By Aaron Boike, B.S. Kinesiology, ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Three years ago I found myself In a tough spot, a spot that I find many clients in when they first reach out for the help of a Personal Trainer. I had nothing to train for. When most people think of fitness they think of weight loss, muscle gain, getting toned, and looking trim. While these are great side effects of fitness, they are just that..side effects. In my opinion, true fitness is being able to excel at the things you need to do and love to do in life in a healthy way. The American Council on Exercise references in their recent article “Fitness Trends to Watch Our For in 2016,” that experiences, rather than workouts, will become the norm. What does that mean? That means people want a reason to workout that goes beyond what they see in the mirror and on the scale.
Back in 2009 when I was new to the world of Personal Training, I began to notice that my clients that were motivated by an upcoming event that was meaningful to them were far more likely to see results. I began encouraging and helping clients find events that were motivating for them. These events ranged from challenging obstacle races to walking city tours, but the commonality they all had is that they were inspiring and exciting to the client, and they went beyond the mirror and the scale. After a while I got so inspired by a clients goal of running 100 miles at an upcoming 24-hour run, that I decided to pick up running for myself and have since done races between 5k and 100+ miles. Here are some tips to pick and train for event –
- Pick An Event That Inspires You – Find something that you find exciting and meaningful. It could be meaningful for the feelings of accomplishment, or because you get to do it with a friend or family member. It doesn’t need to be an “official” organized event, either. I’ve had clients train for something as simple and informal as being able to bike 15 miles with a few friends on an upcoming road trip.
- Set SMART Goals – What behaviors and steps do you need to complete to be able to do the event? Think about it, jot them down, and then set up goals that are specific and measurable to hold yourself accountable. We like the SMART accronym – Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound.
- Stay Consistent – Remember that there will be bumps in the road in your training! While set-backs are inevitable, overall consistency remains key to you accomplishing your goal. When you experience a set-back, just jump back into training as soon as you can and resume where you left off.
If you find yourself lacking motivation, find something that inspires you and get to work! Once you register and commit, your likely to find that getting your workouts in is a lot easier and more fun.