One thing that’s surprised me as I’m going through the ACE certification process is the strong focus on psychology in the first lessons.  We don’t even dig into Anatomy and Exercise Physiology until after we’ve already read the first 4 chapters of the Personal Trainer Manual!  There is a huge focus on motivation, communication & teaching techniques, the psychology of behavior change, and of course the role of the personal trainer in all of this.

That’s interesting to since I’ve always acknowledged that half the battle improving your health & fitness is shifting your mindset and habits than anything else.  The hardest part is convincing yourself it’s important enough to step out of your comfort zone and develop new habits if you’re going to make lasting changes.  Once you’re in the mindset that your health is a priority, will power becomes less of an issue and it becomes easier to make better choices.

Trainers are in an interesting position, in that many people start a diet and exercise routine because of outside influences.  Instead of being internally motivated to adopt a healthier lifestyle, they may be following doctor’s orders, being gently nudged by family or significant other, or succumbing to societal pressures of being a certain body type.  At least at the beginning, a large part of the trainer’s job is to get their clients to WANT to improve their fitness and ENJOY the process.

While external motivators are a good start, in order to stick with it for the long haul, you must be internally motivated to do this for yourself.  It’s really easy to skip a workout that you didn’t want to do in the first place.  On the other hand, if you’re looking forward to your training sessions and seeing yourself improve, it’s easier to pass on things that don’t serve your goals.

A good trainer will help a client identify their goals that will keep them going long after the initial motivation wears off.  I love that ACE places such a huge emphasis on the psychology and mindset aspect because this is the heart of what I’m trying to accomplish in becoming a trainer.  I want to help people figure out what their true fitness goals are beyond just exercising because their doctor said so or having an arbitrary weight loss goal based on what they see in magazines.  I want to help people find their WHY.

Seeing as I’m getting started on a new chapter of my fitness journey– a chapter in which I shift roles from being a student to becoming the teacher– I figured I should share some tips on getting started in fitness!

OwnMyFit Top 10 Tips to Getting Started

1. Write down your goals, and keep it somewhere you will look at often.  In addition to putting your overall goal in writing, I recommend writing down a daily, weekly, 3-month, 6-month, and 1 year goal.
2. More importantly, write down WHY you want to get fitter.  Whether you just want to be able to keep up with your kids, be able to remain active as you age, or excel in your sport, defining your WHY will be what keeps you motivated and grinding!
3. Be accountable to someone!  Whether it’s a friend, family member, significant other, coworker, etc, if you let someone know what you’re doing, you’re more likely to succeed!  If you’re lucky, they may even join you in trying to build healthier habits!  Don’t have an accountability buddy?  Join Instagram and hashtag #ownmyfit, and I’ll be your accountability buddy!
4. Find an exercise you enjoy doing, and set your goals so that they’re easily achievable.  For example, doing a workout DVD twice a week, or meeting up with a friend at the gym 3x/week.
5. Try different eating plans to see what works for you.  Remember that in order to make a lasting change, your eating plan must be sustainable.  While there are a wide variety of eating styles and portion management systems that work for different people based on food preferences and personalities, extreme dieting is almost never a good idea unless supervised by a doctor.
6. Focus on protein, fat, and fiber.  These components will keep you satisfied for longer so you end up eating less throughout the day without trying too hard.
7. Consistency is key!  Don’t let one indulgence or missed workout derail you!
8. Plan ahead.  Schedule your workout days ahead of time, and plan your meals.  Even if you don’t want to do a full-on Sunday meal prep, even thinking about what you’ll eat tomorrow will help you make better choices in the long run.
9. Eat what you love, in moderation.  Adopting a healthier lifestyle shouldn’t feel like punishment!  If you love carbs, a ketogenic diet won’t be sustainable for you in the long run.  A glass of wine or beer is 150-200 calories and can be fit into a balanced diet from time to time.  A bite of dark chocolate could prevent and all-out binge later on.  Portion control is key!
10. Don’t give up.  When things get hard, remember– You’re worth the effort!

I’ll go more in depth for each of these points in future blog posts, but hopefully this is enough to get you on your way to a healthier lifestyle!