Progress can be difficult to define from a client’s perspective. The goal of weight loss is such a common theme that trainers can feel psychic when the all-powerful question, “what is your goal?” is asked.
A more enjoyable and fulfilling process may take place if the trainer has the goal of digging deep. Peeling back the layers of information someone gives can be critical to creating a protocol that is individualized for someone, while also empathizing to communicate effectively with them. The gathering of information can create touchpoints of success that can be focused on throughout an experience as opposed to always making progress be only about weight loss.
I recommend evaluations where all clients have a one-on-one meeting with a coach every four to six weeks to re-visit positive habits and speak on the entirety of how their quality of life is better now in comparison to when they started. Below are the top three points I recommend emphasizing to make the realization that happiness is not equated to a scale.
Self-Esteem
Smiles come from many places, and clients make them contagious. We can discover the origins of greater happiness by both making statements and asking questions. We can say, “Wow, you look happy and that makes me happy!” or we can ask, “You have gotten much stronger since we started, how does that make you feel?” Confidence is everything, and a trainer’s ability to help someone walk through life with their head held high is invaluable.
Improved Sleep
Rest and recovery are imperative for results. Improved sleep patterns can be reverse engineered by, as stated above, digging deep. More sleep can come from the simple habit of someone putting their phone down at night at a certain time. Consider that the client was surfing though social media in late hours in the first place because they were restless and unhappy, and now they don’t feel the need to do that anymore. Let the importance of sleep be known regarding your clients having more energy and an increased metabolism. Encourage other forms of self-care such as a massage or spa day as well.
Relationship Improvement
Faith, family, work, and self: All of these are forms of relationships that fitness can improve. Betterment in these areas can go in many different directions. From their efforts, clients may have: more energy for their children, the ability to complete tasks at home with better functionality, increased awareness to be able to listen to their spouse more efficiently, and even more love for themselves. Learn about what makes a person’s world go around and show your gratitude to them for allowing you to be part of their journey.
All in all, be a coach and put a playbook in place that keeps those who invest in you consistent towards happiness. Take time to be a teacher and put all of what true health and wellness consists of in perspective. With that in mind, we can show there are many factors to celebrate that outweigh the number on the scale.
