NOT a lot of people wake up one day and decide to be fit.
Certified National Academy of Sports Medicine personal trainer Jerry Diaz said a person usually goes through a process over time before s/he is eventually motivated to join a gym.
He said once a person decides s/he should act, s/he will put about 3-6 months worth of effort to make positive changes to his/her health and body.
However, he added, this window of opportunity usually opens up for a brief period of time only.
He said when a person is not seeing the changes s/he hoped for, s/he will eventually lose motivation.
“You are not making progress so your confidence is taking a beating. That’s the best time to reassess your approach. You should not get stuck at a certain level of frustration. You must make adjustments and move forward,” Diaz said.
The stages of change, he said, start at pre-contemplation when one is not thinking that s/he needs change.
Next is contemplation when one considers the pros and cons of effecting change.
Then comes planning, preparation, action and termination, which is erasing old behaviors and replacing them with new ones.
Relapse may follow — the return of old behaviors — but one must strive to reach the maintenance stage which is when the new behaviors become habitual.
“My biggest fear is complacency,” Diaz said. “Once I feel content, that’s when I return to old habits: over indulging during meals, skipping workouts. Even as a trainer, I must continually assess why I do what I do to overcome mental and physical plateaus.”
For the past five years, Diaz said he has maintained a healthy physique. The challenge now, he added, is to persuade his loved ones to join him in his ongoing health and fitness journey.
He said for his wife, he had to map out an approach that matches her fitness goals.
“After giving birth to our two daughters, losing weight and building a toned body have been her goals. But her fitness training must also match her available schedule. And then we have to prepare healthy and nutritious meals at home. So far, so good,” Diaz said.
As a trainer, he said it his responsibility to identify the mental, physical and nutritional steps his clients should take to achieve success.
He also reminds them that disappointment, frustration and challenges will arise, and that it is important to identify what triggers them so they can be addressed.
The ultimate goal, he added, is for clients to eventually create and stick to habits that will help them stay fit and healthy.
Rose Diaz performs a plyometric exercise during a sand training session.
Contributed photo
