XML/RSS Feed
How Can Compliance Programming Help Clients?
Personal trainers: Did you know that your constant physical presence could be compromising clients mind-body intelligence and negatively affecting their abilities to comply with their exercise programs? Helping clients build their own self-efficacy is one important concept behind the telephone-assisted counseling called compliance programming, a term coined by Susan Block Vezina and her company, Fitness by Phone®. Below Block Vezina, an IDEA member since 1993, explains the three research-based principles behind compliance programming and how it can help clients.1. Self-Monitoring and Self-Documenting Systems
Studies have shown that self-monitoring tools increase exercise adherence. Using self-monitoring devices to get immediate, objective feedback during activity without the presence of a personal trainer re-educates clients mind-body intelligence by stimulating a cognitive reconnection between their minds and their physical efforts. For example, feedback from a heart rate monitor tells a client how much extra effort to exert to reach an exercise intensity five beats higher than he did last week.
2. Home-Based Exercise Programming and Lifestyle Activity
Versatile home-based exercise choices (e.g., video workouts, neighborhood jogs or home equipment workouts) and lifestyle activity options (e.g., gardening, walking the dog, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking at the end of the parking lot) quickly and comfortably assist clients to overcome the scheduling conflicts and intimidation issues that can be associated with group and facility-based programming.
3. Phone-Based Accountability Systems
Research shows that holding clients accountable to their exercise programs by phone with frequent (weekly, biweekly or monthly), highly structured phone prompts for as little time as 3 minutes increases adherence by more than 1,500%.
Bonnie Murphy is a Master Fitness by Phone® Coach. To learn more, visit her Fitness by Phone® page.
Article written by By Susan Block Vezina. For more information on the research behind compliance programming, see the Inner IDEA column in the May issue of IDEA Fitness Journal. Susan Block Vezina will also present a session called "Bridge the Gap From Fitness Instructor to Coach" (session #676) at the Inner IDEA® Convention on Tuesday, July 25 in Las Vegas. To learn more, see www.inneridea.com or call (800) 999-4332, ext. 7.
