Selecting the Right Program for You

Tim: At this point you've heard all about Ken's program. What about you? We assume that if you have read this far, you are interested in how our journey might apply to you.

Several very important elements must be put in place when preparing for your own program.

Have a compelling purpose. Remember, whether you have a health-driven purpose, a cause-driven purpose, or a personally driven purpose, it must be your purpose, not someone else's. You are doing this for yourself.

Get a medical checkup. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that any individual over age 40 should check with their physician prior to starting a vigorous exercise program. I would add that a sedentary individual of any age should do the same. This can range from a “minute clinic” visit to a full-fledged medical and physical exam such as Ken had at the Lifewellness Institute. The purpose for the medical checkup is to ensure that you don't have a medical condition that would prohibit or limit your participation.

Get educated about fitness. This is important because you need to understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. Fitness advice comes at us from everywhere in every form of media—books, magazines, TV programs, DVDs, the Internet, seminars, etc. Even my local newspaper has an entire section dedicated to fitness every Tuesday. Because a license is not required to teach or write about fitness, virtually everyone could call themselves professionals. Be sure to do your homework before laying out your money or following someone's advice based on appearances or marketing hype. A consultation with a legitimate fitness professional can help guide you to the most appropriate information sources for your age and fitness level.

Establish goals. As with any other worthwhile project, it is necessary to set goals throughout your fitness program to achieve good results. Be sure your goals are SMART goals: Specific, Motivating, Attainable, Relevant, and Trackable. This is the time to pay a fitness professional for what they know. At a minimum, the person should have a bachelor's degree in sports science and experience in working with people of your age group.

For years, I offered people at this early stage a three-session startup. Each session was an hour in length. During the first session I would evaluate health history, do a simple fitness evaluation, discuss goals, and talk about the plan. In the second session I would present my recommendations and we would implement the plan. The third session was a one-month follow-up to see how the client was progressing. A startup plan such as this is an effective way to be sure you are beginning a program suitable for your specific needs and goals.

Set up a support system. Anytime you measure long-term success, the results are often only as good as your support system. An effective support system usually starts with a spouse or significant other, and the best scenario is when you are working on your fitness together. When this is not the case, at a minimum you need to have this person's genuine support—nothing is worse than when you are trying to eat a low-calorie, healthy meal and your spouse or closest friend is sitting across from you eating a cheeseburger and fries!

If you don't have a significant other who is part of your fitness program, try to identify another reliable workout partner. Ideally, this should be someone who has the same goals you have and—most important—someone who is at least as motivated as you are. I always find that when I play golf with golfers who are worse than me, I play poorly. When I play with golfers who are better than me, I play better. Choose wisely!

The rest of your support team can include family members, friends, and work colleagues who have your best interests at heart.

Use Situational Leadership® II to ensure success. When I started my fitness business in 1987 and opened my first facility, my goal was member retention. Because the Situational Leadership® II model in many ways is common-sense organized, even before I knew the formal concept, I used it when people would join my program. I believed it was important to put each member on the program at a level at which they were most likely to succeed. This approach was very effective—my clubs had a retention rate of better than 90 percent with no contracts.

Here are some examples of real people at different development levels and the kind of help (i.e., leadership style) they needed.

D1—Enthusiastic Beginner (Low Competence/High Commitment). A 45-year-old woman who was 50 pounds overweight joined my program. She said her doctor had told her she must lose weight or she could face serious health problems. She had tried dieting alone with little success and wanted to try exercise but hated it. I asked her what type of exercise she could tolerate, and she said that she enjoyed walking but for many reasons couldn't do it when she got home from work. She worked next door to our fitness facility and took an hour for lunch.

After assessing her, I found that she was willing to walk every day, and she loved to read. I explained how aerobic exercise alone could really help (details in the Resources II section), and she began her workouts the next day. Initially, under the watchful eye of one of our staff members, she would walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes each day while reading a book. Then she added an hour on the weekends. After three months she had lost 12 pounds, within six months she had lost 28 pounds and after a full year she was down 48 pounds. As time went on, she needed minimal S1—Directing or S2—Coaching, but she continued to get lots of S3—Supporting style from staff and other members. By year's end, she had progressed from D1 to D4 and was taking exercise classes and doing strength training. She and her doctor were both very happy.

D2—Disillusioned Learner (Low to Some Competence/Low Commitment). A 50-year-old man who was recovering from a serious stroke joined the facility. The left side of his body was mostly paralyzed, and his medical coverage for stroke rehab had ended because he had stopped making progress. He could drive a car and was fully retired on disability. He desperately needed exercise but could not afford a full-time trainer. After assessing him, I realized that he had been a D2—disillusioned learner for some time but now had a very distinct purpose. He could do the exercise bike on his own and do minimal strength training—but what he desperately needed was stretching, which he could not do by himself. I arranged to have him stretched twice per week for 30 minutes by a trainer. He is still dedicated to his program after 20 years. Even though he had only marginal improvement of the paralysis, his quality of life improved immensely. He comes for his workout five times per week on his own, and with staff help he has progressed from a D1/D2 to a D4.

D3—Capable but Cautious Performer (Moderate to High Competence/Variable Commitment). Ken's wife, Margie, began a walking program more than 30 years ago that she still does today. She had good knowledge and good commitment but because of a very busy lifestyle needed to find the right time to exercise. She began walking the golf course near their home with three friends every morning at 6:00, and she is still walking with the same group after 30 years every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Admittedly, if she didn't have her group providing her with the S3— Supporting style she needed, it would have been easy to find an excuse not to walk; but when others are relying on you, you show up or you feel you are letting down the group.

After reading the first draft of this book, our publisher, Steve Piersanti, told Ken and me a similar story involving himself. At age 60, Steve is very health conscious, but because of a busy work schedule he finds it difficult to find time to exercise. He loves to play basketball, so for many years he has played pickup games with a group of young men each Tuesday and Thursday night in the gym at his church. As the organizer of the basketball games, Steve is the one with the key to open the gym and is responsible for care of the gym. Most Tuesday and Thursday nights, he has lots of excuses for not playing basketball—especially projects he is working overtime on, such as reviewing manuscripts—but he knows that if he does not show up to open the gym, he'll be letting the other players down. So Steve finds a way to participate even though he is busy or tired. After playing, he is always glad that he did, because he feels great. Steve confides that he has held on to the responsibility of opening the gym because it motivates him to do what he would otherwise frequently find an excuse not to do.

These are both great examples of exercise-minded people who achieved fitness by tying themselves to a reliable support group.

Example of a D4—Self-Reliant Achiever (High Competence/High Commitment): A good friend of mine from West Point is still an exercise fanatic at age 70. Between being a West Point graduate and serving 30 years in the army, Jim is an excellent example of fitness for his age. Without question, he is a D4 at fitness and still works out two hours per day. Because he wants to make the best use of his time and improve efficiency, he meets with me twice a year to “tune up” his program and get the latest fitness tips.

Tips for Getting Fit on a Budget

Not everyone has the luxury of joining a high-end program, so here are some tips for using your resources efficiently and budgeting for the things that are important.

• You may not need a trainer full-time, but it's a good idea to find one to set up your initial program and meet with you perhaps once a month. This way you will have a program that is customized to your needs and a professional who will help keep you accountable.

• Many large fitness clubs today sell memberships for as low as $9.99 per month. While you may not get the professional help you need at that price, most places have great equipment and a variety of exercise classes. Many of these classes build camaraderie, which can provide extra support.

• If you are not a “club person” and like to walk, consider buying a pedometer—a device that clips to your belt and counts the number of steps you take per day. It's an amazing visual motivator and costs only about $20. If you own a smartphone, numerous apps are available—many free of charge—that offer fitness tools that can turn your phone into a pedometer, measure progress toward goals, keep track of workouts, and more. Some apps even have a voice that reminds you when it's time to exercise!

• Some people prefer to work out at home. A home gym can range from an exercise mat, an exercise ball, a few sets of hand weights, and a stationary bike to a home version multistation gym, a treadmill, and an elliptical cross-trainer. The former is a $300 to $500 investment, and the latter is more like $3,000 to $5,000. A word of caution: Unless you are truly committed to your fitness program, there is a risk that this equipment will turn into expensive clothing racks!

I recall doing a home consultation for a wealthy bachelor that began with a chat in his living room. I asked him if he had any equipment. He said he did and then described all of the equipment in the last scenario. He asked me if that was good. I replied that it was, but that in many cases such machines become great racks for holding coats, ties, shirts, belts, and jackets. He had a big grin on his face and when I walked into his workout room, sure enough, everything was exactly as I had described, down to the ties and belts. We had a good laugh and then we got serious. So remember—home gym equipment is only as good as the sincerity of your motivation. If this approach interests you, a huge inventory of used equipment is available every day at bargain prices on www.craigslist.org.

• Group training sessions are an excellent way to get a lot of bang for your buck. Three to 10 people get together for a joint session with a personal trainer. This is frequently referred to as a “boot camp.” The typical cost is between $5 and $20 per session. Some health care insurance providers offer discounts and, in some cases, free classes and visits to health clubs in your area. Check with your insurance company.

• Look into low-cost fitness classes, lectures, or workshops through your city or county parks and recreation department. Not only can you pick up valuable information, but it's a great way to meet like-minded people in your community who ultimately could become part of your support system.

We know that many people aren't able, like Ken, to hire coaches and assistants to help keep them on track. It might be easy to think With all of those resources, how could anyone fail? In fact, it can happen easily. People can pass the buck and make others accountable for their success. Remember—Ken had similar resources over the last 30 years and tried other fitness plans with only temporary results.

So why was it working this time? I'm certain it's because Ken was learning to be accountable to himself. Everyone willing to commit to a self-improvement plan needs to develop and attain the primary ingredient for success: personal accountability.