Behavior Change Theory: Helping Clients Stick With Their Program

If clients can't change their behavior, the best training program in the world can't help them.

As a personal trainer, it’s essential to understand health psychology and behavior change in order to help clients make lasting changes to their lifestyle. Behavior change is the process of altering habits and behaviors for the long term, and understanding how this process works is the key to helping clients reach their goals.

By understanding the stages of behavior change, trainers can better equip themselves with the tools needed to help clients make positive changes in their lives.

Knowing how people's behaviors develop and change over time can also provide insight into how best to motivate them and keep them on track. With the right knowledge of behavior change, personal trainers can help their clients achieve success in reaching their goals.

Without it, they’re likely doomed to repeat the same mistakes from the past, even if you give them the perfect programming.

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Why Behavior Change Impacts Success

Behavior change models provide a framework for understanding why people do what they do, as well as how to help them make positive changes. With this knowledge, you can better understand the needs of your clients and develop effective strategies to support them in achieving success. When you understand behavior change, you can also identify potential obstacles that may get in the way of your clients reaching their goals and help to develop solutions for overcoming them.

Behavior Change Coaching and Scope of Practice

As a personal trainer, it is important to understand that behavior change coaching must fit within your scope of practice. Behavior change coaching involves helping clients identify and modify their behaviors in order to achieve their goals. It requires an understanding of the underlying psychological and physiological processes that drive behavior, as well as an ability to motivate and support clients through the process of change.

Behavior change coaching should never involve anything outside of a personal trainer's scope of practice. This includes providing medical advice or diagnosis, prescribing medications, or engaging in any activities that require additional certifications or licensure. Personal trainers should also be aware of any legal restrictions on their practice in their state or country.

Review Your Particular Certification’s Scope of Practice Often!

When engaging in behavior change coaching, it is important for personal trainers to focus on helping clients identify and modify behaviors that are within their control.
This may include setting realistic goals, developing strategies for self-monitoring progress, and providing support and encouragement throughout the process. Additionally, personal trainers should be aware of any potential risks associated with changing behaviors, such as injury or health complications.

Finally, it is essential for personal trainers to stay up-to-date on the latest research related to behavior change coaching so they can provide evidence-based advice and guidance to their clients.
This includes understanding how different types of interventions may be effective in the health behavior in different contexts and how best to tailor them for individual clients’ needs.

All behavior change coaching must fit within a personal trainer's scope of practice. Personal trainers should not do anything outside of this scope or engage in activities that require additional certifications or licensure.

They should focus on helping clients identify and modify behaviors within their control while staying up-to-date on the latest research related to behavior change coaching so they can provide evidence-based advice and guidance to their clients.

Overlap Between Theoretical Frameworks

Behavior change is a complex and often difficult process, but it is possible to make lasting changes in our habits and behaviors. In this blog, we are exploring several different approaches to behavior change that have been proposed by researchers.

We will look at five models of behavior change, the six stages of behavior change, the science behind behavior change, and why behavior change can be so hard. Additionally, we will explore some of the theories of change that support interventions for changing behaviors as well as strategies for motivating people to make changes in their lives.

It's important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to behavior change; different approaches work better for different people.

However, many theoretical frameworks on behavior change overlap in terms of the steps they suggest for making lasting changes in our lives. By looking at multiple perspectives on behavior change, we can gain a better understanding of how best to approach making positive changes in our lives.

Information And Advice Are Not Enough

When it comes to behavior change, information and advice are not enough. To truly succeed, your client needs to develop actionable strategies and habits that will help them reach their goals.
This is where the concept of behavioral intentions comes in. Behavioral intentions refer to a person's perceived likelihood or subjective probability that they will engage in a given behavior. It is based on attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.

The theory of planned behavior suggests that behaviors are influenced by intentions, which can be determined by assessing attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived barriers to behavioral control.
Knowing how likely someone is to engage in a certain behavior can help them create effective strategies for success. For example, if someone has a strong intention to quit smoking but lacks the necessary support from friends and family, they may need to find alternative sources of motivation or reinforcement in order to succeed.

At the end of the day, it's important for clients to understand their own behavioral intentions when it comes to making changes in their lives. Having an accurate understanding of one's own motivations and capabilities can help them create realistic plans for success and make sure they stay on track with their goals. By taking into account both internal factors such as attitude and external factors such as social support when assessing behavioral intentions, clients can gain insight into what strategies will work best for them and how they can increase their chances of success.

The Transtheoretical Model — Behavior Change Theory

The transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) is an integrative theory of therapy used to assess an individual's readiness to act on a new, often healthier behavior. The TTM includes and integrates key concepts from different theories of behavior change, such as the stages of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy.

The six stages of behavioral change theory in the TTM are precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and termination. In the precontemplation stage, individuals are not yet considering changing their behavior.

During contemplation, individuals become aware of the need to make a change but may still be ambivalent about it. In the preparation stage individuals have made a commitment to making a change and begin planning how they will do so.

Action involves actually taking steps towards making the desired changes while in maintenance people work to sustain their changes over time.

Finally in termination individuals have fully integrated the desired changes into their lives and no longer need to actively pursue them.

The TTM also takes into account other factors that can influence behavior change such as decisional balance which looks at both pros and cons associated with making a particular change; self-efficacy which looks at one's confidence in their ability to make a particular behavior change themselves; and processes of change which are strategies used by individuals when attempting to make changes in their lives.

Overall, the transtheoretical model provides an effective framework for understanding how people go through different stages when trying to make behavioral changes in their lives. It is useful for health professionals who want to help clients make positive lifestyle changes as well as for researchers studying how individuals move through different stages when trying to modify behaviors or habits.

Precontemplation

In this stage, individuals are not considering a change and may be in denial about their problem. They are unaware or unconcerned about the consequences of their behavior and lack motivation to make any changes. People in this stage often need to be made aware of the issues before they can move on to the next stages. With education and support, individuals can move from precontemplation to contemplation and eventually take action towards making a change.

Contemplation
This stage is marked by awareness and acknowledgment of the problematic behavior with serious consideration given to making a change. People in this stage are weighing the pros and cons of changing their behavior and may be feeling ambivalent about it. During this stage, individuals often form an intention to take action in the near future, but may not yet have a plan for doing so. It is important to provide support and resources during this time to help people move through this stage successfully.

Preparation

This stage is characterized by a person's commitment to take action in the near future, usually within the next month. During this stage, individuals are actively gathering information and resources to help them make their desired changes. They may also be experimenting with different strategies and techniques to increase their chances of success. Ultimately, they are preparing themselves for taking action and making lasting changes in their lives.

Action

This is the stage where individuals are motivated to change their behavior and take steps to do so. It is a process of intentional change that focuses on decision-making. During this stage, people are actively engaged in changing their behavior and making lifestyle changes. The Action stage is followed by the Maintenance stage, which helps individuals sustain the changes they have made. Sources of support such as family, friends, and healthcare professionals can be helpful during this process.

Maintenance

This stage is focused on sustaining and maintaining healthy changes in behavior. It involves developing new habits and routines that support a healthier lifestyle. During this stage, individuals need to continuously evaluate their progress, set goals, and monitor their behaviors to ensure long-term success. People may require additional resources such as supportive family and friends to successfully reach this stage. Maintenance helps individuals make healthier choices while avoiding relapse into unhealthy behaviors.

Termination

Included by some researchers, this stage is where there is no longer a desire on the part of an individual to return to old behaviors, regardless of age. New habits no longer require any sort of external reward, and the person does the new habit as part of daily living. This is often a difficult stage to get it.

Social Cognitive Theory of Planned Behavior

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Social Cognitive Theory of Planned Behavior (SCTPB) is a psychological model that helps to explain and predict how individuals make decisions about their health. It is a combination of the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). SCTPB has been used extensively in health promotion, particularly in the social and behavioral sciences.

Behavior Change Research: A Fascinating Study

The SCTPB model suggests that individuals are motivated by both internal and external factors when making decisions about their health. Internal factors include beliefs, attitudes, values, and self-efficacy. External factors include social norms, environmental cues, and perceived consequences. The model also suggests that individuals are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors if they have positive attitudes towards them and perceive them as beneficial.

In terms of other health education and promotion, SCTPB can be used to design interventions that target specific beliefs or attitudes related to health behaviors.

For example, an intervention could focus on increasing knowledge about the benefits of physical activity or reducing negative attitudes towards healthy eating. Additionally, interventions can be designed to increase self-efficacy by providing support or resources to help individuals overcome barriers to engaging in healthy behaviors.

Evaluating Behavior Change Interventions

The SCTPB model suggests that individuals are motivated by both internal and external factors when making decisions about their health. Internal factors include beliefs, attitudes, values, and self-efficacy. External factors include social norms, environmental cues, and perceived consequences. The model also suggests that individuals are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors if they have positive attitudes towards them and perceive them as beneficial.

In terms of other health education and promotion, SCTPB can be used to design interventions that target specific beliefs or attitudes related to health behaviors.

For example, an intervention could focus on increasing knowledge about the benefits of physical activity or reducing negative attitudes towards healthy eating. Additionally, interventions can be designed to increase self-efficacy by providing support or resources to help individuals overcome barriers to engaging in healthy behaviors.

SCTPB can also be used to identify potential risk factors for certain health conditions or diseases. By understanding the beliefs and attitudes people hold about certain behaviors, it is possible to develop targeted interventions that address these issues. For example, an intervention could focus on reducing stigma associated with mental illness or increasing awareness about the risks associated with smoking.
Finally, SCTPB can be used as a tool for evaluating existing programs and policies related to health promotion. By understanding how people think and feel about different aspects of public health and promotion programs or policies, it is possible to assess whether they are effective at achieving their desired outcomes.

This information can then be used to inform future program design or policy development efforts.
Overall, Social Cognitive Theory of Planned Behavior provides a useful framework for understanding how individuals make decisions related to their health and designing effective interventions for promoting healthy behaviors among different populations.

With its emphasis on both internal and external factors influencing behavior change, SCTPB offers valuable insights into health related behavior change and how best to promote positive changes in behavior related to health promotion initiatives.

Helping Clients Surmount Behavioral Obstacles

As a personal trainer, helping your clients overcome behavioral obstacles is an important part of the job. It can be difficult to know how to do this while remaining in your scope of practice, but there are several strategies you can use to help your clients reach their goals.

The first step is to create a plan with your client that outlines their goals and objectives. This plan should include both short-term and long-term goals and should be tailored to the individual’s needs. Once the plan is in place, it’s important to provide motivation and support throughout the process. This could include providing positive reinforcement when they make progress or offering words of encouragement when they face setbacks.

Another way to help clients overcome behavioral obstacles is by listening. People often find themselves in situations where an outsider’s perspective alone can help. For example, if they’re trying to get up earlier, and they keep hitting the snooze button, they might have never considered moving their alarm clock across the room.

This observation alone can sometimes even help the client find the answers they need for themselves. You haven’t overstepped, you’ve simply made a suggestion that could have a big impact on their success.

It’s also important for personal trainers to understand how behavior change works so they can better support their clients during this process.

Behavior change theory suggests that people need to have a clear understanding of what they want to achieve, as well as a sense of self-efficacy in order to make lasting changes in their lives. As a personal trainer, it’s important to provide guidance and support throughout the process so that your clients feel empowered and capable of achieving their goals.

Finally, it’s essential for personal trainers to recognize when their clients are facing mental barriers that may prevent them from reaching their goals (not mental health barriers — these can only be diagnosed and addressed with a proper medical professional).

These can be difficult for some people to overcome on their own, so it’s important for trainers to offer support during your sessions — they will likely need it.

An example here is negative self-talk. If they are always speaking negatively about themselves, they’re likely doing it all the time in their heads. Constant negativity can be very detrimental to achieving their goals, and it’s ok to tell them they don’t have to believe those negative thoughts.

In fact, they can challenge negative self-talk. Finding ways to be positive is a great way to modify behavior.

By following these steps, personal trainers can help their clients overcome behavioral obstacles while remaining within their scope of practice. With patience and dedication, you can help your clients achieve success in reaching their fitness goals!

What’s The Big Deal About Behavior Change?

Behavior change is a complex process that requires understanding and commitment from both the personal trainer and their client. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) provides an effective framework for helping clients to take actionable steps towards their fitness goals. It is based on empirical evidence suggesting that people go through five stages of readiness to change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. At each stage of the TTM, personal trainers can use different strategies to help their clients move forward in their journey towards behavior change.

In the precontemplation stage, it is important for trainers to help clients become aware of the benefits of exercise and how it can improve their health. During the contemplation stage, trainers should focus on helping clients identify potential barriers to change and develop realistic goals. In the preparation stage, trainers should provide guidance on how to overcome those barriers and create an action plan for achieving those goals. During the action stage, trainers should focus on providing support and encouragement while also monitoring progress towards goals.

Finally, during the maintenance stage, trainers should continue to provide support while also encouraging clients to set new goals as they reach their original objectives. By applying these strategies at each stage of the TTM process, personal trainers can help their clients make lasting changes in their behavior that will lead them towards improved health and fitness outcomes. With commitment from both parties involved in this process, behavior change can be achieved successfully.

Going Deeper on Behavior Change — FREE Course!

Grasping the ins and outs of behavior change can be a big challenge, especially as it relates to personal training. As we've discussed in this blog, if the client doesn't want to change their behavior, no amount of personal training is going to stick long term. Fitness professionals need to be experts in the theory of behavior change, and to keep up with new strategies for understanding it and dealing with it.

If you’re looking for a way to expand your personal trainer toolkit to improve your ability to coach clients on behavior change, check out our free course here!