Lifestyle Modification - Are You Ready for Change?

Unless you perceive there is a really good reason to change a health behavior, you probably will not do it. Change goes against human nature and what is familiar, stable, and routine. For most people change is scary and unpredictable. Most people strive to maintain stability of what they know to be true about their lives. The behavior change process usually begins when there is a perceived problem or need for change.

The Stages of Change progress through 5 stages, describing where you may be on an emotional and analytical level when making a decision to change your lifestyle or health habits:

Stage 1: Precontemplation- You have no intention of changing. You do not exercise, and you do not intend to start doing so. You need to educate yourself about your current health condition and stop relying on myths and excuses. Working with a Fitness Coach at this stage can be difficult because you do not yet know what you want or are unable to create goals for yourself.

Stage 2: Contemplation- You do not exercise but you are thinking about becoming more active in the next few months. You are aware of the benefits of exercise but you might lack the motivation or know-how to get started on your own. You most likely need guidance or an outside source of motivation and encouragement from family, friends and an amazing Fitness Coach.

Stage 3: Preparation- You might exercise occasionally, but you are planning on making it a more regular habit in the near future. You are aware of and believe in the health benefits of exercise, but you might have unrealistic expectations of lack the knowledge to get you to where you want to be. If you find yourself at this stage and you are stuck, NOW is the time to contact a Fitness Coach before you regress to the contemplation stage. You probably need some help with defining your goals, creating an effective program and pushing yourself to work harder.

Stage 4: Action- You are active on a regular basis and have been for less than 6 months. You need to be challenged and may be needing some more education about various training programs. You may be hitting a plateau in your training and need to be guided through it. At this stage, you can rely on  Fitness Coach to give you more challenging workouts as well as introduce new dieting programs such as Carb Cycling to help you get through those training issues.

Stage 5: Maintenance- You have been consistently active for 6 months or more. Even though you have successfully changed your behavior, you are still at risk for regressing to old habits. You are capable of maintaining a fitness and nutrition program on your own and may just need a Fitness Coach on occasion to help you mix up your workouts or help you through a training plateau down the road.

What stage do you find yourself in today? If you are in Stages 3,4 or 5 answer the following questions to help you better understand what might be holding you back from reaching your fitness goals:

• What experiences have you had with physical activity in the past?
• What worked best to help you stick to a fitness program?
• What worked the least?
• What contributed to you quitting your last exercise or nutrition program?
• During the last 6 months, what kept you from exercising and/or eating healthy?

If you find yourself ready to take that next step, enter that next stage of change, and get on the path towards a healthier, happier you, NOW is the time! I hear it from so many people- "I'm tired, I'm fat, I don't feel good, I'm lazy, I can't get motivated......" THEN WHY DONT YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? All it takes is talking to a Fitness Professional about what you need to do to get yourself headed in the right direction.

I offer complementary consultations to anyone who is interested in beginning a Fitness Program. I will ask you a series of questions to give me a better look into your lifestyle, and from there I create a preliminary plan as to what you could expect from working with me. At that point, if you are satisfied with what I have to offer, we can begin your 100% Custom Training Program. All is takes is a quick email to lyndsiemfitness@aol.com and we can get you going!

*Stages of Change model adapted from National Academy of Sports Medicine- Lifestyle Modification