“Simple tweaks of the path can lead to dramatic changes in behavior.”
― Chip Heath, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
"It's easier for you."
I was having a conversation with a maintenance guy at a building where I see clients.
I had helped him out a few months ago, when he was starting a weight loss plan. I gave him some advice regarding diet and exercise and would occasionally check in on his progress.
That day he was telling me how he had been doing so well, but then the holidays came...and life got so busy.
He was:
Constantly surrounded by party food and alcohol.
Feeling guilty if he chose to workout instead of spend time with his wife and kids.
Exhausted from long hours at work.
"It just gets really hard to keep up. But it's easier for you."
This isn't the first time I've been on the receiving end of a comment like this.
There is a very common, but false, perception of the "fitness professional":
We start every workout by announcing "Beast mode activated!"
We love kale and all things kale related
We never eat sugar
We say things like "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take" (and other over played motivational quotes)
We wake up at 4:30am with absolute joy to take on the day
We never miss leg day (...ok, this one may hold some truth ;P)
As Michelle Tanner would say..."Oh puh-lease!"
We are not super humans who never have the urge to eat an entire pizza, to hit snooze rather than hit the gym or to Netflix binge a long weekend away.
We deal with dips in motivation, responsibilities that compete with our time to train, and cravings for "junk food".
We get tired, we miss workouts, we eat donuts. We just don't do it as often as the "average" person.
Long term success doesn't require you to remove all cravings and clear your calendar of anything but #gymlife.
It also doesn't require being "perfect" 100% of the time.
Success comes from arming yourself with tools and strategies that make it easier to resist impulses when they come up and to honor exercise commitments when other things compete for your time.
These tools also make it easier to get back on track whenever a misstep occurs.
Whether knowingly or not, most fitness professionals have armed themselves with these tools by crafting environments that support their desire to be fit and healthy.
And as I've written about previously, our environment plays a major role in influencing our behavior.
Mental Environment
Identity: "I am a fitness professional."
Reciting a statement like this will influence behavior much differently than something like, "I am a competitive hot dog eater".
As "fitpros" we see ourselves as people who exercise regularly, eat well and recover adequately.
These beliefs shape our behaviors.
Mindset: We are in it for the long haul, not a 30 day challenge.
Most fitness trainers and health coaches didn't get into the industry to get rich (quick or otherwise). We are in it because we love it.
We love the pursuit of mastery and fine tuning a lift. We love learning new skills and testing the limits of the human body.
We are focused on the process and less attached to the outcome.
Social Environment
Accountability: We are usually surrounded by other fitpros.
If we slack off for awhile, our peers will notice and give a gentle nudge. If we lose our motivation, we can feed off the drive and passion of those around us.
We have friends that would rather go fro a hike than go for happy hour.
And we always have someone to call on if we need a workout partner.
Expectations: As fitness professionals we are expected by clients and potential clients to "walk the walk".
Even if we work independently rather than with a large team, we are held accountable by the societal expectations of how a fitpro "should" act and/or look (which can have both positive and negative effects).
Physical Environment
Availability: We are usually in a gym (duh!).
Squeezing in a quick 10-15 minute workout on busy days doesn't require a commute.
We can stretch in between clients, foam roll while replying to emails and workout while hanging out with our friends.
Wardrobe: When you are dressed for a workout ALL DAY your barrier to getting in just a little bit of movement becomes practically non-existent.
If your pants don't stretch, you won't be doing any squats in your cubicle...
So yes, it may be "easier for us" who work in the fitness industry to stay healthy, but not for the reasons most people think. It isn't easier because we never crave ice cream, it's easier because our environments make it easier.
However, you don't need to change careers in order to make changes in your health and fitness. You don't need to live in the gym (or in spandex) and you don't need to break up with all of your beer loving friends.
But you can look to the environments that allow fitpros to stay successful as guidance for making changes within your own.
Mental Environment
Identity: How do you see yourself?
Are you a "fit and healthy" person? Or are you someone who "will always be overweight"?
Be careful with the words you say to yourself as they become beliefs...and beliefs dictate action.
Mindset: How can you fall in love with the process?
Can you celebrate that you tried a new vegetable this week rather than sulking over not losing a pound?
Can you feel proud that you can now run at 6mph for 5 minutes without stopping rather than getting discouraged over how far you are from a sub 4 hour marathon?
Social Environment
Accountability: How can you use your social circle (professional or personal) to support your goals?
Can you pair up with a coworker to take a lunchtime walk?
Can you get your spouse or partner involved?
Can you hire a coach (hint, hint ;P)?
Expectations: How can you share your goals in a public way, so that others expect you to follow through?
Can you join a Facebook group for support?
Can you enroll in a corporate wellness challenge?
Physical Environment
Availability: How can you make exercise more easily accessible?
Is there a closer/more convenient gym you can join so that you can get in a quick workout on your lunch break?
Can you lay out a yoga mat next to your bed so it's the first thing your feet make contact with when you wake up?
Can you mount a pull up bar in a doorway so you can get in one rep every time you enter that room?
Wardrobe: How can your choice in clothing make it easier to move more?
Can you wear a sweater to work rather than a fitted shirt so that you can reach your arms overhead every once in awhile?
Can you wear sneakers during your commute so you can get off the subway early and walk a few extra blocks?
Through shaping your environment to support your desired health and fitness behaviors it becomes easier to stay consistent, even when motivation wanes.
In what ways do your environments undermine your health goals?
How can you make changes to feel supported rather than thwarted?
Need some more ideas on how small tweaks to your surroundings can lead to big results?
Drop me a note letting me know in what environments you feel the most stuck and we'll hop on a quick 15 minute call to map out an "Environment Re-haul".
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