Fitness Blog

How Fitness Professionals Can Inspire The Public To Stay Fit Over The Holidays

Personal Trainer

If you’re a fitness trainer or professional in the industry, it’s important to remember that you get paid to be in shape. You “get it.” You have the secrets others happily pay you for. If you put yourself in your client’s shoes before you give advice this holiday season, your clients will come back guilt free.

Case in point… most people won’t workout the prescribed 3-5 times a week during the holidays no matter what good intentions they have. They’re out of their normal routine, catching up with family and friends, cooking and attending parties. They aren’t likely going to pass up every cup of eggnog, plate of homemade cookies or bowl of buttery mashed potatoes – but you can reaffirm some good basic habits they can easily commit to.

Bend the rules a little.

Studies show that individuals will exercise a greater level of restraint if there’s a little give in the rules. For instance if you tell a client “if you want to eat some cake or pie go ahead but make it a small piece and leave off the whipped cream”. That’s probably what they’ll do, but if you say “don’t eat any pie” there’s a good chance they’ll have their fill with the whipped cream and ice cream and then feel bad about it later! Taking that into consideration, here are some thoughts on how to get your clients to stay on track while still enjoying the holidays sensibly.

Encourage your clients to stay fit with active holiday activities.

When it comes to exercise, have your client commit to a daily walk. It can be done with nieces and nephews, friends, cousins and grandparents alike. A walk is often a welcome change of scenery for all involved too. There’s a lecture called 23 ½ Hours by Dr. Mike Evans that you should watch. I love it because the message is crystal clear. In short, it explains how just 30 minutes a day of light activity can do wonders!

And if your client really does want to workout, I just directed a new series called DailyBurn 15 that are only 15 minutes long but really pack a punch and offer a variety of disciplines so your client won’t get bored. Best part is you can do them on your smartphone or iPad, and you don’t need any equipment. A simple and easy solution to the out-of-town workout dilemma.

Give your clients simple guidelines that are easy to remember.

Tell your client to “enjoy the holidays” but set some simple guidelines they can live with. “Don’t overeat.” Eating a good breakfast and drinking lots of water throughout the day will help curb cravings. And simple reminders like “Eat until you’re not hungry, not until you’re full” or “Eat sensibly before you go to a party so you’re not starving” can go a long way too.

They’ll come back from their vacation happier and you’ll be likely to pick up a new client or two.

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