TEACHING A NON-LINEAR APPROACH TO PROGRESS

HELP YOUR CLIENTS REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL BY DEVELOPING THEIR MENTAL FITNESS

IT IS ONE THING TO ENSURE YOUR CLIENTS GET FIT, REDUCE RISK FOR DISEASE, BOOST MOOD AND FEEL GOOD IN THEIR SKIN, BUT ARE YOU ALSO TEACHING THEM MENTAL FITNESS?

When the going gets tough, an even tougher mind is the ultimate tool to get through it and thrive.

Researchers and psychologists have been exploring mental strategies proven to boost performance and productivity and enhance confidence for decades. Those strategies are used by elite athletes, business leaders, and fitness professionals worldwide to help their clients’ overcome challenges with mindfulness and mental resiliency.

Strategies for Becoming Mentally Fit

1. Understanding Non-Linear Progress

Understanding that progress is rarely linear is an essential mental skill for fitness success. You can bet on ups and downs, plateaus, and setbacks along the way.

Accepting this non-linear nature of progress is key. Clients need to know that not every workout will be a personal best, not every weigh-in will show a drop on the scale, and not every nutrition goal will be achieved perfectly. Expecting perfection will only lead to frustration and potential burnout.

Instead, teach your clients to celebrate small wins, enjoy the process, and trust that the overall trend is moving in the right direction, even if the path is not straight. Explain the science behind neuroplasticity and how the brain and body adapt in waves. This understanding can help them stay motivated and resilient through the inevitable difficulties.

2. Preparing for Setbacks

It is equally essential to prepare your clients for setbacks mentally. Life happens, and there will be times when progress stalls or even reverses due to illness, injury, stress, or other circumstances beyond their control.

The key is to help them develop the mental strength to overcome these setbacks. Teach them strategies like positive self-talk, visualization, and controlled breathing to stay focused and bounce back quickly. Remind them that setbacks are temporary and do not define their overall progress.

Brenley Shapiro, a Sport Psychology and Performance Consultant with over 20 years of experience helping athletes and teams enhance their mindset for peak performance, says, “It’s important to recognize that both setbacks and obstacles are always going to be a part of fitness and life; they are not the opposite of pursuing your goals, but rather a crucial part of the process.”

To mentally prepare for setbacks, Shapiro uses a strategy called “The ‘If then’ plan.” “This involves saying, ‘If something happens, this is what I will do about it,’ allowing you to fill in the blanks for various situations. For example, ‘If I’ve fallen off track with my workouts, then this is what I will do about it.’ It’s a practical approach to addressing struggles, and we need to create a plan for adversity since certain setbacks will inevitably occur.”

3. Developing Mental Strength

The Cleveland Clinic defines mental strength—or resiliency—as “how effectively someone deals with challenges, pressures and stressors they may face.” Working on mental strength can improve life satisfaction and protect against future mental health issues.

In the fitness world, the attributes of mental toughness are self-belief, desire, and motivation, and the ability to deal with pressure, anxiety, focus, and work through pain and hardships.

The reason it is so important to reinforce mental strength is because our brains are hardwired to think the worst. This can lead to an all-or-nothing attitude, low self-esteem, lack of motivation, and negative self-talk, which can sabotage fitness progress.

Science-Backed Strategies to Develop Mental Strength

Practice Mental Imagery

Mental imagery, also known as visualization, is an effective technique developed by psychologists that involves imagining positive outcomes using a variety of multi-sensory tactics— and it has been shown to improve life satisfaction and outcomes.

There are several ways to employ imagery. Treat it like a guided meditation where your client sits quietly and trains their mind to focus on an upcoming workout, race, or fitness goal and how they would like to see it play out in specific detail.

Experts say to be as vivid and specific as possible and incorporate all the senses—see, feel, smell, hear, and even taste it. If a client is working on improving their 5K time, have them picture themselves crossing the finish line, feeling the rush of accomplishment, hearing the cheers of the crowd, and smelling the fresh air.

In addition, imagery should be wellplanned and practiced regularly. Perfecting a skill in the mind before physically getting there will help your clients get there faster and more confidently.

Monitor Self-Talk

Awareness of how clients speak to themselves and taking steps to improve selftalk is another tool for mental resilience.

According to research, the subconscious mind does not recognize negatives such as the word “don’t,” so if someone is constantly telling themselves, “Don’t mess up,” their brain only hears and visualizes them messing up. Teach them to put a positive spin on self-talk, so instead, they say, “I’ve got this!” This will help them work with their subconscious, not against it.

“Self-talk is essential in developing mental resilience because the mind leads the body; our internal dialogue influences how we move through fitness and life. Negative self-talk can result in giving up more easily, as the body simply follows,” explains Shapiro. “To foster resilience, we must engage in positive and encouraging self-talk. The brain cannot distinguish between reality and imagination, so it responds to our words—if we say something is too hard or that we’re not good enough, the brain will protect us from discomfort by finding all the ways to get us out of it. Alternatively, affirming our efforts and capabilities promotes resilience, allowing us to push through challenges and ultimately feel accomplished.”

Breathwork

Nerves and anxiety are a force to reckon with, especially when the stakes are high,and learning to control stress is another way to develop mental strength.

There are many ways to get started with calming breathwork—here are some easy ones to try:

• Box breathing or four-square breathing

• 4-7-8 breathing

• Alternate nostril breathing

Bottom Line

Your role goes beyond just helping clients achieve physical goals. Guiding them to develop mental strength and resilience is just as crucial for long-term success and satisfaction. Implement these strategies with your clients and watch them transform not just their bodies but also their mindsets.

Alicia Tyler is a journalist and editor specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and wellness. She was previously the Editorial Director of Clean Eating and Vegetarian Times. Her work has also appeared in MindBodyGreen, MoneySense, Yoga Journal, Women’s Running, and Oxygen. She is also an F45 studio owner in Toronto and a certified nutritionist and personal trainer. Read more at aliciamtyler.com