PRO TRAINER TIPS: Holiday Edition

canfitpro PRO TRAINERS from across the country provide their feedback on the following question: 

What is your #1 tip for fitness professionals to keep their clients and participants engaged and continuing to keep their fitness a priority throughout the holiday season and into the New Year? 

Jay Raymundo

Airdrie, AB 

PTS 

Build an on-line community.  Get them interacting, and accountable by creating a “Christmas Challenge” or Year End Goal Crusher!  Make it fun with participation prizes! 

Trevor Pickett

Hamilton, ON 

PTS, FMA, CPR 

Try to conserve consistency as much as possible during the holiday season. Sessions booked well in advance will cut down on missed workouts and falling off the radar. This will provide them momentum at the beginning of the year rather than the feeling of starting over. 

Rob Dickson

Charlottetown, PEI 

PTS, HWL, CPR, FMA 

I will often put it back to the client and ask them where they want to be on January 2nd. Do they want to be a little closer to their goal? Will they be upset if they are at the same fitness level they are at now? Or, will they be even more upset if they were to put on a few pounds? That usually gets my clients  thinking, and helps them to put their goals in perspective. After that conversation we get to work on a plan to get them through the holidays, navigate social interactions and to avoid feeling discouraged in the New Year. 

Sue Staresinic

Hamilton, ON 

FIS 

A fantastic way to keep participants engaged in their fitness routine over the holidays is to educate them year-round about the benefits of exercise, especially its stress-relieving and mental health benefits.  

As our clients become busier, it is helpful to share the benefits of express workouts. Research shows that 20-to-30-minute workouts are in fact effective.