Change is Possible

By Carlos Alberto Rivas, MS, CSCS

The benefits of physical activity have been well documented. The body responds to physical activity in ways that have important positive effects on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine systems.

These changes are consistent with a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, colon cancer, and diabetes. Regular exercise also appears to reduce depression and anxiety, improve mood, and enhance the ability to perform daily tasks both at home and at work. Despite common knowledge that exercise is healthful, more than 60 percent of the population is not regularly active, and 25 percent of the population is not active at all. Improving exercise compliance has been the mission of the U S Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control, the American Heart Association, and other national organizations. Today, every organization tackling this issue has failed miserably. Studies have shown that over 50 percent of those starting an exercise program dropout within the first three months. Fitness and rehabilitation professionals face the challenge of working with clients or patients, as well as the community, to develop methods of improving compliance to exercise. To help people achieve positive changes in health-related behaviors, a professional must posses a clear understanding of the psychological influences on learning which either help increase compliance or decrease compliance. Andrew Hannah, certified personal trainer, has used the following techniques with one of his most compliant and successful clients (Iverson Warinner).

Psychological Components of Exercise Compliance

Exercise compliance is based upon the understanding of certain psychological theories. Behavior modification and the stages of motivational readiness are fundamental to guiding our clients.

Behavior modification factors

1. Setting short and long term, realistic, and measurable goals
2. Determining their confidence on goal achievement
3. Signing a contract with clear description of desirable goal
4. Receiving feedback on success
5. Developing social support systems to provide encouragement

The readiness to change theory has received wide acceptance and has been used by our trainers with great success. This theory addresses the individual's ability to make permanent change based upon their emotional and intellectual readiness to change. Our clients are evaluated as to the stage of readiness they express before beginning an exercise program. Clients are counseled to deal with lapses or relapses, and to recognize that these behaviors are not related to failure.

Stages of Readiness to Change Model

1. Precontemplation: clients express lack of interest in making change. Moving clients through this stage involves utilization of multiple resources to stress the importance of the desired change. This can be achieved through written materials, educational classes, physician and family persuasion.
2. Contemplation: clients are thinking about making a desired change. This stage can be influenced by helping clients define the risks and benefits of making or not making the desired change.
3. Preparation: clients are doing some physical activity but not meeting the recommended criteria.
4. Action: clients are meeting the recommended criteria (i.e. 1 hour of physical activity 5 days per week), on a consistent basis but they have not maintained the behavior for 6 months.
5. Maintenance: clients have been in action for 6 months or more.

Success Story

Two years ago Iverson Warinner, weighed in at 376 pounds when he first met with his trainer at Baptist East Milestone. He like most Americans was dependent on medications in order to maintain a suitable level of health. Mr. Warinner had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood glucose levels and an alarmingly high percentage of fat (56 percent). Today Andrew Hannah and his client are enjoying great success. Mr. Warinner now weighs in at 264 pounds with a substantially lower fat percentage of 29 percent. In addition, Iverson Warinner, no longer needs medications to help control his blood pressure, cholesterol, or sugar levels. What's most impressive of all is that he is 61 years of age and he does not stop trying to improve his overall health and wellbeing. Andrew Hannah says that his client is a great example of those people who are in the action stage.

Carlos Alberto Rivas, MS, CSCS is the Fitness/ Personal Training Director of the Baptist East/Milestone Wellness Center. Carlos has a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology and has more than 10,000 hours of Personal Training Experience. Carlos is also a member of the Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine's Editorial Advisory Board. Carlos can be reached by phone at 502-896-3900 ext.142.