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Who motivates the motivator?

Posted by on 24 June 2010 | 0 Comments

It’s 5:45am and you haven’t slept well so you’re tired, you might be getting a bit of a head cold, it’s been a hectic week already, and you have 8 clients in a row today with your day finishing at 9:30pm.

Clients are asking why you don’t train with them in a session and you don’t want to explain the crazy day you have ahead of you because it really is not their worry and you are a superhuman fitness professional after all. You try and stifle a yawn, due to sheer physical exhaustion so you don’t appear disinterested. You have to be a good listener as your client tells you about how their child threw up all over the bed yesterday, and you really aren’t good with vomit, or kids. Your class is saying “not running again” and you are thinking about the fact that there are soccer teams on the oval taking up all available space and you have simply just run out of interesting and creative ideas after planning different routines for the last 1,277 days!!!!

How do you get out of bed when it’s dark and everyone is tucked away under the doona still snoozing? What makes you want to work in 3 degrees and potentially the rain and the wind when you passionately hate cold weather? How do you come up with awe inspiring routines that leave clients saying “man, that was a really awesome workout!”? Who teaches you how to use the right words to inspire the client that really hates exercise and has a look on their face that clearly tells you this is the last place on earth they want to be right now? How do you sit in an hour and a half traffic going from client to client when you are struggling to stay awake? How do you smile and be cheerful at 5:30am in the morning when you just want to be asleep, or at the very least, with your own thoughts?

You have to be motivating. You have to push clients beyond their capability. You have to be excited about their goals and their aspirations. You have to be cheerful and happy. You have to be the one that inspires them to do better, to drive them to achieve, to help them achieve goals they have never achieved before!

So who motivates the motivator?

You motivate us. You, our clients. You are the reason that we do what we do.

For me personally, it is so many things:

* It’s the shout that says "hey I can do this exercise now"
* It’s seeing tears of frustration because someone wants something so badly
* It’s the emails and the texts of thanks that absolutely make my day
* Or maybe the daily injury management calls because they know you give a damn
* The gratitude for exercising when you know they didn’t want to initially
* It’s the call to say “hey I’m pregnant” because you are an important part of their life
* It’s the level of confidence that someone has in you when they confide their secrets
* Or the hand written card with comments you know they crafted for you personally
* The elation at crossing the finish line at City 2 Surf knowing you helped them achieve it
* It’s the texts saying they have just run for 30 minutes non-stop for the first time
* It’s making a difference to people’s lives in more ways than one

Our clients motivate us to do what we do. I would rather be doing this than anything else.

The keys motivators for my own training are as follows:

1. First and foremost, exercise is gold! I can't live without it, or the feeling it brings me. It is the most important part of my life.
2. I am 44 and I can run, do Body Attack and still smash myself in a workout, which is not for everyone, but what I love to do. Age is no barrier.
3. Some of my family members are overweight (to the point of obese) and I have always tried to show them that it's not an excuse, you can beat it.
4. If I don't exercise I would be overweight, it's something that I struggle with every single day. And I love food, and alcohol.
5. I enjoy being a role model for my clients, particular those over 40 who feel that they can't be their best as they get older.

KAZ

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I consider myself a morning person. That said though, getting out of a warm, toasty bed in the dark to go to work every morning is not the easiest thing in the world! What does make it easier, is looking forward to seeing my clients. I love what I do – I love that moment for a brand new client, about 4-6 weeks in to their training when they realise they feel better about themselves or they can do something they couldn't do previously. I love hearing stories about a long-term client having a win on the scales, doing some exercise on their own or beating a previous score in a fitness test. It is about making a difference to someone's quality of life.

In my own training, I do rely on somebody else to help keep me motivated. I train with a personal trainer 1-2 times a week and I often join friends for a run, walk or a group fitness class. In fact, I rarely train on my own. The key here is that I know I won't be motivated to train 100% of the time so I schedule it in my diary and train anyway, no matter what the level of motivation. Having an appointment with someone means I have to turn up and once I'm there I generally enjoy it and I always feel better afterwards.

EMMA

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* Seeing clients, especially women, enjoy the benefits of training, the strength from resistance work, the increased fitness and body confidence and particularly the ongoing mood elevation and time out exercise provides!
* The fun, laughs and comraderie of group training.
* I find the dedication of those clients who turn up to early morning training rain, hail or shine inspiring, especially when its a little hard to get out of bed for early morning winter training.
* Plus a good dose of caffeine before heading out the door!

For my own training, motivators include:

* The good mood exercise endorphins bring all day long
* Feeling hungry and really enjoying every morsel after a good workout
* Staying strong, fit and healthy
* Being fit enough to maintain credibility as a fitness coach and being a great role model for clients, friends and my family.

KAREN

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* The satisfaction on the clients face after they have finished a good work out and are revitalised for the rest of the day
* When clients thank you for a great work out it motivates me for the next day
* When clients what to give up but i dont let them and they achieve something they think they can't do
* When its cold and rainy and everyone wants to be in bed but half way through the work out everyone is talking, laughing, exercising and they have forgetten about the cold and bed
* Most of all the friendships you form with clients

For my own training:

* Staying fit and feeling good about myself
* Summer weather
* Doing other fitness activities rather then running and weight training, I go and kayak or rock climb just to change it up
* New places - sometimes if I'm not feeling too motivated but I know I need to exercise on that day I will go somewhere different e.g. Bondi and train on the beach, Homebush they have great bike riding tracks
* Training with friends or a training buddy to keep you going and make you push your self harder
* Goals - training for an event e.g. Bridge to Bridge

GEMMA