Decades of research on what defines success in terms of adherence to a medication schedule revealed a multitude of factors. This same social-behavioral science research can apply to individuals who cannot, or will not, seem to prioritize the importance of physical activity. This construct takes on even more importance when a sedentary lifestyle places one’s health at risk. Fitness professionals can learn from social scientists/mental health professionals the best ways to create frameworks for their less-than-compliant clients, specifically unearthing which personal, social, or other factors appear to have the most influence over their clients’ willingness to commit to an exercise protocol.
Excuses or Reasons?
The same dynamics that render a person unwilling to take medication likewise apply to clients struggling to prioritize exercise. As New Year resolutions go, “getting in better shape” always seems to top lists; yet often by February, adherence tapers off. What mental/social/behavioral aspects of one’s personality incline him to avoid continuing that which he knows inherently lies in his best interests? Furthermore, how can trainers learn to offer the proper and necessary support?
The collective of reasons/excuses for non-adherence range from “just forgetting” to complex social negotiations of avoiding a trip to the gym. From a social-science perspective, any reason/excuse usually contains underlying mechanisms that relate to factors important in most decision-making and behavior change efforts. Trainers may need to grasp each client’s attitudes and beliefs toward working out; could he lack motivation simply because he does not truly deem daily exercise necessary or even beneficial? Theoretical principles, culled from research in the fields of cognition, behavior change, motivation, coping, affect regulation, and decision making, provide a strong basis for the assertion that self-motivation for exercise/improved health regimens remains a complex phenomenon.
What Drives Adherence?
We can view adherence as “the extent to which a person’s behavior corresponds with agreed recommendations.” This same model, when applied to adherence to a fitness regimen, opens several new insights into human behavior. Scientists speak of an ecological (or multilevel system) model, which not only focus on individual behavior but also on potential environmental barriers. Ecological models encompass interpersonal, organizational and community barriers such as client-trainer interactions, access to a gym, self-efficacy and social support. Understanding the barriers interfering with a client’s ability to adhere to his exercise goals will allow trainers to offer appropriate motivational strategies along with effective exercises. Once a trainer identifies which factors matter the most to his client, he then needs to delve a bit deeper into specifics.
Using Behavioral Psychology to Foster Exercise Adherence
Helping to motivate a client who struggles to move forward with his New Year resolutions may require some aspects of behavioral psychology, a concept not always addressed when obtaining a fitness certification. With a basic working knowledge of behavioral psychology principles, trainers can learn to effectively implement these strategies.
It may prove helpful to suggest devoting a training session to discussion rather than exercise. Consider approaching a client about the following ~
- SMART Goals:Set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals to provide clear direction and a sense of accomplishment.
- Progress Tracking:Regularly monitor progress towards goals to maintain motivation and visualize achievements.
- Praise and Feedback:Offer genuine praise and specific feedback for positive behaviors to encourage repetition.
- Empowerment:Foster a belief in a client’s ability to achieve his goals by providing support and guidance.
- Gradual Progression:Introduce challenges incrementally to build confidence and prevent overwhelming him.
- Highlight Potential Losses:Emphasize the negative consequences of not adhering to the program; this tactic often helps to motivate action.
- Cue-Routine-Reward Cycle:Identify cues that trigger unhealthy behaviors and replace them with new, positive routines associated with rewards.
- Stacking Habits:Encourage clients to integrate new behaviors into existing routines for easier adherence.
Trainers might hone in on tailoring support to suit each client’s needs, goals, attitudes and beliefs. After addressing these dynamics — -and truly listening to his responses —plan workout sessions that include opportunities for client feedback. Tap into his intrinsic motivation abilities (or, take into account his lack thereof) and help him set goals which align with his personal value system.
Further Strengthening the Behavioral Bond
An alternative view defines adherence as the strength of the link between attitudes and behavior. From this point of view, exercise adherence includes the process by which people’s attitudes conform to their behavior and vice versa. High drop-out rates, commonly observed with exercise commitments and lofty goals, may originate from a reluctance of the client to continue investing time, money, fatigue and/or pain; he may view these deterrents as outweighing long-term benefits, like the amorphous idea of better health. Sometimes simply reminding the client of his recent progress can serve as sufficient impetus; other clients may need the trainer to highlight some of his short-term progress. Doing this serves to strengthen the bond between attitude and behavior. In using this tactic, the trainer can help foster the immediate benefits from the exercise; these little progress steps can serve as additional motivations to renew his commitment.
Tapping Into Executive Functioning
The decision to exercise regularly comes about as a result of effort-based decision making on the part of the client. The effort here encompasses both the physical endeavor as well as the mental effort, that which will push him to maintain involvement over time.
Several authors have proposed that improving executive functioning facilitates adherence to exercise. Research studies show that exercising regularly can actually improve the desire to exercise by initiating a self-propagating cycle. According to the exercise-cognition model of adherence, executive functioning plays a central role in the two-way relationship linking exercise and health behavior: chronic exercise leads to an improvement in executive functioning, and improved executive functioning leads to easier adherence to exercise over time.
Temporal Self-Regulation Theory
Armed with this knowledge, can trainers help clients set and adhere to their New Year resolutions of increasing their dedication to workout goals? We certainly can, but it may require a deeper understanding of how the brain communicates with the body in terms of maintaining or avoiding physical activity. Scientists refer to this as the temporal self-regulation theory.
The brain’s working memory enables an individual to keep his physical activity goals in mind during decision making. Those with stronger inhibitory capacities stand a better chance of remembering and actually implementing exercise plans, even in the face of more immediately rewarding activities. The brain’s mental flexibility may facilitate adaptation of such plans to changing circumstances throughout the day, week or month, thereby enabling more consistent physical activity participation in the long run.
Behavioral inhibition, the most important of the aforementioned 3 facets of executive functioning, refers to one’s capacity to suspend prepotent responses to stimuli, thereby enabling the possibility of behaving in ways that are counter to habit. For example, a sedentary individual, having relatively strong inhibition/aversion towards working out, may find himself behaving in active ways despite habitual non-activity which describes his current sedentary lifestyle.
How Does the Psychology Translate to the Gym?
In reality, most personal trainers and their clients lack the time and desire to delve into such neurobiological/social/behavioral/psychological aspects of staying invested in their workout goals. However, a deeper understanding of the concepts we have presented here may make a difficult motivation conversation a bit easier. Using a gentle approach, a trainer can ask the client what he perceives as the major stumbling blocks on his path towards better health and fitness. As he answers, keep the aforementioned theories in mind. It will provide both of you with a fresh perspective and new ideas, the exact requirement for helping strengthen new workout goals.
References:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-017-4197-5
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28700790/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-7176.2012.00699.x
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17437190701492437
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31333886/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17437190701492437
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00117/full
Cathleen Kronemer is an NFPT CEC writer and a member of the NFPT Certification Council Board. Cathleen is an AFAA-Certified Group Exercise Instructor, NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer, ACE-Certified Health Coach, former competitive bodybuilder and freelance writer. She is employed at the Jewish Community Center in St. Louis, MO. Cathleen has been involved in the fitness industry for over three decades. Feel free to contact her at trainhard@kronemer.com. She welcomes your feedback and your comments!
