THE BUSINESS SIDE
by Paul M. Couzelis, Ph.D., FAWHP
Motivating Members to Become and Remain
Physically Active
T
he front door of the fitness center
opens and yet another out-of-
shape, hesitant person, often
with great trepidation, has decided to
enter the strange and frightening world
of what they may perceive to be sweaty,
good-looking, young, spandex-clad, fit
people. Soon, this person, perhaps
hoping to exude confidence and
enthusiasm, ends up in front of you,
the personal trainer (or class instructor,
etc.). The things that you do next can
impact this person for the rest of his
or her life.
The answer to the question of
whether this person will be leading
an active lifestyle next week, next
month, or 20 years from now could
easily rest in your hands. The things
that you do, or do not do, over the
next few moments, days, or weeks can
be powerful and, from a business
perspective, your ability to do these
things well and repeatedly over time
38 ACSM’S HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA
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may be prime determinants of the
long-term success of your career.
This article will not present
behavioral theories and terminology,
but, rather, will discuss in practical
terms some of the things that you
can do to facilitate long-term success
among your clients who are new to
physical activity. Often, teachers or
coaches tell us that the greatest
satisfaction they experience is when
years later a former student tells them
about the impact that they had on his
or her life; there is no reason why an
effective personal trainer or class
instructor cannot exert the same kind of
powerful impact. Understanding the
client in front of you, their motivations,
fears, ambitions, and goals, and being
appropriately responsive to them,
can be far more important than the
program that you outline for them.
ACSM has T-shirts that read,
‘‘Exercise IS Medicine.’’ Not only is
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007
it medicine, in terms of type,
frequency, and intensity, but when
properly administered, it has the
power to permanently change lives
by improving self-confidence, physical
attractiveness, earning potential,
energy, longevity, and health. What
else can accomplish that? Certainly
not Botox1, aspirin, Lipitor1, or
angioplasty. So why is it that about
half of clients who begin an activity do
not see it through for the long term to
permanently experience these benefits?
There are many contributing factors,
a significant one being motivation.
Getting Started—Initial
Motivation
Obesity, injuries, heart attacks, high
blood pressure, appearance, lack of
energy and fitness, Kilimanjaro,
Boston Marathon, health fears,
combating depression, budding
relationships, recapturing youth—in
today’s world, the variety and number
of reasons, rational and irrational,
that can inspire someone to begin an
exercise program is greater than ever
before. As the average age of the
population continues to climb and the
overwhelming evidence of the value
and power of physical activity to
improve lives continues to mount,
this list will undoubtedly expand.
This expansion will bring new clients
to trainers and fitness leaders for help.
If the client has completed an
application that asks about personal
goals, those goals can be a good starting
point for a discussion about the reason
the person came to the gym. However,
merely reading and mentioning a listed
goal before launching into sets and
repetitions is far different than
VOL. 11, NO. 1

understanding why and how the goal
was decided upon. The client’s reasons
for showing up, or not showing up, and
how they feel about how they are doing
should be part of your ongoing
dialogue. Let us explore a few reasons
why clients have selected their goals:
1. Poor self-image. Some people see
themselves as being, in some way,
less acceptable than others. They
may be quiet and shy and feel that
being more fit will help to bring
them out of their shell. Others
may feel that the weight they have
gained embarrasses them among
their peers and that getting fit
will help to resolve the problem.
Physical activity and fitness can
contribute to improving self-image.
In the early going, individuals
with a poor self-image will benefit
from your recognition of their
efforts and the small improvements
in appearance, mood, and attitude
that accrue over time. Let them
know that you enjoy their company
and look forward to seeing them
at the gym. If the opportunity
presents itself early in their time
at the gym, you might want to take
a moment to introduce them to
others so they feel more socially
connected to the environment. If
they are making progress, recognize
that progress with supportive
comments as often as possible.
2. Lack of energy. In one of the
seeming inconsistencies that people
often do not understand or believe,
participating in exercise, rather
than leaving them more tired, gives
them more energy to enjoy life.
If this is the primary reason for
beginning a program, make sure
that you do not wear them out in
the early going. Plan workouts
that will leave the newbie feeling
energized, rather than tired after
those early workouts. Discuss other
energy-sapping issues such as lack
of sleep, poor nutrition, and stress.
Try to optimize your client’s
opportunities to experience added
energy by giving them the tools
VOL. 11, NO. 1
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BUSINESS SIDE
to understand the things that they
can do to improve the situation.
3. Improved health. Because any one of
a plethora of health problems can
benefit from physical activity, this
motivation can cover any number
of short- and long-term injuries and
chronic health conditions. The
feelings a person has can range
from fear and apprehension that
this is their last chance to ‘‘get
healthy’’ to excitement about
getting back into shape after
experiencing some temporary
physical problem. The more
thoroughly you understand the
health issue, as well as how the
person feels about it, the more this
understanding will contribute to
your ability to keep the person on
track. Providing realistic recognition
of progress along the way will
contribute to short-term motivation.
4. Attractiveness. Looking better can
be a very powerful motivator; most
of us want to look our best, for
ourselves as well as for others. If
your client wants to improve his or
her appearance, then it is important
to understand what looking better
means for that person. Sometimes
it is bigger muscles, sometimes a
thinner body; make an effort to
understand what the person wants
to look like and, more importantly,
why they desire to look better. You
can assist in managing the person’s
expectations so that they are realistic
regarding the changes that they can
expect through exercise and fitness.
You also can reinforce their progress
through appropriate positive
comments related to their goals.
5. Meeting a physical goal. People
sometimes arrive at the gym with a
weight goal or the desire to run a
5-km race or climb a mountain.
The more that you can ‘‘share’’
that goal by becoming enthusiastic
about it and helping the person to
feel supported and good about it,
the better the chance that they will
move forward toward achieving
it. Keep it in mind, make reference
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007
to it, provide an occasional reality
check, and be part of their team.
Motivational Evolution
For most people, their motivations
become more complex and intrinsic
soon after beginning a program.
It is important that you, as their
first mentor, seek to understand these
initial motivations and goals, not only
on the first day of their program or
class but also on an ongoing basis—
because they will strengthen, weaken,
change, and evolve as clients strive to
improve and their life changes.
Future articles will address the
changes in motivation that occur over
time and the impact that your actions
can have on the client’s likelihood of
forming a lifelong habit, and, therefore,
your likelihood of succeeding as a trainer
and a business person.
Paul M. Couzelis,
Ph.D., FAWHP, is
a founding partner
and president of
MediFit Corporate
Services, Inc., which
is a diversified
management and consulting company
with nationwide interests in worksite
health promotion, physical fitness,
health screening, and worksite physical
therapy. Dr. Couzelis was the 1996
international president of the Association
for Worksite Health Promotion
(AWHP) and served as chairperson
of its Professional Standards Task Force.
He also served as the 2001 president
of the National Coalition for Promoting
Physical Activity (NCPPA). Currently,
he is an associate editor for ACSM’s
Health & Fitness Journal1 and
was part of the writing team that
revised the ACSM Health/Fitness
Facility Standards and Guidelines.
He received his B.S. and M.S. from
Springfield College and his Ph.D.
in exercise physiology from Kent
State University.
1
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