Fitness, Business, Fitness Business, & Achieving Life Goals

I’ve been thinking about how many people are satified just to survive. Club members that you see doing the same thing day in, day out and they never seem to lose the weight or progress in abilities. I know that there are challanges/difficulties that can hold us back. Sometimes they are greater than others, but they’re always there in some way, shape, or form. My concern is that those people become trapped in a frame of mind that locks them into mediocrity. Whether we’re talking about fitness, business, or life, some people seem to set their ceilings too low.

How long have you been plugging away and not really getting any closer to your goal? Have you given up on achieving it and are accepting not getting any worse as being good enough?

It’s about your mindset. Reevaluate your goals. Think about what it is that you truly want to achieve, not simply what is acceptable. How do you move forward? Well, first you have to care enough to step out of comfort zone of “same old, same old”. Does losing the weight mean enough to you to do something higher intensity than just coming in and walking on the treadmill? (not that that isn’t OK to start there, but you need to build to doing more) Analyze your obstacles. Is it lack of information, accountablity, time, or support that’s holding you back? Define it and take the steps to change it. If you need help, get it. What is it worth to reach your dreams? It starts with a little extra effort, a little extra planning, a little extra believing that you can achieve what it is that you truly want.

Amazing things can happen with a little extra effort, but you have to care enough to break out of the status quo. Watch this video for a little extra motivation! 212 the extra degree

According to Wikipedia – Exergaming (a combination of “exercise” and “gaming”) is a term used for video games that also provide exercise. Exergames have one element of exercise and one element of gaming.

Wii Fit, while all the rage with consumers these days, is just one many exergames. One of the most popular has been Dance, Dance, Revolution (DDR), a dancing game following lighted squares on the floor. One of the downfalls of video games (and why I won’t let our kids play them) is the sedentary aspect of them. It (too much inactive time in front of video games, computer, and TV) is one of the contributing factors of the ongoing childhood obesity problem. Exergaming takes the individual off the sofa and gets them to move.

What’s the real health and fitness benefit from using these games/programs? Well, the benefits of physical activity include cardio-vascular health, better weight management, reduction of anxiety and stress, improved sensory-motor learning, and improved cognitive alertness and performance, and, this is physical activity. There is research that shows improvements in all of these areas with daily use of various exergames. There is even research that shows that “Wii-habilitation ‘could prevent elderly from falls”. Will this replace the need to do other types of exercise? Will it replace the need for health clubs?

I’m afraid the answer is a resounding, “No”. The catch to the whole thing is that maximal health and fitness requires ever-progressing workloads for continued adaptation. (If you don’t do more, you don’t get more.) The programs don’t create a personalized workout based on your individual special needs (i.e. high blood pressure or adapting for injuries). No one is checking your form or keeping you safe.

What exergaming does do well that it needs to be commended for is getting the sedentary individual up and moving. It also gives a physically active option for those that like video games. Anything that gets you to move more will have some health and fitness benefits. Let’s face it. People will use it because it’s fun and entertaining.

I guess the ultimate answer is that we will allow our sons to save their money and buy a Wii even though I’m dead set against video games. (Of course that comes with a 20 minute time limit. I’d still rather have them go outside and play.) The best way to reach your health and fitness goals is still to have a personalized program created by a certified Personal Trainer.

When you sit down with a potential client to discuss their needs, you take down their contact information. Whether or not they become a client their info gets added to your “LIST”. In Personal Training, everyone you come in contact with is a potential customer or knows a potential customer. Your “LIST” is the accumulation of all of the people you know and have met as well as those that have contacted you for information. Contact lists are extremely valuable for future business.

Say that you’ve been building your list. What do you do with it once you get it going? Sitting on it waiting for some perfect future opportunity that may or may not come up and, oh, while you wait your contacts are forgetting who you are, is not going to help you acquire new clients. So what do you do?

From a permission marketing point of view, by initially giving you their contact info, they’ve agreed to allow you to contact them again. This doesn’t mean spam them, harass them, or anything along those lines. It does, however, give you the opportunity to build greater rapport and trust. 

• Send a thank you for the meeting with a “I look forward to working with you” or a “great meeting you, good luck and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions” message.
• In two weeks, send a “checking in” note, not to sell anything except your honest concern for them and how they’re doing with their program.
• Send them your newsletter (and if you don’t have one, get one). Send it predictably so they get to expect it. It can start as infrequently as bi-annual and make it more frequent as you feel you can commit to it.

Things like this keep your name/service in the client’s mind and then when they decide that they DO need/want your service, or someone they know does, guess who they think of?

Of course there are tools to help you to help you with this. Everything from Outlook to Constant Contact and other software can help you to stay on top of you client/prospect relationships. (not to mention connecting via Facebook and Twitter)

Too many Personal Trainers are ineffective at following up after an initial contact and, particularly in this economic environment, those opportunities should not be overlooked. Stay in touch with them.

Americans spend about $40 BILLION a year on weight loss programs, books, products, etc. A huge chunk of this is weight loss supplements. I mean, why wouldn’t I buy a pill that burns belly fat while I’m asleep? Taking a pill is easy. Anyone can do it. Hmmn? Wouldn’t everyone do it? Why isn’t everyone doing it? They aren’t because it doesn’t work!!! Check out the fine print disclaimer below for “Results will vary.” and “with diet and exercise”. You’ll see statements like this in most “amazing results” product ads because they do very little if anything on their own.

I’ve said this before. The secret to long-term permanent fat loss is…. that there is no secret! There is no silver bullet or magic pill. Now, I’m not saying that none of them have any effect. But, in the scheme of things, they are not going to make or break a program.

You need to exercise and you need to get your eating in order. Not one or the other. Research shows that you need to do BOTH exercise AND proper diet to make sustainable weight loss happen.

Forget fat loss supplements. Doing the work, as much as you may hope that there’s an easier way, is the only way you will get the results that you want. The miracle is how you will enjoy your new life once you reach your goals.