"I Can Do It On My Own...."

Here in Virginia we’ve been having unusually bad Winter weather. First the snows and now it’s extremely cold and windy. I’m sure that in a couple of months we’ll be complaining how hot it is…

I usually talk about what it takes for someone to start an exercise or fitness program. Today I’d like to talk about what keeps someone on that program.

I’m very lucky that, in my Williamsburg Studio, I have my very first client. Peggy is 74 years young and has been coming in for her workouts three times a week for almost three years. In addition, on her off days she often comes in to do cardio. She has just reached one of her goals: to benchpress 100 lbs. – something many much younger men cannot do.

By this point Peggy can probably go off on her own to work out and do it intelligently. I believe that she doesn’t because our Studio provides her with more variety in her exercising and she knows that, because she works with a trainer, she is pushed beyond her own comfort level.

Thankfully we have many clients like Peggy that just keep coming back month after month and year after year. But then we also have those that sign up for one package of 3 or 6 months and then don’t return.

Why don’t they return? Most of these clients see the results that they expect from us. Do they lose their passion for exercising? Do they no longer feel that they need a trainer? Is it the expense?

I’ve found that, most of the time, if a client cites expense as a reason, this is rarely the case. It might be that they just don’t want to spend the money, not that they can’t afford it. They would rather spend that money on things other than their health and well-being.

If they have lost their passion it is even more frustrating. Most of them see the pounds and inches come off, feel better, look better – and yet they begin to lose interest in exercising. All of our trainers are extremely supportive and motivating, so it’s certainly not because of any lack on their part.

Some clients will tell me “I won’t be coming back but I have a treadmill at home so I’ll keep up with my exercising….” Of course, not only will they not continue with their exercising but they are fooling themselves if they think that just walking on a treadmill will result in significant weight loss or fitness. Just losing weight or inches does not translate into fitness.

True fitness is realized by the right balance of weight training, cardio and healthy eating.

Most, if not all, of these clients first came to us because they couldn’t do it on their own – what makes them think they can do it now?

I imagine I will just have to continue doing what I do best – work with the dedicated clients that stream through my doors on a daily basis and keep them motivated and inspired.