Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. It can improve your mood and relieve stress, boost energy levels, and increase muscle mass, as well as many other benefits. So why do so many people have trouble sticking to an exercise plan? Here are nine tips to make exercise fun for your personal training clients:
Ask them to bring a friend.
- Ask them to bring a friend.
Encourage your clients to bring a friend and make it a social event. It's more fun to do things with others, so they're more likely to stick with something if they have a group of people doing it with them!
Set up a rewards system.
You can set up a rewards system for your clients. The reward has to be something they want, and it has to be achievable for them to achieve it. Examples include:
- A new pair of shoes if they lose 10 pounds
- A Netflix subscription if they complete the program without missing more than 3 workouts in a row
- A night out with friends at their favorite restaurant (or something else that's fun!)
Give them an incentive to keep up their habit.
Incentivize yourself with money. You can set up a system where each week, the client makes progress and meets their goals, and then at the end of each month; you give yourself an incentive--something like buying yourself a new pair of sneakers or taking a day off from work so that you can spend time with friends or family members who live far away.
Reward them with something meaningful to them--and make sure it's tangible! For example: If someone wants to lose weight but doesn't enjoy running on treadmill machines (like me), I'll offer my services as a personal trainer for free until they've lost X pounds/inches from their body! This way, both parties win--they get fit faster than ever before while also saving money by not having to pay for expensive gym memberships every month; meanwhile, I get paid without having any overhead costs associated with running an actual business!
Switch it up, but keep it simple.
It's important to keep your exercise routines simple but not too simple. If you have clients just starting and haven't exercised in a while, it's a good idea to keep things basic. This gives them a chance to get used to movement again without pushing them too hard or making them feel overwhelmed by the number of exercises thrown at them every session. As they become stronger and more comfortable exercising, it's time for more advanced moves!
For example:
- Pushups - beginner
- Jump squats - intermediate (a little bit harder than regular squats)
- Dumbbell bench press - advanced (this requires more balance than other chest exercises because you're lying down while pressing weights)
Have fun with the exercises you choose.
When planning to train your client, it's important to choose fun and engaging exercises. Here are some examples of fun exercises:
- The sloshy belly--clients lie on their backs with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. They then put a medicine ball between their knees, lift their hips off the ground, and hold for time (10 seconds).
- Squat jumps--clients stand with feet shoulder-width apart, facing forward with arms extended above head in a V position; then jump as high as possible while squatting down into a deep squat position before jumping again as high as possible. Repeat 10 times for three sets each day for two weeks straight!
These types of workouts seem more exciting than traditional ones with weights or machines and help clients burn fat faster than cardio alone.
Create a sense of urgency (but not an emergency).
Urgency is important because it creates an environment where change can happen. When you set a deadline and communicate it to your client, they'll be more motivated to progress toward the goal. But don't overdo it! If there's no natural sense of urgency in their life, don't create one for them--they might not be ready for that yet. If you do set a deadline and then need to move it forward or backward due to circumstances beyond your control (for example: if someone gets sick), don't worry about it; make sure everyone knows what's going on so there aren't any surprises later down the road
Make it personal to them, not just about the exercise.
When working with your clients, it is important to make the exercise experience personal to them. The best way to do this is by asking them what they want their body and mind to be like in the future.
- Ask them about their goals: This may sound obvious, but many people don't know exactly what they want from an exercise program because they haven't thought about it before.
- Ask them about their health goals: A client may say he wants "more energy" or "lose weight," but those aren't specific enough for you as a trainer! Instead, ask him whether he wants more energy so he can play with his kids more often or more energy so he can go hiking every weekend--these are both very different things! Once again, this goes back into making sure everyone understands why we're doing what we're doing when we work together as a team so everyone wins at some point along this journey towards achieving whatever goal(s) were set forth at the start time (which could mean anything from getting fit enough for high school reunion photos not looking like dead weight next time around).
Be flexible, and remember to have fun on your own.
- Be flexible, and remember to have fun on your own.
- Don't be afraid to try new things. You never know what you might enjoy until you try it!
- Don't be afraid to fail. Failure is part of the process, so embrace it and learn from your mistakes so they don't happen again in the future (or at least not as often).
Let them know you are tailoring their plan to what they want and need, not just what you think they should do.
Let your clients know you tailor their plans to what they want and need, not just what you think they should do. The client should feel that they are in control of their fitness goals and that you are there to help them achieve them!
Achieving a healthy lifestyle is a journey, not just a destination.
The journey towards achieving a healthy lifestyle is a long one. It's important to stay motivated and focused on your goals, but it's also important to maintain sight of the fun along the way. Here are some tips for making exercise more enjoyable:
- Set achievable goals - If you set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations, you're more likely to quit exercising. Setting realistic goals will help keep you motivated and give your workouts purpose!
- Stay motivated - We all have days where we don't feel like working out or eating healthy foods--that's okay! Try finding ways that make exercising fun (like listening to music while running) so that even if it isn't exactly easy at first, at least it won't be boring either ;)
- Be flexible - Don't beat yourself up if something comes up during one of your workouts; try again later when things settle down again! Being flexible allows us all space for error without feeling guilty about missing out on our workouts altogether :)
Conclusion
We hope these tips will help you create a fun, motivating, and effective exercise plan. Remember that it's important not only to focus on the physical benefits of exercise but also on its mental and emotional benefits. You want your clients to feel good about themselves and their bodies--and if they're having fun while doing so, then all the better!
