Chapter 19 - Lifestyle Modification and Behavioral Coaching

Question 1

What are the stages of change?

Answer 1

• Precontemplation
• Contemplation
• Preparation
• Action
• Maintenance

Question 2

What is the best strategy for someone in the pre-contemplation stage of change?

Answer 2

Education:
Suggest where they might get information about becoming more active, make it attractive, easy-to-read materials.
Make every effort to talk to precontemplators to find out what they think of exercise and try to dispel any myths they may have.

Question 3

What is the best strategy for someone in the contemplation stage of change?

Answer 3

Education:
Find out what clients see as the pros and cons of exercise and suggest avenues of info for erroneous beliefs.
Discuss ways to deal with the perceived cons of exercise.
Help clients develop motivational programs that will lead to long-term adherence.

Question 4

Describe a person within the pre-contemplation stage of change.

Answer 4

Does not exercise and does not intend to start in the next 6 months

Question 5

Describe a person within the contemplation stage of change.

Answer 5

Do not exercise but plan to become more active in next 6 months

Question 6

Describe a person within the preparation stage of change.

Answer 6

Do occasionally exercise, but are planning to begin exercising regularly in the next month.

Question 7

Describe a person within the action stage of change.

Answer 7

Person has started to exercise, but have no maintained the behavior or 6 months.

Question 8

Describe a person within the maintenance stage of change.

Answer 8

Person has maintained change (consistent exercise) for 6 months or more.

Question 9

What is the best strategy for someone in the preparation stage of change?

Answer 9

1.Help clients clarify realistic goals
2. Help clients maintain belief in importance of exercise
3. Discuss programs that work best for different clients
4. Consider clients’ schedules, preference, and health concerns
5. Ask about previous successful experience with exercise
6. Avoid exercise that could lead to discomfort or injury
7. Discuss building a social support network

Question 10

What is the best strategy for someone in the action stage of change?

Answer 10

Continue to provide education because it will strengthen their belief in the pros of exercise. Important to discuss barriers to exercise and to anticipate upcoming disruptions (example: vacation)

Question 11

What is the best strategy for someone in the maintenance stage of change?

Answer 11

Old habits can still be tempting, suggest that clients have a maintenance check-in plan that includes reinforcing pros, discuss progress, and help them change up their workout plan.

Question 12

List 5 common barriers to exercise.

Answer 12

1. Perceived lack of time
2. Unrealistic Goals
3. Lack of Social Support
4. Social Physique Anxiety
5. Convenience: access to facilities, classes, personal trainers, and instructors

Question 13

List 3 behavioral strategies to enhance exercise Adherence

Answer 13

1. Self-Management
2. Goal Setting
3. Self-Monitoring

Question 14

What is the main cognitive strategy to enhance exercise adherence? How is it achieved?

Answer 14

Positive self-talk via
- Psyching up
- Imagery

Question 15

What does the acronym “S.M.A.R.T.” stand for?

Answer 15

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Question 16

What are some benefits of the “self-monitoring” behavioral strategy?

Answer 16

1. Gives client the opportunity to look at progress over time
2. Being able to see progress builds self-confidence and self-esteem, which leads to exercise adherence
3. Log can be used in as a form of accountability and aid with motivation
4. Encourages clients to be honest about their activity, which encourages them to stick to an exercise program
5. Logging a workout serves as a reward
6. Helps clients identify challenging situations and barriers to exercise

Question 17

What are some benefits of the “positive self-talk” cognitive strategy?

Answer 17

1. Helps clients become aware of their negative thought process by making a list of any negative thoughts they may have around exercise.
2. Coming up with a list of positive thoughts that surround exercise helps to use for reference when feeling negative.
3. Creating a positive that counteracts every negative will help create awareness and help translate negative thoughts into positive.

Question 18

What is “exercise imagery”?

Answer 18

The process created to produce internalized experiences to support or enhance exercise participation.

Question 19

What are some psychological benefits of exercise?

Answer 19

1. Promotes positive mood
2. Reduces stress
3. Improves sleep
4. Reduces anxiety and depression

Question 20

What is social support? What are the 4 kinds of support?

Answer 20

• Physical and emotional comfort that a person receives from others
  Types of Support:
  1. Instrumental
  2. Emotional
  3. Informational
  4. Companionship

Question 21

List some types of “group” exercise influences.

Answer 21

1. Family
2. Parental
3. Exercise Leader
4. Exercise Group (both size and composition)

Question 22

What is instrumental support? Give some examples.

Answer 22

• The tangible and practical factors necessary to help a person adhere to exercise or achieve exercise goals.
  Examples:
• Transportation to facility
• Babysitter
• Spotter for weight-lifting

Question 23

What is emotional support and why is it important (in regard to exercise)?

Answer 23

-Encouragement, caring, empathy, concern
-Will enhance self-esteem and reduce anxiety
examples: raising client for efforts, encourage to work harder, sympathize with sore muscles

Question 24

What is informational support (in regard to exercise)?

Answer 24

• Directions, advice, suggestions about how to exercise, feedback regarding their progress
• One of the main reasons why people come to personal trainers in the first place

Question 25

What is companionship support? What are some benefits of companionship support?

Answer 25

-Availability of family, friends and coworkers with whom clients can exercise with
-Produces positive feelings and may distract people from the negative aspects of exercise-related feelings such as fatigue, pain, and boredom and can provide a sense of camaraderie and accountability

Question 26

List some effective communication skills

Answer 26

1. Verbal and nonverbal Communication
2. Active listening
3. Asking questions
4. Reflecting
5. Summarizing
6. Using affirmations
7. Asking permission

Question 27

Explain the communication skill, “using affirmations” and explain its importance and difference from a compliment.

Answer 27

• Affirmations show appreciation for clients and their strengths
• P.T. must listen carefully to know what to affirm
• Important to genuinely affirm something the client personally values (about client’s thoughts, plans or skills) rather than clothes, sneakers, HR monitor, etc
• Compliments are more “I” statements and create an external advantage point
• Affirmations are more “you” statements and creates an internal client attribute

Question 28

What is “reflecting”? Why is it important?

Answer 28

• A conversational technique that expresses the purported meaning of what was just heard.
  Importance:
• Expresses caring and communicates understanding
• Making sure what you heard was accurate to what the client was trying to say

Question 29

What is self-management? What is the benefit of self-management? What is it accomplished / what should be included?

Answer 29

• A behavioral strategy where individuals manage their own behaviors, thoughts, and emotions and change whatever is not working.
  Benefit:
• Improves individual’s skills and ability to monitor and change what isn’t working
• Coping with and adapting lifestyle changes associated with beginning or returning to exercise
  How-To:
• Daily logs “exercise logs” proven to be beneficial with this type
• Track exercise (time and date, calories expended, - Perceived heart rate:
• Food/diet
• Sleep
• Thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc
• Period cycle (for females)

Question 30

Define goal setting (behavioral strategy).

Answer 30

• Process that involves assessing one’s current level of fitness or performance and creating a specific, measurable, realistic, and challenging goal for one’s future level of fitness or performance and detailing actions to be taken to achieve that goal
  (6 months, next year, next 5 years, dream accomplishment)

Question 31

What is self-monitoring? What should a client include when self-monitoring? What is the benefit of self-monitoring?

Answer 31

• Behavioral strategy usually done in form of a daily written record of the behavior in which the client is trying to change
  Include:
• Time (and date)
• Exercises
• Calories expended
• Perceived heart rate,
• Sleep cycle,
• Food
• Feeling emotionally (track period for females)
  Benefit:
• Helps look at progression over time

Question 32

What is social physique anxiety?

Answer 32

• Concern with body image
• Overemphasize the difference between their body type and the body types of others when in a fitness facility.

Question 33

Why are unrealistic goals a common barrier to exercise?

Answer 33

• Lowers motivation
• Decreases self-esteem
• Does not provide the exerciser a sense of success

Question 34

What is psyching up?

Answer 34

• Dialog should include any techniques your clients currently use to get psyched up for other situations in his/her life, come up with a list of things that will help get them psyched up for exercise (keywords, imagery, specific food, music, etc)

Question 35

What is imagery?

Answer 35

• A form of stimulation that occurs in the mind (in relation to performance and participation, using past positive experiences are very helpful)
• Example: visualize performing with greater relaxation, better muscular/motor control

Question 36

What is “active listening?” What does it require?

Answer 36

• An attitude and genuine interest in seeking a client’s perspective and getting to know him/her.
• Get to know client, honor client’s perspective, and build a relationship with client.
  Requires:
• Paying attention
• Eye contact
• Minimize distractions
• Provide feedback only after the client has finished speaking

Question 37

What is “summarizing?” Why is it important to do?

Answer 37

• A series of reflections
• Show a greater depth of listening throughout an entire conversation