If you were to ask any new member what their primary goal is for joining your club, what do you think the most common reply is? I haven’t done a statistical study, but I am pretty sure the answer would be that they want to lose weight. And since we as fitness professionals know that exercise alone won’t do the job, what is the one thing we can offer that will help the member with that goal?
Of course, we need to offer a weight loss program.
I am in the midst of developing a new weight loss program for Sport & Health Clubs. Although I have done many types of nutrition presentations, small group weight loss programs and individual counseling, I am endeavoring to do something different on a much larger scale. My plan is to include selected trainers as coaches.
The boundaries for what trainers can offer a client are expanding, but I will be responsible for training the trainers in what their roles and responsibilities will be. It will be somewhat limited to mentoring, motivating, and passing on information I will distribute through them to their clients. But the trainers in their new capacity will provide accountability for each participant and enable the program to become accessible to more people throughout the day, not restricted to me or only when I am available.
Last week I talked about how people don’t want to know how to eat healthy. They really just want to know how to lose weight. In my program they will get both. Now, I am not re-inventing the wheel here. There are many similar programs available all over the country. I am simply taking all the information I have acquired and using what I have presented and putting it into a different format.
One question that was posed to me was where we would be able to get more people to do what I do if my program grows in the future. I think the answer is easy.
Every year I have to accumulate continuing education credits to maintain my certification. So I go to all kinds of workshops, conferences and seminars. These are attended by people just like me, certified nutrition and wellness professionals, who need credits also. So there are hundreds of people out there who are capable of helping clubs develop a nutrition program.
I am certified by an outstanding organization called American Fitness Professionals Associates. Please go to their website as www.afpafitness.com to learn more about their programs and students. It’s a great way to find a qualified nutrition professional for your club or organization.
Judith Samuels, M.A. is a certified nutrition and wellness consultant and master personal trainer at Sport&Health Clubs in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. She can be reached via e-mail at judi@judisamuels.com.
