conduct a screening procedure and exercise...

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MODULE: Conduct a Screening procedure/Motivate and Encourage Participation in Physical Activity

Conduct a Screening Procedure and Exercise Adherence and Client Motivation What is screening?

Screening is the term used to describe the written and verbal interview with the client, during which one finds out more about their present health and medical status. This information is needed in order to be able to work out suitable goals and an effective exercise programme for them. A fitness assessment follows a screening appointment Gyms and health clubs can be excellent resources for initiating and maintaining physical fitness. People join them with a wide range of goals in mind - from weight control to body sculpting to simple health improvement - and start off with varying physical conditions and levels of exercise experience. Because of this, most gyms require an “induction” period, which serves as a guide for both staff and customer alike to enable safe and effective workouts.

Why is it important to do screening?

It is important for the personal trainer to follow a screening procedure before starting with exercise. It helps the personal trainer to:

• Identify possible health conditions and risk factors that could place the client at risk for certain activities ie. medical status, nutrition profile

• A thorough screening procedure assists the trainer in deciding what activities and exercises must be included in the exercise programme - fitness status

• Many fitness facilities insist on a screening process being followed for legal and ethical reasons• It assists the personal trainer with getting to know the client’s concerns, needs and expectations and reasons for joining the gym

In addition, an analysis of the client’s history is the primary tool for developing a safe exercise program. Generally a health history form is filled out that covers information such as demographics (age, sex, occupation etc), exercise history, health risk factors, medications, recent illnesses and injuries, surgery history and family medical history.

Once the personal trainer has all this information it is examined and any underlying problems or risks are highlighted. In the case of there being problems or risks it will be recommended that the client obtain a clearance from the doctor of physician, These assessments are put into place for the clients benefit. The gym does not want to take responsibility for a health hazardous person. The gym also would like to steer the client in the correct paths, so that their goals, aspiration, needs and abilities can be met in a safe and pleasant manner.


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PERSONAL BACKROUND QUESTIONARE

General ANSWER YES No

Have you been a member of the any health club before?

Have you been a member of the any health club before?

Do you smoke?

Do you drink?

How often do you eat out?

How do you find your daily routine?

When you feel stressed, how do you get rid of the tension?

On an average, How many hours of uninterrupted sleep do you have each day?

Exercise Background ANSWER YES No

When was the last time you exercised regularly?

What is the frequency of your training and what are the usual timings?

How long is the duration of your training?

How do you feel about doing training or physical activity?

Where did you acquire the programs/routine you do in training?

During this program, did you get the results you wanted?

If so, what factors derailed your progress in the past?

Goal Setting ANSWER YES No

What is your Short Term goal (3-6 months)?

What is your Medium Term goal (6-12 months)?

What is you Long Term goal (more than 12 months)?

Why are these goals important to you?

Is there any body part in specific you would want to improve on?

On a scale of 1-10, rate how serious you are in achieving your goal/s:

On a scale of 1-10, rate how serious are you in changing your lifestyle/nutrition/habits:

Personal Trainer Experience ANSWER YES No

How was it like having a PT guiding you during training?

How long did you train with your PT?

How frequent were your training sessions per week?

Were you able to achieve your goals during your time with the PT?

What is the reason why you can no longer train with your PT?


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If you answered YES to one or more questions:• Talk with your doctor by phone or in person BEFORE you start becoming more physically active or BEFORE you have a fitness

appraisal. Tell your doctor about the PAR-Q and which questions you answered YES.• You may be able to do any activity you want - as long as you start slowly and build up gradually. Or, you may need to restrict your

activities to those that are safe for you. Talk with your doctor about the kinds of activities you wish to participate in and follow his/her advice.

• Find out which community programs are safe and helpful for you.• If you answered NO honestly to “all” PAR-Q questions, you can be reasonably sure that you can:• Start becoming much more physically active - begin slowly and build up gradually. This is the safest and easiest way to go.• Take part in a fitness appraisal - this is an excellent way to determine your basic fitness so that you can plan the best way for you to

live actively.

PAR Q QUESTIONAREHas your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition AND that you should only do Physical activity recommended by a doctor?

Do you feel pain in your chest when you do Physical activity?

In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?

Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?

Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?

Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for example, water pills) for your blood pressure or heart condition?

Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?


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Storage and management of the clients assessments

Clients information needs to be treated with confidentiality at all time and you need to have some sort of system to organize all the information you collect about each client. There’s really no wrong way to track your client’s particulars, as long as your system works well with your process. It is of the utmost importance that all assessments are kept private. Follow the following tips when storing and managing client information: • Once client has stopped training with you, their information has to be kept for at least 5 years, whereafter they are destroyed by

shredding• Keep information Locked up in a filing cabinet• Each client has there own personal file• Make sure it is a dry storage facility.• Access to client information is limited to the trainer and the client.• Records are kept in chronological order.• Clients data is regularly assessed and updated to help clients achieve their goals• Introduce new methods of recording and storing information as needed - regularly review whether the supply of information

continues to meet requirements.• Make sure you can retrieve information promptly when required - consider how urgently the information may be needed.• Record and store information using accepted formats, systems and procedures - your organisation may have developed formal

procedures and systems for storing different types of information, both paper-based and on computer.• For electronic records, store confidential records in a separate directory or file, access to these files or directories must be

restricted.• Record information in appropriate detail - you will need to keep a different level of detail on information, depending on how

significant it is and how you anticipate using it.• Conducting Assessments• When conducting assessments with clients it is important to use theoretical science knowledge and interviewing skills to gather,

interpret and manage a clients information in a way that is professional, sensitive and empathetic. It is important that your client feels comfortable and at ease while the assessments are being conducted.

Tips on collecting client information in an empathetic way:

• It is important to gather the client’s information in an environment that is quiet, safe and conducive to this process. There should be adequate light and ventilation and the area must offer the client privacy.

• Remove all distractions and give the client all your attention, make sure that your cell phone is turned off or on silent. Arrange to talk somewhere that distractions will not occur. Quiet your mind and open yourself to whatever the person might have to say.

• Be sensitive -* where necessary modify the screening process when appropriate. For example in the case of cultural or disability needs e.g someone on crutches might struggle with stairs - then meet downstairs; screening should always be held where more convenient for the client.

• Questions should be asked in an assertive yet sensitive manner. Explain why the question is being asked. Stop talking and be silent. It might sound obvious and trite, but one of the biggest obstacles to listening, for many people, is resisting the impulse thoughts. Likewise, many think that empathy means sharing with the listener similar experiences that the listener has had. Both can be helpful, but they are easily abused. Put aside your own needs, and wait for the other person to talk at their own pace.

• Follow and encourage the speaker with body language. Nodding your head will indicate you hear what the speaker is saying, and will encourage them to continue. Adopting body postures, positions and movements that are similar to the speaker (called mirroring) will allow the speaker to relax and open up more.

• Practice the empathetic sounding back technique. At appropriate intervals during the conversation, it is helpful to “summarise and restate” and/or “repeat and encourage” the main points of the conversation.

• Ask meaningful and empowering questions. Do not seek to probe or make the other person defensive. Once you have shown empathetic listening, it is time to move into empowering listening by re-framing the questions that you ask the speaker. Actively listen for clues. In a fitness situation a person might feel intimidated or inadequate or think information is not relevant so the fitness trainer has to make sure the questions that are asked bring this to the front.

• Use Body Language to express your interest. Active listening involves the entire body and face--both yours and that of the speaker.• Be attentive:

- Use your face, voice and body to show that you are interested in what that person is talking about.- Listen with an accepting attitude.- Ask questions which show that you like to listen.- Use ideas and emotions to try to communicate to the person.- Test your understanding.

• Use encouraging words to show you are listening:- Mmm, hmm- I see- Right- Uh, huh

• Use nonverbal actions to show you pay attention to what is being said: - Relaxed posture- Head-nodding- Facial expression- Relaxed body expression

• Use encouraging words that will invite them to continue:- Tell me more- Let’s talk about it

• Things to avoid: - Do not interrupt- Do not interrogate- Do not try to think of your response in your head while listening


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- Do not change the subject.• Avoid phrases like:

- Are you sure?- It’s not that bad- Sleep on it. You’ll feel better tomorrow- Do not be judgmental

Interpreting and evaluating data of assessments

Screening / Assessment forms must be designed in such a way that the fitness trainer is able to pick out the relevant information at a glance. The relevant information will tell the trainer the following:

• What type of exercise programme and intensity should be given to client;• If old injuries will impact on training programme client wants to follow;• If the client must be referred to another practitioner (doctor, physio etc) for clearance before starting the exercise programme;• Type of exercise programme the fitness trainer will recommend.

Once the data has bee evaluated then the fitness trainer must give the client feedback and recommendations, especially if what the client wants to achieve is not realistic. The reason for the recommendations must be explained to the client and the fitness trainer must always have the client’s best interest in mind.

Goal Setting

Once feedback has been given the fitness trainer must now use the information that has been gathered in the screening process and set an exercise programme for the client. The best way to do this is to sit with the client, decide together what has to be achieved, and finally how it is going to be achieved.

While choosing to live, eat and exercise right should be our lifelong mantra, tangible achievements almost always involve setting several short-term goals. And a proven way to ensure success is to make sure we are setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals.

Using the SMART format for your outcomes will help you communicate your outcomes for the assessment as well as help you determine what you will need to measure to see if you have achieved the outcomes.


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What are S.M.A.R.T. Goals?

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that describes the various attributes a goal should have to ensure maximum probability of success. The actual adjectives that the acronym stands for differs depending on the circumstances means

• Specific: Goals must be clear and unambiguous; vagaries and platitudes have no place in goal setting.• Measurable: What good is a goal that you can’t measure? Measuring their goals ensures that they have milestones to indicate

their progress.• Attainable: Goals must be realistic, agreed upon and attainable and not too extreme and out of bounds.• Relevant: Goals must be relevant, realistic, result orientated to what they want to be achieved.• Time-bound: Goals must have starting points, ending points, and fixed durations. Tangible, trackable

How can the fitness trainer assist the client to set the S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Whether your clients goal is to lose weight, gain muscle or just be fit, setting S.M.A.R.T. goals will give them an edge by keeping them focused and motivated throughout their endeavor. The following is an example of setting goals:-

1. Be Specific About Your Fitness Goal:Your client may start with a reasonable goal like “I want to lose weight”, but if you really stop to think about it, that goal is not quite specific enough. What amount of weight does the client you want to lose? When does the client want to lose this by? The answers to this and other so-called “W-questions” make their goals more Specific.

Typically you try to answer the 6-W questions:Who: Who is involved? That’s easy! “client...”What: What does the client want to accomplish? Again, be specific here: “... want to lose 5kg ... ”When: Establish a time frame. “... in two months ...”Which: Identify requirements and constraints. Which way is client going to do this? “... by eating right and exercising ...”Where: Identify a location. The more details you fill in to form a complete picture, the more likely you will be to execute the plan. “... in the gym ...”Why: Give specific reasons, purposes or benefits of accomplishing the goal. “... so that they can be healthy, fit and energetic.” E.g.“I ... want to lose 5kg ... in two months ... by eating right and exercising ... in the gym ... so I can be healthy, fit and energetic.”Seems specific enough!

2. Make Your Goal Measurable:OK so your client has set a specific goal and has started making positive changes in their life toward achieving it. But how well you are they really doing? Measuring client’s progress at frequent intervals is as important as setting the goal in the first place. This serves a two-fold purpose: firstly client knows pretty quickly whether what they are doing is working or not and you guide client to take corrective action to keep themselves on track. However, the bigger advantage is the motivation that initial success will give your client: nothing will boost their confidence and morale more than seeing their body change for the better in the mirror every day. 3. Set Attainable Goals:What if instead of setting a “5 kgs in two months” goal, your client decided instead to shed “30kgs in one month”? Not only is this unrealistic and virtually unattainable, but your client is setting themselves up for failure from the very beginning. Creating reasonable and attainable goals for them will propel them to success and keep that motivation factor alive as well. Set small, attainable targets and they will be alright because it’s the attaining of small goals that boosts their morale and helps them aim higher.

4. Be Realistic:This is a little different from setting attainable goals. For example your client might set themselves the attainable goal of a 32 inch waist in 3 months. This is certainly attainable if your client is only a few inches away from their target. But when it comes to the methods they plan to use to achieve this goal, it might start to become unrealistic. “I will run every day for two hours”, “I will not eat any sweets, candies, cakes or pastries for the next 3 months” and “I will avoid all fried foods” are all examples of unrealistic methods that you have a slim chance of sticking to.

Be realistic and ask your client what the chances are that they will stick to any drastic change in behaviour.Do they have two hours to spare for running? Every single day?Are they sure they won’t eat cake? On your wife’s / kid’s / best-friend’s birthday?No fried foods? Even when going out to dinner?While some of these may be possible with extreme dedication, only your client is the ultimate judge about whether they are realistic – and sustainable.

5. Stick To Timely Goals:Finally, no goal makes much sense unless you attach a timeframe to it. This is the “... in two months ...” part of the goal statement. By limiting the time your client has to accomplish a goal you have a fixed timetable to work with and the sense of urgency that will spur you and your client to keep on track.

REMEMBER: By using the S.M.A.R.T. technique of goal setting to your fitness regimen, you will see slow but steady incremental benefits that are bound to raise your morale which will, in turn enable you to raise your own expectations even higher.Once you and your client have set S.M.A.R.T. goals it is important to set dates to measure and re¬assess the progress of these goals. This makes the client and fitness trainer accountable for the progress and achievement of the goal.

Assisting your client achieve their goals through feedback and encouragement There are some important factors to take into account when one wants to achieve their goals. Always give feedback in a sensitive and caring fashion. Goal setting only works if there is timely feedback showing performance or progress in relation to the goal. Provide your client with positive, constructive feedback during and after each set, exercise, or workout. Use a goal-setting feedback chart or form, which plots performance across time.


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Clients are likely to appreciate and stick to their programmes if feedback is accurate and fair. These tips are advice the fitness trainer can share with their client to keep them on the right track: 1. Complete at least one action per day

Consistent actions will propel you towards your goal. Even choosing a small task will make a dent in your to-do list and may motivate you to do even more.

2. Establish a support system

Who or what can provide you with encouragement, advice, healthy feedback or a willing ear?

3. Reward yourself

Don’t wait until you achieve your goal, especially if it’s a long-term one. Reward yourself as you reach certain milestones. Something as simple as scheduling time for yourself or perhaps a special treat that you’ve felt guilty about indulging in can keep you motivated to keep going.

4. Discuss each client’s fitness goals individually during the one-on-one motivational meeting at the beginning of the first training session. Identify fitness and exercise beliefs that your clients may have that could limit or hinder their ability to succeed in leading a more physically active life. This helps you focus and individualise the fitness education and training that you provide each client in a way that will best help that specific client meet her short-and long-term fitness goals.

5. Sign a written contract with your personal training clients

A signed contract is a powerful motivational tool that provides accountability and gives your fitness clients measurable goals. Make sure the contract lists each client’s fitness goals and responsibilities, including items such as overall weight loss goals and number of weekly hours spent exercising. Minimise potential burnout by not listing more than 10 goals and responsibilities for each client. Don’t forget to let your client see that you’re keeping yourself accountable by including a section that lists your responsibilities toward your client, as well.

6. Goals must be accepted in order to be effective

Make sure your client knows what’s expected of him/her, and that he/she readily accepts the challenge. Actively participate in the goal-setting process. Usually two things will happen when clients initially start setting goals. Either they’ll set the goal too high (unattainable), or they’ll underestimate their own potential and set it too low. Ensure that your clients listen to you, as you are the professional trainer and can help them achieve their goals.

7. Interact with your personal training clients using a variety of mediums

Call on the phone, email or mail motivational handouts periodically to monitor your client’s progress and provide feedback. This builds motivation and encourages your client to stick with his personal training goals

8. Give your client regular feedback during each training session

Acknowledge an increase in strength or a decrease in body fat levels. Point out instances where a client puts in obvious extra effort. Providing encouragement for these small accomplishments can give a client that extra push to stick with the training and get that much closer to achieving fitness goals.

9. Practice what you preach to your personal training clients

Show with your attitude and training habits that exercising can be fulfilling and enjoyable. Be genuinely positive and cheerful but also real; if it was hard for you to get up for your own early morning workout session, feel free to mention it, so your client can see that it’s normal to experience feelings of reluctance about exercising.


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What is motivation?

Motivation is typically defined as the forces that account for the arousal, selection, direction, and continuation of behaviour. Nevertheless, many personal trainers have at least two major misconceptions about motivation that prevent them from using this concept with maximum effectiveness.

• One misconception is that some clients are unmotivated. Strictly speaking, that is not an accurate statement. As long as a client chooses goals and expends a certain amount of effort to achieve them, he is, by definition, motivated. What personal trainers really mean is that clients are not motivated to behave in the way trainers would like them to behave.

• The second misconception is that one person can directly motivate another. This view is inaccurate because motivation comes from within a person. What you can do, with the help of the various motivation theories discussed in this chapter, is create the circumstances that influence students to do what you want them to do.

Cognitive views of motivation

Cognitive views stress that human behaviour is influenced by the way people think about themselves and their environment. The direction that behaviour takes can be explained by four influences: the inherent need to construct an organized and logically consistent knowledge base, one’s expectations for successfully completing a task, the factors that one believes account for success and failure, and one’s beliefs about the nature of cognitive ability.

Exercise adherence

One of the biggest challenges exercise professionals face is the challenge of convincing individuals to start exercising and get them to make a lifelong commitment to a physically active lifestyle. More than 50% of adults in South Africa do not get the recommended amount of physical activity they need. Of these individuals 50% starting an exercise programme will drop out within the first year. As an exercises specialist it is important to help the client develop a positive attitude towards physical activity to make a firm commitment to the exercise programme. To increase adherence, one needs to be made aware of the factors related to attrition.


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Factors Related to Physical Activity Participation and Exercise Programme AdherenceCategory Positive Factors Negative FactorsDemographic and Biological Education

GenderSocioeconomic Status

AgeRaceOverweight and obesity

Psychological, cognitive and emotional

Enjoyment of exerciseExpectant benefits of exercise perceived health and fitness self-efficiencySelf Motivation

Barriers of exercise Mood disturbance

Behavioural Activity history duringadulthoodHealthy and dietary habits

SmokingDrinkingRecreational drugs

Environmental Access to exercise facilities Satisfaction with exercise facilityExercise equipment at home enjoyable scenery observing others exercising Neighbourhood safety

Climate or season Urban location

Social-cultural Physical influenceSupport from family, spouse,friends and peers.

Social isolation

Programme Exercise leadership and supervisionVariety of exercise modes and activities.

Initial exercise intensity Perceived effort


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Key principles to enhance the motivation to change using psychology

As an exercise specialist you should focus on factors that are potentially modifiable such as exercise facilities, programme variables, scenery during exercise and support from loved ones. You also need to understand and implement psychological models related to success for behaviour changes.

These principles and trials were conducted and practiced on individuals only wanting weight loses and lifestyle change. The same principles can be adjusted to any type of fitness goals. Similar to other motivational enhancement approaches cognitive behaviour therapy adopts key principles to enhance the motivation of clients to address behavioural changes.

1. It conceptualises motivation as a dynamic entity waxing and waning as a function of shifting personal, cognitive, behavioural, and environmental determinants.

2. It adopts a collaborative therapeutic style as opposed to a confrontational approach.3. It validates clients experience within the framework of a balance between acceptance and change, firmness, and empathy.4. It uses the functional analysis of the pros and cons of a belief or behaviour because change seems facilitated by communicating in

a way that elicits the person’s own reasons for the advantages of change.5. It does not address resistance with confrontation, but with a collaborative evaluation of the variables maintaining the dysfunctional

behaviour.6. It supports client’s self-efficacy.

Following these key principles, personal trainers should validate the experience of clients by acknowledging with them the perceived positive effect of exercising and (if present) the ambivalence to change. At the same time, personal trainers should inform clients on the negative aspects of sedentary life and the benefits of engaging in healthy exercising.

Key Principles:

• Educating clients about the benefit of exercising.• Creating a “pros and cons to change” table.• Involving actively clients in the decision to change.• Assessing client’s activity levels.• Stimulus control.• Involving significant others for support.• Building the Mindset of an Active Lifestyle.

Using technology to promote physical activity

Technology has been used to promote physical activity and changes in exercise behaviour for years. Below are a few items you can introduce into your training with your clients to use as motivational tools:

• Pedometers - count the number of steps taken throughout the day. It estimates the distance walked and caloric expenditure.• Accelerometers - record the body’s acceleration minute by minute. Providing detailed information about the frequency, duration,

intensity and patterns of movement. They are used to estimate the body’s energy expenditure.• Heart rate monitors - they are used primarily to assess and monitor exercise intensity. They are useful when monitoring exercise

intensity in cardiac rehabilitation programmes.• Integrative video games - video games designed to create more activity in sedentary individuals.


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Strategies for long and short term goal setting

Encourage your client to engage in routine short-term goal setting to provide themselves with more benchmarks and motivation to stick with their fitness plan. Using a combination of long-term and short-term goals will help provide your client with additional feedback. It will also provide the opportunity to reevaluate their overall plan if it appears to not be working.

For example, if their long-term goal is to bench press 300 kg lose 25 kg within a year; they should also break that goal down into separate parts. In other words, if they need to lose 25 kg in 12 months, they should set a pace of roughly two kg per month, assessing at the end of the month as to whether they are on pace to meet their long-term goal and devising a corrective plan of action if they are not. If they fail to lose their target amount of weight one month, analyze the process, asking them whether it was a failure on the part of their diet plan - complying with the plan in full - or a failure on their part by attending a number of parties and cheating on their diet too heavily.

Making these distinctions will allow them to reset their goals and strategies where necessary to avoid missing the mark when it comes to achieving long-term success.

Another example :- When determining a long-term goal, a strategy of immediate, short-term goals (performance goals) must be considered. For example, if your client desire a 280kg increase on the best bench press, how will they get there? This is accomplished by creating a workout schedule, a long-term plan of increasing “x” kg to the bar each workout until they achieve the extra 280kgs.

The plan may need to be re-evaluated then re-designed - particularly if they fail to increase the weight by “x” kg during one of the workouts, and falling short in the end. It could be further stated that creating a goal strategy in exercise is very similar to a marketing or business plan in that goals may be established, but they may also need reformulating on a regular basis to reflect current facts of finance, the economy, sales, customer satisfaction, etc

TIPS TO ENHANCE EXERCISE MOTIVATIONTry to understand why the client is thereIs the motive an external motive? Try to move the client’s focus on a value motiveFocus on integrating the exercise with the client’s sense of selfCreate opportunities to experience competencePut the clients in a position where they can easily see and hear directions from you.Celebrate meaningful successes; done overemphasise trivial accomplishments – be genuine.Use clear and appropriate communication strategies.Be respectful to your client’s efforts.Create opportunities for autonomyGive choices and opinions.Relate exercises to your client’s goals.Avoid coercive and controlling encouragement.Create opportunities for relatednessIntroduce the client to other participants.Give tips and instructions on the expected behaviour, including proper etiquette.Communicate understanding of your client’s perspective.Bottom Line:Pay attention to factors that create opportunities for your client to feel competent, related and autonomous.Encourage value motives for exercising and downplay external reasons for exercising.


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GOAL SETTING PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGY

1. Set Specific Goals The goal must be measurable, such as “bench press 300kg” by a certain date rather than “increase the bench press” and without a concrete date in mind.

2. Set Difficult and Realistic Goals The goal must be within reach, yet challenging in order to increase mental arousal and motivation. Easy goals will not be motivating, yet goals that are nearly impossible will hinder motivation for future workouts. Goals must reflect your genetic ability accurately; as strength and size increases, the ability to match past goals will diminish.

3. Establish Short-term Goals Each main goal must consist of sub-goals or short-term goals. Before a person can increase chest measurement by an inch, or bench-press an additional 50 pounds, he must progress in smaller amounts. Being able to see patterns in those amounts (your results over a particular period of time), or lack thereof, provides valuable data and feedback in your ability to achieve long-term goals during a specific time frame. Not being able to achieve short-term goals provides further information as to what is not working and the need for a new plan of short-term goals in order to achieve the long-term goal.

4. Develop Goal-Achievement Strategies A trainee cannot achieve short- or long-term goals without knowing how he or she eventually will get there. In order to lose an inch off the waist, you must first lose a quarter-inch, then a half-inch, etc., and each step requires a certain amount of exercise and a proper eating plan. These aspects determine your daily or immediate goals.

5. Create Backup Plans of Action What happens if a short-term goal is not reached? If something goes wrong, is it probable that the long-term goal will be reached? It will be difficult to get back on track if a backup plan of action is not established to correct any minor setbacks. If the goal is to lose a quarter cm off the waist during the first month, and the trainee only lost one-eighth cm, the chances of losing a quarter-cm during the next phase of the strategy is highly unlikely (unless exercise is increased and eating is decreased). It will be necessary to rethink the strategy and decide what must be done in order to get back on track. But rather than waiting for the possibility of failure, strategize ahead of time and anticipate failure or what could go wrong.

6. Individual Personality Considerations Prior to establishing goals, personality must be considered. Is the person a high-achiever or a low-achiever? Does the person have the commitment and can he or she maintain that commitment? Can the person sustain the motivation to reach a difficult goal that may be a year away while paying attention to diet and intense exercise during that time on a daily/weekly basis? Does the person have the maturity and intellect to work through any problems leading to each goal? How does the individual accept failure – as a learning experience or another “nail in the coffin” of defeat?

7. Provide for Goal Evaluation At the end of each short- and long-term goal, evaluate performance, dedication, motivation, and how well client did to achieve (or surpass) their goals. From this information it will be easier to establish future goals, and to make goals easier or more challenging, by learning from mistakes, failures, and successes. Also, evaluate the backup plans of action and if any of those steps needed to be implemented, your problem-solving skills, what went right, what went wrong, and any factors that were not considered.

8. Provide Goal Support Share goals with others, such as a loved one, friends, a mentor, or associates on the Internet. Telling people about what they intend to achieve increases support and keeps them on the path to prove their ability rather than experiencing humiliation or embarrassment from backing down when the going gets tough. Regular updates on a long-term goal, and how each short-term goal is proceeding will keep your client in check and sustain motivation.

Strategies to increase exercise programme adherence

• Recruiting physician support of the exercise programme.• Prescribing moderate intensity exercise to minimise injury and complications.• Advocating exercising with others.• Offering a variety of exercise activities that are interesting.• Provide positive reinforcement through periodic testing.• Recruiting the support of clients loved ones.• Adding optional recreational games to the conditioning programme.• Using progress charts to record achievement.• Establishing a reward system to recognise participant’s accomplishments.• Providing exercise professionals who are well trained, innovative and enthusiastic.

Monitoring your clients goals

Fitness goals come in many forms and definitions. Take a group of twenty people, ask them what their fitness goals are and you’ll get twenty different answers. There may very well be some close similarities between a good number of those fitness seekers – but then again, what means ‘tone up’ to one person may mean something totally different to another. But regardless of the many different individual versions of fitness goals, we can safely and confidently put them into several general categories that can hold the various subcategories and meanings as implied or inferred by the end user.


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To keep matters simple, I will list the broadest terms that encompass the majority of fitness goals as applied to the general population.

1) Fat loss/Weight loss2) Muscle ‘Toning’3) Strength Building4) Muscle Building5) Energy Enhancement6) Body Shaping (Re-shaping)/Body Sculpting7) Flexibility Improvement 8) Reduction in Aches & Pains9) Improved Self-Image & Self-Confidence10) Improved Health/Medical Profile11) Cellulite Reduction and Flab Lifting

When monitoring your client’s fitness goals try to work of the above list.

There are many ways to encourage motivation and goal setting. Another well known way is called the SMART formula.

This is an example of cardiovascular running set as a goal. SMART formula can accommodate any goal chosen!

1. Set Specific GoalsResearch shows that specific goals are the most motivating. A specific goal is to reduce your 5K time by 30 seconds within 6 months. Many people just say they want to get faster. This goal is far too general to really motivate you in your training.

2. Set Measurable GoalsSimply saying that you want to get faster is not enough detail. You need to be able to chart and document progress toward your goal. One way to measure your progress is to document your performance at set intervals. In the above example you may want to time your 5K performance once a month so you have a good measurement.

3. Set Adjustable GoalsThis means your goals are flexible enough to accommodate unexpected challenges without becoming obsolete. An injury may force you to modify your goal. If you goal is to run a certain marathon and you are injured, you may need to change your goal to do the half marathon, or some other event. An injury doesn’t need to mean you abandon all your plans. At the same time, you may find you are progressing quickly and need to raise your goal.

4. Set Action-Oriented GoalsAnother important aspect of goal-setting to keep them focused on personal action. Don’t forget to consider not only what you want to achieve, but how you plan to achieve it.

5. Set Realistic GoalsStart where you are, and increase your goals accordingly. If you haven’t ever run a 5K it’s probably not a wise goal to say you want to run a marathon. While that may be your long-term goal, in the short-term you may want to shoot for the 5K and 10K and half marathon on the way to your marathon goal. This sort of progression is healthy and realistic. Also, keep in mind that as you become more and more fit and near your full potential the room for continued improvement gets smaller. Similarly, if your goals are too simple, you won’t feel much satisfaction by attaining them. Only you truly know what is realistic for you.

6. Set Time-based GoalsLook again at first example: reduce your 5K time by 30 seconds within 6 months. This is specific and time-based. Without a time line there is a tendency to procrastinate or get bored. You may also need to set interim goals with shorter timelines to keep you on track. Consider the previous example of working up to a marathon by completing shorter distances first. Each of those because a separate goal with a shorter timeline. In general, goals that stretch out beyond 6 months are too long to keep you interested and motivated. Try to re-evaluate your goals every 2-3 months.

Monitor progress against set goals

The exercise program will usually follow a similar order, but this varies depending upon the training goals. All programs will begin with a warm up and end with a cool down and stretching. Exercise Progression

This is how the trainer keeps their client on track and reaching their fitness goal. It is essential for both the client and their trainer to provide regular feedback and communicate openly. Most trainers will keep a written record of their clients training details but it’s wise to encourage the client to keep their own training log as well. In this training log the client must write notes about the type of workout, time, distance, weight, reps and how they felt. The rates of progression for new exercisers are generally broken into three separate 6 week phases: (1) initial conditioning, (2) fitness improvement and (3) fitness maintenance.

Exercise Modifications

A good exercise programme is adaptable and flexible and can be modified often and easily while still moving the client towards their goals. Adjustments are a constant and ongoing part of the exercise programme. You will find that you need to constantly change your client’s routine, try new activities, take breaks, increase and decrease their time and intensity over the months.

conduct a screening procedure and exercise...

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