond? More than likely your client will respond very similarly. Unfortunately for someone who is new to exercise it’s not usually until they get ‘life altering’ information that they change their behaviors unless they find the right person or personal trainer willing to build the relationship, provide support and communicate appropriately.

If the benefits outweigh the reasons people are not exercising and the current method of working with them isn’t working, how do health and fitness professionals work differently with people to educate them about the advantages of exercise in a way that thoughtfully changes how people view exercise?

The reasons to exercise

There are many good reasons to exercise. Most of the reasons common to personal trainers are ‘physical’ in nature. For example, that exercise has a positive impact on hypertension, cholesterol and diabetes but there are many positive psychological effects of exercise as well. One that you are probably aware of, for example, is the biochemical change in endorphins that help people to ‘feel good’. Some others include the following:

Changes in nervous system activity – Flight-or-flight reduced after exercise

Relaxed muscles – Decrease in electrical activity after exercise

Changes in brain wave activity – Increased alpha waves associated with calm mental state

Cognitive effects – Perceptions, thoughts, distractions

All of the above examples are proven positive effects of exercise and will aid in your developing case for why a client should exercise however these might not always work as the important, primary reasons to exercise. The more primary reasons should include the following: promotes positive mood, reduces stress, improves sleep and reduces depression and anxiety. Many clients can see and feel the effects of these pretty easily and readily; which is what keeps them coming back.

Promotes positive mood

Many times people who exercise report feeling good after a workout. Feeling good means different things for different people but it mainly signifies a positive mood encompassing feelings of satisfaction, happiness, good or even great. Clients will often feel energized after exercise which leads to a more positive outlook on life. Exercise also promotes feelings of relaxation and stress reduction, alertness, and improved ability to concentrate and focus all leading to a positive mood.

Can you connect to some of these words which are associated with a positive mood: energized, positive outlook, relaxation, alertness and improved concentration and focus? These are the things you want to connect your client to. How do you connect these to your client? In the initial conversation ask your client if they struggle with feeling energized, being positive, relaxed, alert, having concentration or focus. Utilize this information in future conversations and continue to check in with your client. For example, if in the initial session your client states that he struggles with feeling relaxed, you can set a goal around feeling relaxed using exercise as a part of that goal and connect your client to feelings of relaxation from exercise.

Reduces stress

Stress is the outcome of challenging situations in our lives. There are physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches and there are emotional symptoms including frustration, pressure and uncertainty. Exercise is one of the best stress reduction techniques around, and leads to immediate and long-term results. Many people report feeling less angry and irritable due to regular exercise. This is important because anger is most strongly associated with harmful health effects such as hypertension and heart disease.

For people who exercise as a way of dealing with stress it’s a good idea to exercise during the time of day that is most beneficial. An early-morning workout might prepare someone for the day’s stressors. A midday workout might provide a break in the days stress and allow people to feel less angry and irritable throughout the rest of the day. A workout later in the day or early evening can provide a client with a method for decreasing the tensions and worries of the day and an opportunity to refresh before going home and going to sleep.

Similarly to the example above, in the initial conversation ask your client if they struggle with feeling stressed. If your client states that he struggles with feeling stressed, you can set a goal around feeling stressed using exercise as a part of that goal and connect your client to reduced feelings of stress from exercise.

Improves sleep

If lack of sleep is a problem for your client, as is the case for many people, exercise is a great solution. Many people report having better sleep when they exercise regularly. Typical improvements include falling asleep more quickly, longer periods of deep sleep, and feeling more refreshed in the morning. Because exercise has a positive impact on stress, anxiety, and depression all of which interferes with sleep exercise helps improve sleep and reduce emotional health problems. Outdoor exercise is beneficial because it also provides light therapy adding extra sleep benefits.

There are many important qualities inherent in a good night’s sleep including:

– resistance to stress related illnesses and immune function
– start the day feeling invigorated and refreshed
– reduced feelings of stress and an improved mood
– allows you to experience all the effects of regular exercise

Reduces depression and anxiety

Although a cause of fact relation has not been established, regular exercise is associated with reductions in anxiety and depression.

Anxiety refers to feelings of worry, self doubt, fear and uncertainty. Trait anxiety is a stable personality trait. If your new to exercise client exhibits high trait anxiety their anxiety around exercise will start off high. If your new to exercise client exhibits low trait anxiety their anxiety around exercise will start off low. There is not much you can do with trait anxiety but you can help your client calm their state anxiety which is the situational, temporary feelings of anxiety. For example, rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, and butterflies in the stomach before a marathon are all examples of state anxiety. If this person is new to exercise and exhibits high trait anxiety their anxiety around exercise will start off high and probably increase with state anxiety. If this person is new to exercise and exhibits low trait anxiety their anxiety around exercise will start off low but will more than likely increase because of the environment. How this translates is that some people experiencing anxiety in all situations and some in certain situations. Most state anxiety is around experiences that people are not good at, are new with or in situations they don’t understand and feel overwhelmed.

About one in four Americans suffers from clinical depression. It is well-known for its symptoms of negative mood and feelings of hopelessness which for many people become so severe they interfere with daily life.

Exercise appears to be associated with improved mood in people who suffer with depression. Research has shown that regular exercise has the greatest impact on depression and is comparable in effectiveness to psychotherapy and medication for mild to moderate depression.

Although you have a perception of why some of your clients are not following through, the reality is, that can’t follow through without your help!