Your schedule is jam packed at the beginning of the year and into spring. These clients want to get into shape for summer vacation on the beach or to fit into a wedding dress. What happens when all of that is over? How do you get your clients to still stay motivated and continue training with you regularly?
Over my years as a fitness professional, I have found it to be effective to switch things up a bit to keep clients motivated. Without a driving factor, exercise feels like a chore. It’s time to find a way to fire up their drive so clients get excited again about fitness and you avoid losing clients from sheer boredom.
Fun2BeFit – Silicon Valley
Here are some techniques I use to get people ramped up after the summer slump:
Hit The Reset Button
It’s important to occasionally review and reset goals with your clients. It’s an excellent reminder as to why they carve out time to workout with you every week. When setting goals, make sure they are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound).
These new goals will guide you in program design for their workouts and get your clients fired up. Write them down in a spot you will see regularly so you can give them the constant reminder of why they are working out. If your client has a fitness tracker, this is also a great method to keep them focused daily. Remember, once your client achieves the set goal to develop something new. This in turn creates a need to continue their training with you.
Small Group Training
My bootcamp classes, that I limit to 8 participants, allow some of my clients to add an extra workout with me or to continue training if private sessions no longer fit their budget. Aside from helping out existing clients, this can be a great way to find new people that want more personalized attention with privates.
These small groups create an environment where friendships can be cultivated with other fitness minded individuals. You can incorporate an ice breaker at the beginning of each class to add an element of fun and create a sense of unity in the group. Encouraging participants to get to know each other on a personal level will boost long term adherence to your program.
30 Day Challenges
The options are endless when it comes to creating challenges so let your mind go wild. I typically like to focus on some sort of consistency goal to encourage positive actions. This could look like completed workouts with you, completed homework, or veggies logged in every meal.
The reward can vary based on your budget and time available. You can choose to reward those that are successful by offering a free session or class, a healthy lunch or maybe a group hike. If you have marketing materials like shirts or sports bottles, this would be a great way to acknowledge the success of your client and market your business.
What other ways do you motivate your clients after summer? Come and share on our Facebook page.
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Christine Oakes is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Health Coach, NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist and 200RYT certified yoga instructor . She currently operates her own fitness company offering personal training, bootcamp and yoga classes in the Mountain View, CA area. Christine has had a love for being active since childhood and believes that true fitness comes from a balance of strength, nutrition, flexibility and a dose of fun. Learn more about Christine at www.fun2befit.org.
