Are you having trouble getting or keeping moms in the gym?

Moms are amazing. We can all agree on that, right?

They can do wonders with leftovers, make a costume out of anything, fix boo-boos with just a kiss, defend the house from monsters under the bed, and are on duty for their family, 24/7.

For all they are and all they do for us, moms are one of the toughest groups for fitness professionals to keep on the books. Why?

Simply put, moms are selfless.

Self-care isn't even on a mom's radar because there are so many other issues to attend to: homework, laundry, dinner, play dates, dentist appointments, music recitals, soccer practice, tutoring, and work, just to name a few.

What Moms Need to Know about Fitness

A mom gives all she has to make sure her family and friends are taken care of, usually without a thought at all about her own needs. But, in between caring for everyone else, nearly every mom has a wish list that looks something like this:

• I wish I had more energy—Exercise increases energy.

• I wish I weren't so grumpy all the time—Exercise enhances mood.

• I wish I weren't sick all the time—Exercise improves immune function.

• I wish my back/hips/neck/knees didn't hurt after playing with the kids—Exercise prevents injury and increases strength and flexibility.

• I wish I slept better at night—Exercise improves sleep quality.

• I wish I could keep up with the kids—Exercise increases endurance.

• I wish I would stop losing things—Exercise improves brain function and memory.

We, as trainers, know that exercise solves all these problems, but do moms realize it?

Introducing moms to the power of a healthy lifestyle and getting them to commit to even a moderate physical fitness routine will help them, their families, and will add new, regular clients to your list at the same time.

The Real Problem

It's not just the selfless attitude that keeps these ladies out of the gym, though. The situation is more complicated. The fitness industry itself has a lot to answer to and contributes significantly to our potential clients' lack of initiative and commitment.

The fitness industry is huge; the marketing is prolific; there are so many people selling this or that program, supplement, or piece of equipment that as an industry we are overwhelming people with too much conflicting information and undermining their motivation to get started with ANY program. Here's why:

Self-determination theory (SDT)—a theory about how people use extrinsic forces (like all the stuff I mentioned above) and intrinsic motives (their wants and desires) to make decisions—states that people are intrinsically motivated to engage in behaviors if they feel competent or if they value the outcomes of that behavior. [1]

Here's just one example of how the fitness industry is driving away business:

There are studies that support the use of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for sedentary individuals[4] and other studies that support the case againstHIIT for sedentary subjects.[3]

So if you tell your client that she will lose 10 pounds with your HIIT program, but she reads (on YOUR blog or elsewhere) that she needs to do steady-state cardio to drop pounds, she'll lose confidence in your program and either not sign up or drop out early because she is confused about the facts.

According to SDT, our potential clients don't have enough confidence that they can choose the right program because of all the conflicting information out there. They question whether the big claims promised to them are realistic.

To make matters even more complicated, your potential clients have likely tried other programs and failed, creating self-doubt and deflating any enthusiasm they might have about your program.

So, we need to help moms find their motivation, their reasons for starting and sticking with a fitness program.

Read Between the Lines

If you have ever tried to sell your services to anyone, you've likely heard, "Wow, that's a lot of money, I'm not sure I can afford it."

Listen, an objection—any objection—is likely just a cover-up for one of two reasons why someone doesn't want to sign up for your program:

1. She doesn't know about or value the benefits of physical fitness.[1]

2. She doesn't think she is fit enough, smart enough, or perhaps she thinks one of her health limitations is a barrier to exercise.[1]

You need to solve these two issues so you can find and keep those moms in your program using two strategies: ask questions and educate your clients.

Get to Know Them Better

What is the key to gaining her trust in you and your program and determining if you're a good fit to work together?

Getting to know her.

Every super mom is amazing in her own way, but she'll downplay her strengths and talents and won't talk about her wants and desires unless you ask the rightquestions.

How do you know what the right questions are? Use motivational interviewing (MI**), a style of questioning that is goal-oriented and client-centered.** It works to help your client explore and resolve the ambivalence she feels regarding fitness and a healthy lifestyle in general.[5]

MI is more than just asking questions; guide her down the path to finding her motivation using leading and open-ended questions, affirming her feelings and doubts, listening well, and repeating her answers so she knows you're listening.

Here's a simple acronym to help you remember the MI technique: OARS.[6]

• Open-ended questions

• Affirmations

• Reflective listening

• Summarize

Educate Them

Recall that SDT suggests that our clients want to feel competent in their behaviors; they want to feel skilled and knowledgeable.[1]

Educating clients is part of your job as a professional fitness trainer. Some clients may say they don't care about why or how exercise works, that they just want you to make them do it. But sharing facts that support your program design empowers your clients because:

1. You establish yourself as an expert which makes the client feel confident she made the right choice hiring you.

2. You build up her knowledge base, empowering her eventually to become independent with her fitness.

Keep in mind that you don't have to bore them with journal articles, slide presentations, and anatomy lessons. Just tell your mom clients, "hey, so we're doing these deadlifts because you said you want to achieve [insert goal] and these will get you there because [insert smart, non-jargony reason why the exercise works]."

Also, be sure to perform fitness assessments at the beginning of your program and again at set intervals throughout, to prove the effectiveness of your program and show your client the tangible results of her efforts.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

The process of getting to know your mom clients will be ongoing. A mom will grow and adapt to fit whatever environment she's in. As her children grow, her wants and needs will change, as will her schedule. As her fitness improves, her goals will change.

Plan to check in with your mom clients at least once every quarter to make sure you understand their intrinsic motives and are providing them with the right amount of information to empower them.

To recap, here's how to grab moms as clients and keep them coming back to the gym:

• Ask open-ended questions.

• Listen carefully.

• Educate them.

• Show them their progress.

Remember, when you work with moms, you're changing more than just her life; the family she has at home will benefit as well. Everyone benefits from a happier mom and a healthier lifestyle. When you take the time to get to know moms and motivate them to get fit, you change lives and make a real difference.

References

1. Teixeira, Pedro J et al. "Exercise, Physical Activity, and Self-Determination Theory: A Systematic Review." International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 9, no. 1, 2012, p. 78. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-78.

2. Exercise Fights Fatigue, Boosts Energy. WebMD. Nov 3, 2016.

3. Hardcastle Sarah J., Ray Hannah, Beale Louisa, Hagger Martin S. Why sprint interval training is inappropriate for a largely sedentary population Frontiers in Psychology. Volume 5, 2014, Pages 1505.

4. Tom K. Tong, Pak Kwong Chung, Raymond W. Leung, Jinlei Nie, Hua Lin, Jun Zheng, Effects of Non-Wingate-based High-intensity Interval Training on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Aerobic-based Exercise Capacity in Sedentary Subjects: A Preliminary Study, Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, Volume 9, Issue 2, December 2011, Pages 75-81.

5. Effects of Non-Wingate-based High-intensity Interval Training on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Aerobic-based Exercise Capacity in Sedentary Subjects: A Preliminary Study. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness Volume 9, Issue 2, December 2011, Pages 75-81.

6. Miller & Rollinick, 2002 Motivational interviewing and Strategies of Motivational Interviewing - OARS. Strategies Description and Examples.