Personal Fitness Professional - September 2008 - (Page 29)

Use their Language The language someone uses says a lot about them. How well you can tune into it is another way for you to increase intimacy and eﬀectiveness with your client. For instance, if a client comes in and says they want to “ease” into a program and “savor” the process and feel “joyful in this exercise journey,” it won’t help your partnership by responding that exercise is “hard work,” but the “tough get tougher” and she’s a real “soldier type” so you know she’ll “make it to the top.” You obviously don’t want to mimic them like a parrot. Stay authentic to who you are, and try to reach out to them by using language that you’re both comfortable with. To go even further, you can tune into how slowly or quickly they talk, their mood, the tone of voice, etc. If you can tell someone is dragging one day, speaking and moving slowly, being ‘Mr. Chipper’ is likely to annoy them. Slow down just a tad, and try to connect there before moving to a faster pace. Celebrate Often Celebrating re-energizes your client, motivates them to move toward even bigger goals and reduces stress along the way. While they may have wanted to lose ﬁve percent body fat, you can still celebrate that they lost three percent. Or if they didn’t lose any, you can celebrate that they’re still showing up and trying. By consistently encouraging them to ﬁnd their successes, they move from a self-punishing space to a positive one. Finding what they’re doing right is like working a muscle in self-aﬃrmation. This energizes them enough to go further, leading to even more wins for them and for you. Hold the Vision It may seem obvious when a client comes in that they want to get in better shape. You could leave it at that, get a few details about problem areas, and take oﬀ. But what would happen if instead of a quick snapshot of their goal, they created a vision so compelling, it was almost irresistible? To get there, ask them what they really want from their workouts (and their life). What motivates them? What is their vision of themselves in one month? In one year? What does it look like, feel like, taste like? Strengthen it by making sure it’s aligned with their values. A full-time mother with ﬁve young children may desire to travel the world and compete in bodybuilding events, but that may not align with her values at this stage of life (or it may). The more speciﬁc and detailed their vision, the more likely they are to achieve it. One of the most powerful things you can do for your client is not only to help them get in touch with their highest and best vision but really hold the belief that they can do it. When they get lost, you remind them of their vision, hold them accountable to it and remind them how important it is to them. When you are not just their trainer but the person who believes in their greatest possibilities and is motivated to help them achieve all that and more, you will have created a powerful partnership where the success ﬂows both ways — and that’s something they’ll never ﬁnd on television. Carolyn Scarborough is a trained life coach who supports and motivates professionals to reach their goals. She is the author of Backyard Pearls (www.backyardpearls.com), a book about cultivating wisdom, joy and balance in the midst of everyday life. ● SEPTEMBER2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM 29 http://www.backyardpearls.com http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - September 2008

Personal Fitness Professional - September 2008 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Adding Pilates and Yoga to Your Clients' Workouts Combating Youth Obesity Prescription for Success NEW! The Balancing Act Technical Necessities Product Profiles Current Controversies Mark Your Calendar Coaching Your Client's Diet Life Coaching 101 Exercise Spotlight Product Profiles New on the Market [Spotlight] Gregg Miehle

Personal Fitness Professional - September 2008

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