519.439.4267

Make this the Year You Make Your MOVE

Original article as seen in Fitness Business Canada, Winter 2019.

Step out of your day-to-day business and into the front lines of the industry to be seen, heard and recognized.

MOVE yourself to the next level of leadership by stressing the conversation around your purpose – know why you exist. This is something you want to remind yourself and your team to think about and talk about. While the landscape of the fitness industry is changing dramatically, particularly with the continued growth of boutique studios and fitness communities, it is important to not lose touch with your unique selling position, your principle values and the reason you do what you do.

MOVE your business forward to ensure you remain innovative and continue to grow. Set both professional and personal goals that include continuing to do what you already do well but also goals that will motivate you and your team to climb that higher mountain. State your goals and your strategy to reach them, both up and down the line of your organization. If you do not have a business or professional coach, I suggest you find one. Communicate your goals and strategies throughout your organization, right to the front line associates. Helping your members and clients reach their goals will require your front line leaders to lead by example.

MOTIVATE yourself and your team by understanding both the macro industry and micro trends within your own business community. The only way to stay current with trends is to first know what they are and then to keep tabs on how they are changing. You must then determine how to use or leverage these trends in your business. Real-world vetting of the macro-industry trends, products and services is paramount for any business. But simply having the latest trends in such things as technology is not worth anything if you do not have a  clear understanding of how to manage or monetize them for your specific business. Step out of your day-to-day business and into the front lines of the industry to be seen, heard and recognized. This will give you direct access to learning and gift you with invaluable moments of inspiration. I cannot stress this enough.

MONETIZE the continued increase in group training workouts and experiential performances from instructors and trainers. The challenge is finding recruiting, developing and retaining talent in all aspects of the business, particularly in personal trainers, group training coaches and group fitness instructors. Employee development and retention of top talent will be critical areas of focus to ensure you carry out your business’ purpose and mission, and it will play a key role in how well you keep your members motivated and engaged. Plan ahead to ensure that you can create momentum in your business and in your life this upcoming year. Attend conventions and industry events as this is where you will meet industry leaders, business owners and operators, and boutique and studio owners. These are the people who will motivate and educate you so your business can move to the next level.

Read More
Category:

Canadian Fitness Industry Leadership Award

This year marks the sixth annual Canadian Fitness Industry Leadership Award. On March 14th, 2019, this award was presented to a Fitness Industry Council of Canada member who has, throughout the years, proven to be an industry leader. This individual is passionate about the wellbeing and promotion of the fitness industry and has contributed significantly in its growth.

Fitness Industry Council of Canada is proud to announce Maureen “Mo” Hagan as the 2019 recipient.

Maureen “Mo” Hagan has made a significant impact on the fitness industry, as an award-winning, innovative and passionate fitness expert and as a savvy business person.

READ MORE
Read More
Category:

Making Fitness a Habit

A habit is an automatic activity we do consistently in our daily lives without thinking about it, from brushing our teeth to walking the dog before work to having a coffee when we wake up.

We all know it’s difficult to kick a bad habit, but kickstarting a good one isn’t easy, either.

Knowing the science behind building a habit can help take the guesswork out of forming good fitness habits.

CONTINUE READING
Read More
Category:

Jump Start Your Summer!

June is the springboard to summer; a time to reveal ourselves to the world as we take off the layers of clothing and excess weight gained over the winter months.

This is the most popular time of year for people to engage in exercise and a weight loss program.  People join fitness clubs, running clubs, group fitness classes and hire trainers in the desire to shed this unwanted weight so that they can look, feel and perform their best, and become the best version of themselves.  While 80 percent of the population knows that they need to move more and eat less, the majority of this group do not know where to start and, or they struggle to make eating healthy and moving more a priority in their daily life.

I encourage you to leverage this time of the year to set out a plan for the next three months. Begin with the end in mind.  Choose your goal date to accomplish your goal.  Make a list of all the reasons why losing weight, getting fit, becoming healthy and achieving your fitness goals is important to you.  Visualize this goal being achieved and identify with the emotions that will accompany you achieving that goal—joy, bliss, peace, happiness, pride, etc.  Ask yourself why achieving this goal is important to you?  Dig deep to establish a “why” that you can get emotionally motivated by.  You need to have a strong, emotional reason for wanting to achieve any goal in order to take action on a daily basis.  Without a strong and emotionally based “why”, you will most likely struggle to stay on track with your plan and without a SMART plan written down, broken down into weekly and daily goals, you will struggle even more.  Consistency is KEY to achieving any goal.  As I always say in the fitness classes that I teach, “it is not how much you do, or how hard you do it, but what you do and how consistent you are, that will make the difference long term.

Those who are successful in achieving fitness and health-related goals do three things:

  1. THEY MAKE NO EXCUSE!  Nothing stands in their way of achieving their daily, weekly and monthly goals.  They prioritize what’s most important and to ensure they succeed they do the following:
  2. They have an ACTION plan (with SMART goals written down-Specific, Measure-able, Achievement, Relevant and Timely).  They report their progress on their activities to someone who asks to be accountable to, on a daily or weekly basis.   Having a coach, trainer or ‘accountability’ person to report their progress to ensures that they achieve the following:
  3. They are CONSISTENT!  Those who achieve their goals are consistent over time.  They exercise 5-6 days per week to achieve their fitness goals.  They invest in makes needed to support them on their journey to achieving their goal.  They prepare their meals and snacks for the week on Sunday (ahead of time). They build their exercise and healthy eating into their life, as a ‘lifestyle.   Those who are consistent find a way to fit their pro-actions into action every day.  They proactively choose and prioritize their day versus react to the day in front of them.Take action and achieve your fitness and health goals this summer.
To help you, I have created a JUMPSTART program to support you.  Click here to learn more.  I will personally send you my  box full of products, which includes a 30-minute coaching session that will help you set up your plan. Learn More about the package HERE.
This amazing box full of products includes a 30-minute coaching session that will help you set up your plan.
Read More
Category:

Awareness — The Power of Fit Relationships for Healthy Aging

My focus on the power of group continues this month as I keep finding research to support it.   My latest discovery came out of the November-December issue of The Journal of Active Aging.  According to a 79 year old Harvard Study of Adult Development, the world’s longest running study of the factors affecting health in later life, the single most powerful predictor of good health is positive relationships.   This ongoing study evaluates a myriad of factors that affect how healthfully participants age.  While factors including genetics, diet, exercise, drug and alcohol use, socioeconomic status and intelligence were measured, positive relationships stood out as the most significant; those who were most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 turned out to be the healthiest at age 80.  Positive relationships with family, friends and community appear to better predict long, healthy, happy lives than all other personal and social factors.  The opposite was also found in that those with absence of close relationships fostered poor health and decreased longevity.   So what does this mean for our industry and for your business?  By understanding the impact that quality relationships has on overall health and longevity, the fitness industry can promote this as one of the leading benefits of exercising in a group whether that be group fitness classes, small group training or a social ‘club’ within your facility.   Dr Jeff Rossman, author of this ICCA journal article titled “Strong Relationships: A Prescription for Healthy Aging” shared his healthy tips for building strong relationships as we age and among them he recommended exactly that—to join groups.  He also compared the benefits of positive relationships to the benefits of exercise and said “just as we strive to stay physically active in later life, we need to strive to stay connected with people, as the quality and quantity of our life depends on it”.  Another big variable is positivity.  Being around people who are happy, who choose to take good care of themselves, and choose to surround themselves with other positive, health-driven goals, is just one more way to develop and sustain relationships.   So think about the opportunities you have to bring members together in your club or facility.  Look for opportunities to foster healthy relationships with your members.  While group fitness and small group training are two proven and powerful ways to accomplish this, think of ways to foster relationships with your new members as early in their membership life as possible.  Leading in the front lines at GoodLife Fitness, as a group fitness instructor for the past 33 years, I am witness to the power that group has on people’s lives physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. With this new information I am more assured than ever that what I am doing for the participants in my classes is far more than providing them with an exercise response.  It is providing them with a life line.

Read More
Category:
X