4 Ways To Get Accountability

A big reason clients keep personal trainers around is accountability. It’s not because of the trainers’ dress sense, knowledge, programming skills or sparking personality. It’s the fact the client pays for their sessions, schedules their sessions, and to have someone who bugs them if they don’t show up.

Accountability. The client feels a sense of duty towards their trainer.

No matter what clients think, I feel tracksuit pants are stylish.

Now of course whether client-trainer get along, the trainer is competent, and results are a big part of the equation. But (in my experience) some clients will stay trainers without competency and results

Before I was a trainer and married with kids, I lacked accountability and responsibility. Trust me it was quite a combo. It led to late nights, overindulgence, and an expanded waistline. Now lucky for me I have both, which is great for my waistline and health.

If you lack accountability in your fitness efforts, I’ve got your back, free of charge. Of course, you can pay me if you like. Your choice.

1.  Hire A Coach

Yes, I did just say accountability wouldn’t cost you any money. But I’d be remiss to write an article about training and NOT hock my services. Promise it will be the last time in this article.

Anyway, sometimes to make a change, especially with your health and fitness, you need to put some skin in the game. You know money. Because if you quit on your trainer and yourself, it’s going to hurt at least financially. And if you hire a coach that’s a great fit for you, it will shorten your learning curve and get you where you want to go faster.  

This is a win-win.

2. Tell Your Friends & Family

It always helps to have short and long-term goals to strive for when you’re exercising. Because let’s face it, if exercising isn’t your favorite thing (it’s one of my favorite things) and you have a to-do-list as long as your arm, it is easy to skip.

 Or if the results aren’t coming as fast as you’d like it’s easy to quit and say this exercise thing isn’t for you. But if you tell your friends and family your health & fitness goals (plus writing them down) they will hold you accountable by periodically asking you how you are going.

 You want to impress your family and friends, right?

And if you quit, you must explain to some else why you did it. The simple act of speaking it out loud will help you generate some accountability.

3.  Partner Accountability

When I started training many years ago when the dinosaurs were stomping around me and a buddy hit the gym religiously together. This is great because we pushed each other and dragged each other to the gym when the other one didn’t feel like it. We provided each other accountability.

A study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise said exercise adherence is directly related to having support. So, knowing your friend has your back can help you stick to your fitness goals. (1)

And to smack you around the head when you’re out of line or slacking

4.  Make It Visible

Make what visible you ask? Your goals of course. Like with point 2 you make it real by expressing your goals to family and friends helps to keep you on track. But here you keep yourself accountable by keeping your goal in the forefront of your mind. You can do this in a couple of ways.

·   Writing your goals down and sticking them on the fridge.

·   Scheduling your exercise in a calendar service to remind you.

·   That piece of clothing you want to fit into again, hang it in a prominent place in your closet to remind you.

·   Getting your exercise gear ready the night before so when you wake up it’s there to remind you. Just in case you forgot.

It’s such a simple thing to do, to give yourself accountability. Is it foolproof? No, you still need the desire to get up and make it happen, But every bit helps.  

Wrapping Up

If you find it hard to stick to your exercise plan, these 4 simple ways to give yourself accountability will help you stick with the plan. And when you stick with it, it is a win-win for your health and sexiness.

Need a program to help you on the path to health? Click here for my 6-week program to get you back on track.

References

1.    Psychology of Sport and Exercise Volume 12, Issue 5, September 2011, Pages 575-578. The influence of close others’ exercise habits and perceived social support on exercise