This year marks a couple of milestones for me. I turned 40 and, perhaps more surprisingly, realised I’ve now spent 20 years working in the world of sport and fitness, including the last 12 as a full-time personal trainer. Considering many trainers leave the industry within a few years, I guess I’ve somehow become one of the old guard.
Looking back, one of the biggest surprises isn’t what I’ve learned about exercise. It’s what I’ve learned about people.
When I first started out, I assumed success would largely come down to training programmes, nutrition plans and exercise selection. While all of those things are important, I’ve come to realise they’re rarely the deciding factor. The longer I’ve worked with people, the more I’ve become fascinated by what makes some people change, what causes others to stop and why certain habits seem to stick.
Why people continue exercising
One of the most interesting observations is that the reason people start exercising is rarely the reason they continue.
When somebody first contacts me, the conversation is usually quite predictable. They want to lose weight, get fitter, feel more confident, get ready for a holiday or fit into clothes that no longer fit. All perfectly reasonable goals.
However, if you speak to that same person a year or two later, the conversation is often very different.
They’re no longer talking about a holiday or a particular number on the scales. Instead, they’re talking about having more energy, sleeping better, feeling stronger, keeping aches and pains under control or simply feeling more capable in everyday life. Somewhere along the way, the focus shifts from looking better to living better.
Why consistency matters more than motivation
Another thing I’ve learned is that the people who achieve the best long-term results are rarely the people who are motivated all the time.
The people who stay healthy tend to be the ones who accept that life will occasionally get in the way. They go on holiday and come back. They get busy at work and keep something ticking over. They pick up the odd injury, adapt and continue. They understand that missing a week is normal, but missing a year is where the real problem starts.
When I was younger, I thought success came from finding the perfect programme. Twenty years later, I think consistency is far more important than perfection.
The healthiest people I’ve worked with aren’t the ones who have had the best six weeks. They’re the ones who have found a way to keep exercising for six years.
Perhaps that’s the biggest lesson of all. Most people begin exercising because they want to change how they look. The people who stick with it eventually discover something much more valuable: they like the way it makes them feel.
If you’re looking to build sustainable habits rather than chase quick fixes, I’d be happy to help. Whether you’re interested in one-to-one personal training in Muswell Hill or online coaching through an app, feel free to get in touch to book a free consultation.
