“The mind controls the body,” is one of my favorite quotes to share with my clients in class. When it comes to being a fitness professional, we also often focus more on the physicality of our work and forget the role our mind plays in our success.
“The mind controls the body,” is one of my favorite quotes to share with my clients in class. When it comes to being a fitness professional, we also often focus more on the physicality of our work and forget the role our mind plays in our success. In this episode, we will discuss a simple technique to use in class or personal training session that combines psychological techniques with your coaching skills to allow you to take your participants into a “state of flow.” This is when they are in “the zone” – you’re outside of time, you’re unstoppable. My guest today, Olivia Ellis, will be helping us through this process!
Benefits of flow
How to help your clients achieve flow
The role of emotions in fitness
What is flow? (5:50)
Flow is a state of being that represents being completely absorbed in the present moment. Once you experience flow, you want to experience it again. Therefore, this relates directly to client retention.
What are the benefits of getting your client/class into a state of flow? (11:00)
Clients will experience minimized distraction, ability to think creatively in the moment is heightened, able to stay engaged for longer, increased confidence, work at their peak performance, and will encourage them to return.
How do you help a client achieve flow? (13:20)
The key to finding a client’s flow is finding the optimal balance between what challenges them and their current skill level. Within group fitness, it is important to offer options based on the varying levels of fitness within the class to help everyone from beginners to professional athletes be challenged just enough (but not too much).
Specifically if there is a newbie in class, it may be difficult for them to achieve their flow because they are most likely anxious. Start by asking them their goals. Once you know this, you can cue attention and focus to where they are directly working towards this. The next time they perform this exercise, they will feel these reinforcements, which will build the skill and the confidence level.
How do emotions play a role in fitness? (29:35)
True for both positive and negative emotions, the level of intensity of the emotion will affect the participant’s motivation level. If you want a client to focus on their one-rep max, you would want them experiencing a high motivational intensity emotion such as excitement, interest, or anger. When you want clients to cool down, relax between sets, etc., you want to trigger lower motivational intensity emotions such as gratitude and joy.
How do you evoke these emotions in class as an instructor? (35:20)
You can use music, cueing, story tell…*hint, hint* Check out FCM Podcast Episode 33: Harnessing Emotion – Learn to Create an Intention in your Class.
FCM 35: Why You Should Coach for EFFORT with Jared Stein
FCM 33: Harnessing Emotion – Learn to Create an Intention in your Class
FCM 030: The Art of Storytelling for Marketing Yourself or Your Business with Dontre Doxley
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