People accomplish a lot of things if they are motivated enough. But the question is how to motivate them to that level. It begins with an optimistic and positive attitude along with a strong belief system. If your clients come with a belief that they can do something, they are most likely actually do it and feel better about themselves. But then, there are always those who do not have the right mindset.

The survival of your health club business, to a large extent, depends on how you change their mindset and set them on the right track. This would lead the health club trainers to question themselves whether they are effective motivators and wonder what they should do to become one. The answer to this is found in a meticulous approach towards the clients, analyzing their past and setting a road map for the future.

Top 5 Factors that Influence Motivation

1) History of Exercise: Analyzing certain factors is very important to know your clients’ mindset. The first thing to know is your clients’ past history of exercise. If they have been in and out of fitness programs, they are likely to follow the pattern in the future too. Likely, you will need to concentrate on them more to make them comfortable and to understand the reasons why they are so wavering in their fitness commitment.

2) Exercise as Requirement or a Desire: You also need to understand whether your clients are exercising. Are they exercising because they need to or because they want to? A person who is forced to exercise by loved ones or their doctor is more likely to find excuses or to walk away from the fitness program. As a trainer, you need to identify your client’s perspective about fitness in order to find a program solution to keep them coming back.

3) Enjoyment of Exercise: Another factor that most health club trainers may not pick up on is whether the client is actually enjoying the work out. Some clients are very shy due to their body habits or nature. An effective trainer must be able to identify such people and proactively tailor their program in order to make them have fun and feel comfortable in the gym environment.

4) Support: Take for instance a woman who has come into your fitness business to improve fitness post delivery. She, being regular to the gym, would depend a lot on family factors like familial support and availability of time away from the infant. However, if your fitness business can accommodate the needs of people like her by providing for highly qualified child care, you will keep them motivated to train and simultaneously retain her membership loyalty.

5) Time Availability: Everyone is strapped for time and most are hard-pressed to fit in a workout within regular business hours. Make the most of your health club business and convert your club into 24/7 access! As a trainer, time flexibility may be the key motivate by accommodating for those clients that are early risers and night shiners. There is nothing more convenient and eliminates all time based excuses when a health club and their trainers are assessable 24/7!

Motivation is a team effort

Trainers must keep self-motivation high believing that their clients can achieve the set goals. On the other hand, they must also motivate their clients to believe in themselves. When your clients are assured that you are invested in getting the best out of them, they look up to you and believe what you say to them. When a group of people like this form, it gives rise to a team spirit where each individual, coincidentally, becomes more self-driven.

3 Steps in Creating a Fail-Proof System

1) Commitment: If you want your clients to be successful, you must ensure they give their 100% commitment to the fitness program. To keep them committed, you must be behind them by providing required tools and support to achieve their goals. Pay attention to your clients’ needs, and know when they need that extra push or rest to stay committed.

2) Support system: Apart from the support your clients get in the health club, they are going to need extra support from outside. Tell them to express their priorities about fitness to their family. Make yourself of other staff available round the clock to address any concerns about fitness and schedules.

3) Setbacks: Most people, in their initial enthusiasm, set unrealistic fitness goals for themselves. When they cannot cope up with those goals, they will likely just totally give up.. Trainers, who are constantly in touch with the realities of their clients, recognize such setbacks, review the goals, and change them to realistic ones. Continue to motivate the clients to continue with the fitness program by reminding them of their ultimate fitness goals!

What is your greatest source of motivation to keep pace with your fitness program?

Do you have an experience with a trainer that exceeded your expectations? How so?