If you’re not already health coaching along with the fitness, I suggest you start. The two major areas to focus on for fitness in midlife: 

• Exercise 

• Every hour outside of Exercise 

In the exercise itself: 

• Type of exercise and time it’s done

• Length of the exercise 

• Intensity of the exercise

• Sequence of exercises 

• Frequency of exercise

• Rest between exercise 

• Purpose of every exercise and every session

…. Each of these has to be related to endocrine status, musculoskeletal  status and conditions or injury history. 

Outside of exercise: 

• Nutrition contributing to the preparation

• Nutrition contributing to recovery 

• Hydration (for the same) 

• Course correcting to optimize effects of exercise on system (a body under stress can’t exercise hard and get results and eventually more intense exercise will be a part of muscle and bone success) 

• Sleep 

• Stress 

So there's a little to unpack during this episode. In fact, that would be an overwhelming amount of information for an episode. That in fact is more like a course (like the Flipping 50 Menopause Specialist Course). We’re going to focus here on the one biggest thing women want in midlife and find elusive: a flat belly. It’s so tied to metabolism, so we’ll focus on this little slice of information so you can start using it with clients tomorrow!

The #1 Key to Helping Clients Get a Flat Belly in Midlife

It’s all related to controlling BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS 

a.     Overall reduction 

b.     Reduction of spikes 

 

5 Go-To Flat Belly Strategies to Drip Out for Clients  

REDUCE OVERALL STRESS. That includes… 

1. Monitor Exercise Effects on Your Client. 

Exercise – walking + strength training are best. The exercise that causes more cortisol is that “moderate level” where after about 45 minutes blood sugar levels tend to increase and stay there.. causing your body to store fat. You can’t both store and burn fat. 

But women can make a mess of walking and strength training unintentionally too. More is better mentality will kill the positive results they could be getting. 

• Walking after meals is MOST beneficial
• Brisk walking trumps slow walking 
• Strength training that increases lean muscle tissue makes every other movement or exercise you do daily support blood sugar control: muscle is a sponge for blood sugar 

2. Change the order of the foods they’re eating. 

Changing the sequence you eat foods putting protein and vegetables first and carbs last can change the impact of glucose spikes by 75%

3. Start with Apple Cider vinegar before a meal 1-2 T diluted in a glass of water is proven to significantly reduce blood sugar spikes that occur after meals. 

2 More Ways to Help Clients Get a Flat Belly in Midlife 

4. Increase movement throughout the day. Even a few minutes of standing pacing, sitting on a desk bike, a few times during the morning and the afternoon reduced post meal blood sugar spikes 17% even when the activity didn’t occur after meals 

5. If you know you’re going to eat something that will spike your blood sugar (I like my morning caffeine and unfortunately it spikes my blood sugar – rather than give it up, I’ve decided it stays but afterwards I go for a 30 minute walk every day shortly after when otherwise blood sugar would spike. Go me… and go my matcha! This should be the same for stress…. In an argument, take a walk and blow off steam. Many of us do this naturally and don’t even know it. Moving moves emotions through us but joyful and grief and anger. And it helps keep the blood sugar levels stable. 

For coaching, these could be dripped out teachable parts of a mini course, a bonus course to live beside your fitness course, or an upsell to a mini course. 

When female clients come to you for core exercise, it’s often not the right tool for the job. Use that to attract and this to give them what they need. 

Resources: 

Your Business Scorecard: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/business-scorecard/

Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist™ Course: 

https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-specialist-program-2022/

WellPros Mastermind & Mentorship Group: https://www.flippingfifty.com/WELLPROS

Theia Glucose Monitor: https://www.flippingfifty.com/myglucose

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Training Midlife Clients | Zone 2 Training For Menopause: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/zone-2-training-for-menopause/

7 Tips to be a Personal Trainer Every Midlife Woman Wants to Work With  https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/be-a-personal-trainer/

5 Menopause Exercise Programming Tips from Recent Exercise Studies

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/menopause-exercise-programming/

 

This list of why serving midlife women, the why to be a Menopause Fitness Specialist encompasses it all.

#1 Reason to be a Menopause Fitness Specialist 

Legacy. How do you think most women drawn to doing this are midlife or approaching it themselves? Or they're slightly younger and they're working with older women, but a little bit wiser maybe beyond their years and want to really leave a legacy. Really.

I mean, women in menopause, in early stages, specifically Perimenopause, are also many of them in the workforce. And they're struggling to get support in the workforce. They're struggling with problems with hot flashes with night sweats, leaving them Sleepless in menopause, in the workplace. So they're not functioning as well. So when you can leap in know, how do I pivot? In order to help decrease the signs and symptoms of menopause. You're helping so many things, you're helping the workforce you're keeping absenteeism down, you're increasing and enhancing productivity, and just overall increasing the life and happiness of a single woman and every woman in her ripple effect. Her immediate family and others who either suffer when when she does. 

#2 Reason to be a Menopause Fitness Specialist

This is a very lucrative market. One of the reasons why we're seeing a surge of title menopause expert menopause and coach, menopause lifestyle coach. Without the education certification qualification, experience, history proven track record. We're seeing a title acquired in minutes but the knowledge the experience level, the credibility and the ability to create consistent, predictable results reliably, is not yet there. And this is where we can give you the formula that has been proven. First of all, based on science of 30 year history and then based on these last 10 years of being proven. And if it wasn't proven, or thrown out, we've dialed it in. It's done for you. And we can stand on our trademark copyrighted property and say, here's what works. 

#3 Reason to be a Menopause Fitness Specialist

Community. You get a community of coaches, and right now an opportunity to congregate with this community and get support with your marketing and your PR, your ways of attracting new clients and of being sure that you're way ahead of them. Asking what's next? What now, when that first program or that first challenge is done these are such important pieces of what you're going to do.  

#4 Reason to be a Menopause Fitness Specialist

Freedom. About 52 million women are in menopause right now. There are women who you're able to work with and set your own time. You get to change and set your own schedule when you're the boss, which is what we want as much and maybe some would say more than the money is that we want freedom and flexibility.

It takes a community who can say do you realize what you're doing? Do you realize that you're doing this yourself? Why don't you change that class? Have it at an earlier time, have it in the morning habit at lunch? Don't have it in the evening. You may not attract the same people; they may not be able to go with you. Okay, attract other people who can have the availability that you also have. These things are, are really key. And one advantage of being a flipping 50 Menopause fitness specialist is that you can realize that you too were thinking a little bit crazy and that limiting beliefs are really a piece of what stopped us knowing we can see it so well in somebody else. But when you're in the frame, you can't necessarily see yourself what mistakes you might be making. So this community is really, really key and critical.

#5 Reason to be a Menopause Fitness Specialist 

Last but not least, this market is not going away. So women are going to continually go through menopause. If we can capture them when they're 30 and they're 40 If you get that thriving program going there's no reason why you can't rinse and repeat, keep growing, it's scaling it and expanding to the women you're working with now will be 10 and 15 years old or soon, there will be something else that they need in addition to what you've already given them. For those women who have daughters, younger friends, you're going to be able to attract and expand to them. How can you reach midlife already in better shape. You've got an expansive service but you're not all over the board. You can create a program, drill down deeper that program and offer it in so many different ways. Then expand from that program. Once it's up and running, it's already working. 

And there you have it. For my Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialists, what would you add? 

And what about you? Have you got a community? A market begging for clued-in competent and confident professionals? Do you have a future that looks extremely bright where you can develop a niche and serve it exclusively instead of jumping all over trying to be a jack (or jill) of all trades? 

Resources: 

Your Business Scorecard: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/business-scorecard/

Marketing to Women Copywriting Course: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/copywriting-course/

Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist™ Course: 

https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-specialist-program-2022/

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

Training Midlife Clients | Zone 2 Training For Menopause

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/zone-2-training-for-menopause/

3 Ways to Coach Menopause Clients Out of Mistakes

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/coach-menopause-clients/

The #1 Way to Reach More New Fitness Customers

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/1-way-reach-new-fitness-customers/

In this moment of goal setting for next year or your next quarter or half year there is always - at least I hope it’s true for you, someone or something that makes you realize you have been thinking SMALL… and when you start thinking big, you start doing big things.

Whatever your goals are this coming year.. Try 10xing them. What would it be like if you.. Partnered with someone every quarter this next year and earned by promoting them, they by promoting you, or you offered something magical together. 

What would it be like if you bought the house next door and created a place for a retreat center? A magical backyard oasis? 

If you're an entrepreneur and you want to host a wellness retreat, or you're toying with the idea, and you're just wondering how and what there's a lot to unpack. This is you and I’m unpacking! I promise it’s way more fun than that end-of-vacation kind of unpacking!!

Start with Why Host a Wellness Retreat

What is the reason you’re even asking how to host a wellness retreat (and there are many reasons why you would), but you don't want to begin planning that super fun, ambitious retreat, before you explore, what is my purpose? 

Some purposes could be: 

1. Make a profit. I'm going to host a retreat, make a profit, and ideally make this profit doing something that you would enjoy doing: spending a week or a weekend depending on how long this retreat is, with people you enjoy doing activities that you enjoy. That would be number one, you immediately want the profit from the retreat. 

2.  You might host a retreat as a live event model. That you definitely have to cover your expenses. Let's be clear on that. But in order to sell your attendees into something greater, and that might be a combination of sell them into a training program that occurred prior to the retreat. So they're buying the training program, the retreat is the reward. And you package it all together, but make it appear as if this is the test of the training they want. The conditioning, the strength, the endurance, the whatever it's going to take for them to have a good time at the retreat, even if there wasn't a retreat, but now you're allowing them to have this real goal: this real starting line if you will, at the beginning of the weekend. That's one way. 

3. Another purpose is in bringing them together and selling them on what they don't know that maybe you're hosting simply an activity kind of retreat. You're taking them hiking, doing yoga, Pilates, core, stand up paddleboarding, horseback riding or kayaking, and otherwise just keeping them very active. But you're doing this with the opportunity to plant seeds about what it is you do on a deeper level. You’re making them hungry for more information, more guidance, helping them realize they don’t know what they don’t know… and want to. You're creating desire for a next step. You're planting that seed at the entire time of your retreat, and then planning to sell them into that and that is how you make a profit. You'll be concerned or thinking about your conversion rates. 

That is, you know that if you have 15 people attending 40% of them will take a next step and that those 40% might positively influence each other and make others have FOMO. 

Once you know WHY you’re hosting the retreat you can plan much more effectively. When will you drop seeds about what’s next? Even in your welcome kick off party there may be a very small hint about previous attendees and what they went on to do. That’s very subtle. 

Based on feedback from nearly 15 years of hosting retreats of various types: 

• Private for small groups

• Fitness Professionals retreats

• Flipping 50 fitness retreats

 

I’ve learned a few things:

• You won’t please ALL the people all the time

• People don’t always read the fine print

• People who’ve never been in a program or met you might attend 

• Some want “white space” time to for instance journal 

• They don’t like to be rushed 

• Many don’t read the fine print

• Some don’t follow the training plan and aren’t prepared to keep up

• If your brand has a style of eating/nutrition it doesn’t mean attendees will comply 

• The right people always show up
  

Determine how long you want the retreat to be:

• Half day
• Full day
• Weekend
• 3 day

Do you want to host live or virtual? 

You might feel more comfortable doing one or the other.

Pros to virtual - low expenses.

Pros to live - the energy and no tech to go wrong! 

Let me know if you’re hosting a wellness retreat in 2024 or want to! 

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

How to Host a Successful Fitness Retreat

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/successful-fitness-retreat/

10 Ways to Fill Your Fitness Programs Right Now

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/10-ways-to-fill-your-fitness-programs-right-now/

7 Ideas to Get Booked as a Speaker or Presenter to Build Business

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/get-booked-as-a-speaker/

No doubt you too are trying to help clients combine intermittent fasting and exercise. I’m sure it’s come up. You may be attempting to do it. You may know their doctor is suggesting it. 

But here’s the incongruence for midlife women.

Low Energy Availability (LEA) and exercising while fasting are one and the same. If you’ve been involved in fitness or nutrition for a minute, you know of the Female Athlete Triad. Generally, young active women essentially become menopausal when they should be having regular cycles because of energy insufficiency.

LEA is right back to that and yet more detrimental for women over 40 trying to maintain muscle, also push performance, who can’t afford to lose bone density but will, and have already depleted adrenals and hormone chaos occurring. 

In this episode, I respond to a question from one of our Food Flip programs. If you’re helping clients, or yourself through the conflicting information on intermittent fasting and exercise, this may help. 

Right now, if you aren’t yet, consider the Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist and kickstart your year with more knowledge about hormones, their function relative to exercise and understand when a client asks, what they should do, exactly how to help.

Intermittent Fasting and Exercise for Midlife Women 

Polly, “Debra  I have been wanting to incorporate fasting into my health regime.  However with your current recommendations of working out in a fed state I have found it is very difficult to get enough protein and to maintain the fasted state. I read the book Feast Fast Repeat and it goes against a lot of the information you recommend. It’s difficult for me to fast for 18 to 20 hours and feel good. Just wondering what your thoughts are on fasting?” 

Start earlier. It’s pretty simple! You don’t have “dinner” at dinner time.. You have a last high protein meal at 3 or 4pm. 

Fasting has a purpose. Getting off a plateau. You can kickstart with an 18 or 20 hour fast but there is NO reason if you’re an active person to do this regularly. Rotate.., 12, 14, 15, 18 …. And the amount of carbs you do.

If this was your first book? Keep reading. 

Your week should NOT ever look the same every day or you lose metabolic flexibility. If your goal is to stay active and gain muscle and bone density … tell me in a 20 hour fast how you manage to get micronutrients in.

What we all have to do is prioritize. 

Are you inflamed? Need to reduce that and kick up the autophagy? Fasting for a short time may be your priority

But high intensity exercise and fasting long are NOT going to coincide together well. That leaves you energy deficient. That puts you in stress. That causes a loss of muscle. 

Resources: 

WellPros Mentorship Group https://www.flippingfifty.com/store/uncategorized/fit-pros-health-coaches-monthly-membership-founder/

Your Business Scorecard: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/business-scorecard/

Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist™ Course: 

https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-specialist-program-2022/

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Training Midlife Clients | Zone 2 Training For Menopause: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/zone-2-training-for-menopause/

7 Tips to be a Personal Trainer Every Midlife Woman Wants to Work With  https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/be-a-personal-trainer/

5 Menopause Exercise Programming Tips from Recent Exercise Studies

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/menopause-exercise-programming/

 

These 5 menopause programming tips come directly from a presentation given to Medfit Foundation during Menopause Awareness month. We need to be distinct, set ourselves apart and be not just cutting edge with variety for variety’s sake. In some cases, old and traditional wins. As I continue to update you with content here that I think you’ll love and I sprinkle rich ideas throughout that help you market or program with these tips (or both) you’ll gain ideals to get your own creative juices flowing! 

Anything I can do you can do better… in your style, your brand and with a knowing of why your clients love YOU. So take the idea and see where it takes you. It’s you and I brainstorming together. 

Each one of these 5 menopause exercise programming tips can be used: 

• To market with live social media minutes

• As pitch sheets for your local media 

• To develop new programs (or tweak existing ones) 

#1 Menopause Exercise Programming Tips: ESTROGEN LOSS DIRECTLY CORRELATES TO MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS LOSS

Because insufficient estrogen levels lead to loss of muscle protein synthesis, during menopause transition when this is the most significant, there needs to be an increased external stimulus (lifting weights) and protein compared to before menopause transition.

Solution: Lifting heavier and or with more volume (not frequency) than PRE menopause and consuming a regular dose of high quality protein throughout the day: both proven to boost muscle protein synthesis.

Programming: Consider your titles closely. Do they sound like “anyone’s” program? Or do they shout right to menopausal women, this is for you! Educate and market using this message. Get in front of doctors and support body composition testing. Menopause Month and day are ripe times to promote this. And when they know, they know they need you. 

Science: Gerontology, 2021

 

#2 Menopause Exercise Programming Tips: The Greatest Loss of Lean Muscle Tissue Occurs...

... during the phase from Early Perimenopause to Late Perimenopause (27%) percent. This is the greatest opportunity to PREVENT losses that follow in greater significants too.

Though early and late postmenopause phases also reflect signficantly high muscle loss, they could be mitigated by positively influencing what occurs for most women between 40 and 50. (Understand every woman's menopause journey is unique)

If you didn't, start. If you're in perimenopause (know it or not in your 40s) begin this muscle protein synthesis boosting NOW.

Programming: Get in front of audiences of women in their late 30s, early 40s and late 40s and early 50s and give them a specific reason why based on what is happening to their physiology they need to start right now! 

Science: Iran Journal of Public Health, 2021

#3 Menopause Exercise Programming Tips: Greater Volume During a Session vs Greater Volume in Frequency

...Provides Greater muscle mass, strength, and endurance. THIS is really an important concept to consider. When volume is identical comparing 3x a week with 2 sets of strength vs 2x a week with 3 sets of strength, the latter was far more beneficial.

There's more. If you combine this study with others demonstrating adrenal insufficiency, recovery rate, and the number one obstacle for exercise (time), there is a huge advantage to less frequent, yet additional sets creating a volume of stimulus with a more positive effect.

Programming: Be different. Start with low frequency and increase volume by other means than longer sessions and more times per week. 

Science: Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 2022

#4  Menopause Exercise Programming Tips: Still Ovulating? A Time to Lift Heavy, a Time to Do Agility Moves

Plan your exercise with your cycle or you miss an opportunity to make fitness gains and decrease risk injury.

During week 2 or ovulation, That is about 10-14 days after your cycle starts, is the BEST time to lift heavy. Yet, it is the worst time to do agility and rapid directional changes of movement.

The effects of estrogen mean muscle benefits significantly from heavy and power work, and is supported by rigid tendons. However the combination of rigid tendons and lax ligaments also created with high estrogen mean injury risk is greater during this time.

Very often, women begin reporting greater injury or repeat injuries during perimenopause and there's no proof but I do suspect that not honoring this cycle is a contributing factor. Then once you've got a weak link you are not aware of, the repeated stress without cycling workout stimulus is worsened.

Menopause? of course estrogen is over all, down. But cycling or periodization is still a consideration in order to optimize benefits and decrease risk of injury.

Programming: Create a program or course for teaching women how to train based not on your program starting but on their period starting. 

Science: Frontiers in Physiology, 2019

#5 Menopause Exercise Programming Tips: 3 Solutions for Overcoming Sarcopenia or Anabolic Resistance

Muscle protein synthesis is a chief mechanism for maintaining and gaining lean muscle. Estrogen's positive influence on muscle is removed or reduced during menopause. What's left?

• Resistance Training

• High quality protein at regular intervals throughout the day (high quality includes sources with adequate leucine and EAA important to muscle gain)

• Supplementation - if dietary protein goals aren't achieved (could include protein powder, EAAs, Creatine, and or BCAAs)

The greatest of these is Resistance Training. The stimulus is a must.

Programming: Consider bundling a package of Resistance Training sessions with progression + easy recipes + protein supplements you sell or affiliate for

Science: Nutrition Metabolism, 2016

Other Episodes You Might Like:

10 Things to Know About Coaching Menopause Fitness Clients:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/menopause-fitness-clients/

3 Ways to Coach Menopause Clients Out of Mistakes:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/coach-menopause-clients/

Training Midlife Clients | Zone 2 Training For Menopause:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/zone-2-training-for-menopause/

Resources: 

Your Business Scorecard: For Fitness & Health Coaches: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/business-scorecard/

Menopause Fitness Specialist™ Program + WELLPRO Trial: 

https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-specialist-program-2022/ (October only!)

Save 20% off with code: Flipping50 https://www.flippingfifty.com/powerplate

What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+ Recordings: https://www.flippingfifty.com/womensexercise

If you’re already coaching client nutrition, how’s it going? Are your clients compliant? Seeing results? Are you digging in beyond weight and even muscle and body fat for results? Are you lab testing? Do you know how to suggest and to read a lab and adjust coaching based on that? 

If any of those questions gave you reason to pause, this is an episode you want to tune into. Juggling the scope of practice with the leverage you have due to the sheer fact you spend more time with a client than their physician does, is a reality. We talk today about that elephant in the room. What’s in scope, what’s out, how genetics matter and labs reflect lifestyle. 

What if your training in other areas of fitness, wellness and sports as a Menopause Fitness Specialist or other niche, is missing a crucial component preventing the breakthroughs you are looking for with your clients? 

My Guest:

Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, the founder of the Institute of Nutritional Endocrinology, is passionately committed to transforming our current broken disease-focused system into a true health care system where every practitioner is skilled at finding the root cause of health challenges and uses the wisdom of nature combined with modern scientific research to restore balance.

Dr. Ritamarie, a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic with Certifications in Acupuncture, Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, and HeartMath®, specializes in insulin, thyroid, and adrenal, and digestive imbalances.

She’s also a master at using palate-pleasing, whole fresh food as medicine, and is a best-selling author, speaker, and internationally recognized nutrition and functional health authority with over 30 years of clinical experience.

Her podcast, Reinvent Healthcare, provides health and wellness practitioners around the globe to be part of the movement to provide root-cause care to people in need.

Questions We Answer in this Episode:

• Let’s first define nutrition endocrinology and how you got started 

• How are fitness & health pros shortchanged in certifications about how to coach people about diet?

• The one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work, but scope-of-practice makes fitness pros and health coaches nervous. How can health & fitness pros bridge the gap within their scope of practice when working with clients? 

• Lab testing and interpretation combined with genetics is something listeners likely have a broad range in experience doing, to just beginning to understand they can actually be front lines in identifying their own and clients source of obstacles/success. For those not yet proficient or confident in their ability to support a client in this way, can you give them insight into how it can be a game-changer for their business and ability to support clients? 

• This is my favorite topic for fitness & health pros, we’ve just done an entire new series on working with women in perimenopause, postmenopause and the menopause transition for coaches, I’d love to hear you discuss how hormones play a role in not only optimal fitness but nutrition programs for clients?

• You’ve been educating fitness & health practitioners for (how long?) You’ve seen not only a huge impact on your consumers, but likely on the businesses of the professionals you serve. Do you have any examples of how life-changing having these skills is for health & fitness pros? 

Questions on coaching client nutrition? Messages from your business, liability insurance provider, or certification agency may give you reason to pause. What do you want to ask? 

Connect with Dr. Ritamarie about her event:

http://fitnessmarketingmastery.com/shine2023

On Social:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drritamarie/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrRitamarieLoscalzo

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drritamarie/

YouTube: https://drritamarie.com/youtube

Resources:

Your Business Scorecard: For Fitness & Health Coaches: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/business-scorecard/

Copywriting for Marketing to Women Course: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/copywriting-course/

Menopause Fitness Specialist™ Program: 

https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-specialist-program-2022/

Shine Event 10/27-10/29: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/shine2023

Coaching menopause fitness clients? They aren’t going to respond the way men or younger women do. In this 3rd episode in the series I actually pull back a bit to look at the big picture, so you can see both perimenopause and postmenopausal need for modifications.

• What you do in Perimenopause vs postmenopausal may be quite different 

• During the menopause transition (2-5 years) women are at risk for accelerated loss of muscle and bone

• If a woman you work with went through the pandemic not lifting and was in this transition, the time to mitigate is now

• Despite her plea or goal to lose weight, get a body composition test and measure muscle in weight – regularly. Women will still default to weight… losing it being a success, not losing it is a failure. There’s no neutral for many. This takes talking and talking and talking. 

• They’re on their way to a smoother ride but not there yet when they hit that 12-month period-free moment. Many women have breakthrough bleeding

• Whether they choose or opt not for HRT, the recommendations for exercise & exercise nutrition are the same for women in menopause, that is, not for mice, men or young women 

• HRT is not the same across the board. Awareness of this and what to ask about HRT, bHRT will increase your personal knowledge of why your client may or may not be having success and support her (and increase your value)

• Estrogen (as well as progesterone and testosterone) drop with menopause, however a woman can be Estrogen Dominant due to multiple factors and you need to recognize them and adopt a fitness program that supports this. It’s not going to be HIIT and high intensity weight training EVEN if she is gaining weight and needing energy. 

• Sleep deprivation will interfere with any attempts toward exercise and or diet results.

• Gut health will interfere with muscle, bone, and brain benefits of exercise. Working knowledge of how to help and intake questions reflective of gut health are key to supporting individuals in menopause.

Coaching Menopause Fitness Clients Is Rapidly Becoming a Niche

There is a huge demand and a need to be approachable. Since 2018 we’ve educated hundreds of primarily female coaches and trainers with the Flipping50 Menopause Fitness Specialist. There’s a huge need for those who understand the science. Many have even their own frustrations – we’re not immune – so if this is you, you’re not alone!

Don’t be afraid to be transparent. Talk about issues you’ve had. Mistakes you’ve made. 

We’re looking for more trainers and health coaches to join our directory as more and more customers are seeking in real person menopause specialists. If you coach weight loss, athletes, overall health, and you want to be included in this group, I’ll share how to get started during Menopause Month in October and gain some huge perks as a results.

You don’t have to have a perfect body to be a good menopause coach. You do want to have adequate experience coaching others in the niche you’re in or have solved a major problem for at least yourself. A proven track record or credentials make a difference. A title is not a qualification and too many coaches and trainers are finding out, as savvy clients become more educated themselves. 

Resources: 

Your Business Scorecard: For Fitness & Health Coaches: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/business-scorecard/

Copywriting for Marketing to Women Course: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/copywriting-course/

Menopause Fitness Specialist™ Program: 

https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-specialist-program-2022/

 

Send an Email to support@flippingfifty.com if you want to learn more about the founding member’s rate for the Health & Well Pros mastermind.

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

5 Things to Know About Perimenopause Fitness Clients: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/perimenopause-fitness-clients/

6 Things to Know About PostMenopause Fitness Clients: ​​https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/postmenopause-fitness-clients/

 

In postmenopause fitness clients generally things have smoothed out. Ironically, many ask questions like, “what should a women over 60 do?” And the answer is often, more. More intense, more frequency even. 

How ironic given in the previous podcast episode I relayed that based on the physiology of menopause together with physiology of exercise and research featuring women in menopause specifically, perimenopause is a time when many women need to do less to optimize body composition. 

Less volume, that is. And less intensity if they’re struggling with insulin resistance + adrenal insufficiency + chronic stress or any combination. 

For postmenopause fitness clients, these things are critical to know: 

• For many postmenopause occurs or they become aware in the 60s they’re well past and exercise needs to be addressed to avoid pitfalls they’ve seen in aging family members. At age 60 muscle loss increases from 3-8% on average loss per decade to 1-2% per year. Now is the time to monitor muscle and have a strategic muscle mass building plan. 

• Functional exercise should be a part but going overboard on defense of functional vs heavy traditional weight training for older adults will contribute to additional muscle loss. 

• The focus needs to shift from calorie burning and constant movement to preservation of lean muscle mass during exercise. That is, less cardio and more strength prioritization. 

• More days per week of strength is not the answer. Fatigue from life stressors for a 60-something can be significant. Young adult family, aging family, career still in play, caregiving at home, together with exercise and possibly dealing with effects of a perimenopause unaware of how to manage may have resulted in significant bone, muscle, and strength loss. 

• Reaction skills, agility, and balance need to be built into exercise routines without necessarily increasing time. Warm ups, cool downs and ancillary exercise sessions between intense workouts can cover that base in minutes if well-planned. 

• Protein timing and amounts should be a significant part of the exercise coaching in order to boost muscle protein synthesis now about 30 years in the slow down if nature was allowed to take its course. 

One Last PostMenopause Fitness Thought for Health Pros:

Most importantly, the ability to exercise and do so intensely and in some cases like HIIT, more frequently than in perimenopause, can stave off visceral body fat deposits, brain decline, and muscle and bone loss. 

It requires planning and knowing the application not just of exercise but specific to women in postmenopause. 

And they’re seeking support for problems. So there is not just an opportunity, there is a demand when you use the right messaging. 

Because there’s also a fear installed in those who have started, stopped, and gotten hurt.

Resources: 

Your Business Scorecard: For Fitness & Health Coaches: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/business-scorecard/

Copywriting for Marketing to Women Course: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/copywriting-course/

Menopause Fitness Specialist™ Program: https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-specialist-program-2022/

Send an Email to support@flippingfifty.com if you want to learn more about the founding member’s rate for the Health & Well Pros mastermind.

Other Episodes You Might… 

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/perimenopause-fitness-clients/

Training Midlife Clients | Zone 2 Training For Menopause:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/zone-2-training-for-menopause/

 

Perimenopause fitness clients are the most likely to experience first signs and symptoms of hormonal change. It may occur anywhere from late 30s to mid 50s the majority in their 40s will find they have changes of some kind.

For some perimenopause fitness clients it’s mild, they barely notice and wouldn’t associate it with menopause even.

For others, hot flashes and night sweats are a dead give away.

During this time, as a trainer, or health coach, you have the best opportunity to positively impact not just their symptoms but their health. 

Perimenopause Fitness Clients: 

• Can experience any one or more of 34 symptoms or can be entirely asymptomatic, yet knowing the status of their regular cycle, or how long it’s been since a regular cycle, and the way they feel throughout it can help you modify training to optimize results for both now in dealing with symptoms and later in life, maintaining optimal body composition, strength and bone density. 

• Don’t often understand that just checking the “exercise box” doesn’t necessarily support a reduction in symptoms of perimenopause. Science literature (complete references listed in previous blogs, podcasts and both You Still Got It, Girl! And Hot, Not Bothered!) suggests that for instance, with hot flashes and night sweats, reduction is associated only with exercise that is of adequate intensity. 

• Exercise tendencies currently still default to more volume as opposed to more intensity and often tip the cortisol scales in direct opposition to supporting any change in symptoms or body composition and may in fact worsen symptoms. 

• A majority of perimenopause women still recall the advice of the 70s and 80s for “exercise more, eat less,” and are increasing their cortisol levels (or over taxing low levels) which can cause muscle catabolism and increases in fat storage, particularly to the belly. 

• Poor eating habits (dieting) are independently a problem for women who are exercising regularly as they will not be absorbing all the macro or micronutrients to enhance the muscle and bone. Even a woman who temporarily finds she’s leaner with current under nutrition, may be increasing her risk for reduced muscle mass, low bone density, or other issues often supported by optimal nutrition. 

Now is the absolute best time to begin working on heavy weights, and to avoid over exercise.

Biggest Tip Regarding Perimenopause Fitness: 

The toleration of exercise may be lower. This is the exact time to reduce total volume, enhance recovery in order to improve the menopause transition and avoid muscle loss and fat gains. 

Resources: 

Your Business Scorecard: For Fitness & Health Coaches: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/business-scorecard/

Copywriting for Marketing to Women Course: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/copywriting-course/

Menopause Fitness Specialist™ Program: 

https://www.flippingfifty.com/menopause-fitness-specialist-program-2022/

Send an Email to support@flippingfifty.com if you want to learn more about the founding member’s rate for the Health & Well Pros mastermind.

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

3 Ways to Coach Menopause Clients Out of Mistakes:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/coach-menopause-clients/

Training Midlife Clients | Zone 2 Training For Menopause:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/zone-2-training-for-menopause/

 

Don’t sleep on this episode if you want better client results these client sleep tips come directly from America’s sleep expert. He gives more than 400 appearances a year and has published multiple NYTimes bestsellers.

He’s also contributed to the You Still Got It, Girl! Chapter on sleep. So if you’ve read that, you’re a Flipping50 Menopause Fitness Specialist, you may recognize his name. You might have seen him in an inflight magazine before those were pulled too. 

Look, one of the most-downloaded cheat sheets I give trainers and health coaches is the Sleep tips tool. Why? Well, first if they don’t sleep, they don’t show up well if at all. They cancel more. When they do arrive, clients with 2 hours of sleep deprivation lack coordination. Four hours and they have the reaction skills of a legal drunk. Imagine that. We’ve got people driving to sessions if that’s the case, who actually shouldn’t be on the road any more than someone with a blood alcohol content level that would give them a ticket and a DUI. 

Then, what are we doing? Agility, reaction drills with them or pushing to heavy loads when they are more likely to get injured or deplete their immune system.  Let’s dive into this super short episode and you may be inspired to hop over to the Flipping 50 episode too. 

Client Sleep May Determine Your Success

My Guest:

Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., is a double board-certified Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Sleep Specialist. He is one of only 168 psychologists in the world to have taken and passed the Sleep Medicine Boards without going to Medical School.

Dr. Breus is the author of four books with the newest book (2021) Energize! Go from dragging Ass to kicking it in 30 days, adds the concepts of Movement (not exercise), and Intermittent-Fasting to his already famous Sleep Chronotypes. And it was recently named one of the top books of 2021 by The Today Show. In his 3rd book (2017) The Power of When, which is a groundbreaking biohacking book proving that there is a perfect time to do everything, based on your biological chronotype (early bird or night owl). Dr. Breus gives the reader the exact time to have sex, run a mile, eat a cheeseburger, buy, sell, ask your boss for a raise and much more based on over 200 research studies.

He is an expert resource for most major publications doing more than 400 interviews per year (Oprah, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, NY Times, Wall Street Journal etc.-list available). Dr. Breus has been in private practice for 23 years and recently relocated to and was named the Top Sleep Doctor of Los Angelos, By Readers Digest.

Questions We Answer in This Episode: 

How can trainers help clients sleep? 

How can health professionals avoid putting clients at risk if they are sleep deprived?  

I include our client sleep tips in this show notes here at fmm.com/client sleep tips so you can be the guide for your clients better results! 

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

Training Client's Metabolic Flexibility: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/metabolic-flexibility/

3 Reasons (and Fixes) Clients Aren't Getting Results: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/female-fitness-client/

Resources: 

BUSINESS SCORECARD: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/scorecard

FREE CLIENT SLEEP SUPPORT: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/sleeper

FLIPPING50 Full Episode: https://www.flippingfifty.com/better-sleep-in-menopause

Your clients need it. Can you define Metabolic Flexibility? 

Metabolic flexibility refers to the ability of the body to efficiently switch between different fuel sources and adapt to changes in nutrient availability. That is, when your client eats a lot, or your client skips a meal, metabolism isn’t damaged and fat is not stored. 

It is a key aspect of metabolic health and plays a role in maintaining energy balance and weight regulation.

When we consume food, our body breaks down macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) into smaller molecules that can be used as fuel. Metabolic flexibility allows the body to utilize these different fuel sources based on the body's energy needs and nutrient availability.

 

In a metabolically flexible state, the body can easily switch between using carbohydrates and fats for energy. For example, after a meal, when glucose (derived from carbohydrates) is readily available, the body primarily uses glucose for energy. However, during fasting or periods of low carbohydrate intake, the body shifts to using stored fats as the primary fuel source.

 

Having good metabolic flexibility is beneficial for overall health and can contribute to weight management. It allows the body to effectively use stored body fat for energy,

which can help in reducing excess body weight and maintaining a healthy body composition. Moreover, metabolic flexibility is also associated with improved

insulin sensitivity, better blood sugar control, and reduced risk of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

 

Certain factors can influence metabolic flexibility. Regular physical activity and exercise can enhance metabolic flexibility by increasing the body's capacity to burn fat and improving insulin sensitivity. A balanced diet that includes a variety of macronutrients and minimizes excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates and added sugars can also support metabolic flexibility.

On the other hand, factors like a sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in processed foods and added sugars, chronic stress, and poor sleep habits can impair metabolic flexibility.

 

What Impairs Client’s Metabolic Flexibility? 

Cutting calories too low for too long impairs metabolic flexibility. 

Fasting while also decreasing caloric intake for a short period of time may be a positive stressor, but for too long or without the post-feeding, can backfire. 

Over exercise and undereating combined - that is too low a caloric deficit. 

Not sleeping is a risk for metabolism slowing. 

 

Sugar Burning vs Fat Burning: The Metabolic Flexibility Difference

These factors can lead to a preference for glucose as the primary fuel source and hinder the body's ability to efficiently utilize stored fats.

Improving metabolic flexibility can be achieved through lifestyle modifications, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, stress management techniques, adequate sleep, and

maintaining a healthy body weight. By enhancing metabolic flexibility,

individuals can support their overall metabolic health and improve their body's ability to adapt to different nutrient conditions.

 

And… it’s the RIGHT type of: 

Exercise - balanced exercise for a midlife woman is not “according to guidelines” 

Diet - balanced diet is not equal amounts of protein, fat, and carbs

Body weight - may be less important than body composition 

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

What Personal Training Clients Wish They Could Tell You:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/personal-training-clients/

Training Women in Menopause | Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/training-women-in-menopause/

Resources: 

Menopause Fitness Specialist: https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist 

The Health & Business Pros Business Scorecard: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/scorecard 

Zone 2 training for menopause? Is it the solution to fat loss? If so why, and if not why not? 

Everyone is talking about Zone 2 training. What is it? First, it's important to understand that I use 5 training zones. Other sources and other coaches use 6 zones, still others 4 and 7 zones… so we’re already not talking about the same thing. It’s so much easier to share this in a “feels like” description.

Especially when talking to clients. 

I recently had a question from a client: What zone should we be in when doing intervals? 

My answer needed to be very intuitive. My answer could have backfired. Here’s how. 

Say I tell her that zone 4 and 5 are the zones for HIIT intervals. (alternated with zone 1 for recovery). 

With that answer, what’s she going to do? Very likely, she has never been tested using the mode of exercise she’s going to use (treadmill or bike) and instead what she’s doing is using an age-related chart predicting her target heart rate range for a specific level of intensity. This would be so wrong. 

For adults over 40… this kind of prediction underpredicts where they should be the majority of the time. 

Then, even when someone tested and a knowledgeable coach has interpreted and determined ranges… 

For anyone trying to use HR to see if they reach the right intensity during a 20-30 second burst of exercise… a monitor typically is measuring what happened, not the actual what is happening. 

So we’ve got challenges with different sets of zones. We can’t compare apples to oranges. 

We’ve got challenges with predicted and tested zones. And we’ve got a fundamental challenge with fat burning zone myths that still linger. 

This episode focuses on: 

• Understanding fat burning - when and how it happens at each level of exercise
• Understanding the best application of types fat burning exercise - for women in midlife you may be working with 

Busting Fat Burning Zone Myths for Midlife Clients

The theory behind “Zone 2” for support with fat burning is a bit of a myth.

Facts:

Exercise at lower intensities burns a high percentage of fat.

Exercise at high intensities burns a low percentage of fat.

Though it’s possible to train in a way that allows your body to gradually continue to use fat at higher intensities, it’s a process and many are skipping ahead to higher intensity exercise or just experiencing DRIFT.. where they do it long enough that their heart rate and intensity goes up from the stress and dehydration… instead of consciously keeping comfort level (talk test, breathing through nose AND Heart rate if known from testing) where it should be to train a base.

The thing to remember (written in 2015 in You Still Got It, Girl!) is that a small percent of a bigger number can still be more than a big percent of a small number.

AND.. it’s not the exercise time alone that you want to focus on. HIIT has a bigger post-exercise “after burn.”

However, what is most important… is this:

If you’re stressed… the HIIT-imposed stress may be too much (during adrenal or chronic fatigue) … and or if situational life stresses are HIGH.. the intensity of your exercise should potentially be lower to REDUCE CORTISOL and INFLAMMATION first… before adding the HIIT.

For most women… zone 2 is walking but not jogging. It’s often impossible to keep the HR low enough to be training ZONE 2 while running. Even though you “feel” good…. if the cardiac drift is enough, you’re in zone 3… and cortisol is elevated. This definitely happens as you approach 60 minutes and certainly beyond. Heat, dehydration, sleep deprivation or emotional stressors can also increase the intensity.

At true ZONE 2… staying low enough for short enough times, zone 2’s biggest benefit is NOT burning fat for fuel. It’s REDUCING cortisol levels by moving at a low level, reducing blood sugar levels, and creating a base to build greater fitness.

Zone 2 training for menopause can’t ignore the fact that women already burn more fat compared to men at any intensity level of exercise. It may be the exercise that supports greater insulin sensitivity is a lower-level exercise and that HIIT positively influences post-exercise fat oxidation. So that if your client is exercise tolerant right now, both included in her program are helpful. 

To learn more about Exercise Intolerance and Menopause Fitness, check here for the Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist. https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist 

What About Strength Training and Zone 2 Training? 

Traditionally we don’t think of weight training as Zone intensity using Heart Rate to tell intensity, but number of repetitions to fatigue and volume in terms of multiple sets (not time). So you’re heart rate will soar during a set and return to zone 1 between, mimicking true HIIT, but it isn’t the point of strength. Your evaluation there is based on reaching muscular fatigue in recommended repetitions. Beginners start with more not less. You’ve got to show some love and respect your joints and ligaments before your strength training will help you love your muscle and body composition.

 

References: 

1. Oliver J. Chrzanowski-Smith, Robert M. Edinburgh, Mark P. Thomas, Aaron Hengist, Sean Williams, James A. Betts, Javier T. Gonzalez. Determinants of Peak Fat Oxidation Rates During Cycling in Healthy Men and Women. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2020; 1 DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0262
2. Oliver J Chrzanowski‐Smith, Robert M Edinburgh, Eleanor Smith, Mark P Thomas, Jean‐Philippe Walhin, Francoise Koumanov, Sean Williams, James A Betts, Javier T Gonzalez. Resting skeletal muscle ATGL and CPT1b are associated with peak fat oxidation rates in men and women but do not explain observed sex‐differences. Experimental Physiology, 2021; DOI: 10.1113/EP089431
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20190219091132id_/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1876/7c1a9e2c309e470821f34f66ad43c3a5bc67.pdf

 

 

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

4 Ways Blood Sugar Could Halt Your Clients Fat Burning & Weight Loss: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/helping-midlife-clients-lose-weight/

3 Fast Ways to Better Results for Female Training Client: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/female-training-client/

Social media or other platforms hosting group communications is a reality and you’re personally either coaching or hiring coaching for these groups. Create expectations for coaches and for clients based on outcomes your coaches provide if you’re not doing the coaching. 

There are three types of service to consider: 

• There are logistics and soft skill responses to clients questions. 
• Then there are the “hard skills” or the expert answers that should come from a qualified expert. 
• You also may distinctly offer customer support within the group - related more to technical support or information about purchase, product, or what’s included. You may choose to separate where these functions occur. There’s no right or wrong answer. 

Without deciding in advance, there is opportunity for self-interpretation expectations and responsibilities, and understanding of scope of practice. 

What follows are some basic tips for boosting your group satisfaction and success. 

Health Coaching to Groups and their Social Posts:

Make them feel heard and seen

Acknowledge how they feel with neutrality

Their opinion matters: doesn’t mean you make them “right” 

Repeat what they said 

Clarify understanding/summarize

 Summarize what you heard in your words and ask for clarification 

Restate with a reframe 

Why do you think that? What made you believe that? What are you thinking that makes you feel that way? vs. I’m sorry you feel that way, you shouldn’t. 

Mirror/reflect vs evaluate

Repeating exactly what they say in a neutral way

That makes me so happy for you! vs you should be happy 

Reflection is sharing an observation of something someone may not realize about themselves: Create an awareness about a limiting belief.

What makes you believe that’s true?

How is that belief working for you? 

Do you want to explore other options for you? 

Provide opportunity for internal reflection vs external reliance

Instead of “good job”(evaluation and external judgment – good/bad) offer insight for them: How did you set yourself up for success this week that made that happen?

Empathy vs sympathy

I understand how you feel based on what you’re saying Vs. I know how you feel, I feel for you, You have every right to feel that way.

In a coaching situation where you need more information: 

Ask questions that get you to the solution vs asking about the problem. One is helpful, the other stays stuck in sympathy and comes with a negative energy that is contagious.

On the other hand, if you’re in a marketing situation, you ask about the problem. You describe the problem. Here though, you coach: you deliver. 

In a new masterclass for Continuing Education credits for our Flipping50® Menopause Fitness Specialists, I explore Essential Coaching Skills for Working with Midlife Women. If you’re a health or fitness professional and a little confused by the loose use of the term “coach” today, this will help you realize when you’re actually coaching and when you’re not. You may find you have more potential revenue streams that bring accelerated results for your clients and your business. Be sure you’re on our subscriber list to get the first chance to take this one. 

Resources: 

Marketing to Women Copywriting Course: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/copywriting-course 

Business Scorecard: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/scorecard 

COMING SOON: Essential Coaching Skills for Midlife Clients (CEU course)

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Health Coaching Tips: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/health-coaching-tips/

Coach Menopause Clients Out of Mistakes: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/coach-menopause-clients/

 

Life happens to you while you’re coaching. Sharing personal experiences and stories can be valuable for clients. However, when and if you’re in the middle of it, you shouldn’t be “healing from the stage” (a term used by professional speakers). 

Know when it’s not a coaching relationship and it’s become something else. Be ethical and willing to say goodbye.  If you’re hiring coaches, identify when they’re not coaching they’re “friending” and put an end to it, or find a new coach. 

“Because I said so” (mom/kid scenario) doesn’t work well.

It’s got to be their idea.

Instead of “You’ve got to put on your oxygen mask first” or “self care is not selfish” >

How does it make you feel when you make time for yourself and exercise? How does that change the rest of your day? 

Do you want to explore ways to do more of that?

Without thinking about any obstacles, would it be great if you were someone who exercised regularly? What kind of benefits do you think you’d get if you did? 

You mentioned you always get hurt when you get started or you’re getting into a routine. Say more about that. 

You said you're suffering from hot flashes and night sweats. What kind of exercise and nutrition changes have you made to mitigate that? 

You mention that you’re doing a lot of walking and you lift weights regularly. Can you describe that in detail so we can determine how well it matches the best recommendations for women in menopause? 

Here’s the formula: 

I - tell a story about yourself that is relevant to what your client may be doing. Describe a time when you were making a similar mistake or one that you can draw an analogy from. 

We - bring yourself to the customer. Refer to you as one of them, or just like her by doing this. You’re no longer on a pedestal or intimidating. 

You - Ask, What about you? Do you…. Have you ever … 

In a new masterclass for Continuing Education credits for our Flipping50® Menopause Fitness Specialists, I explore Essential Coaching Skills for Working with Midlife Women. If you’re a health or fitness professional and a little confused by the loose use of the term “coach” today, this will help you realize when you’re actually coaching and when you’re not. You may find you have more potential revenue streams that bring accelerated results for your clients and your business. Be sure you’re on our subscriber list to get the first chance to take this one. 

Resources: 

Marketing to Women Copywriting Course: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/copywriting-course 

Business Scorecard: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/scorecard 

COMING SOON: Essential Coaching Skills for Midlife Clients

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

3 Ways to Coach Menopause Fitness Clients: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/coach-menopause-clients/

7 Ideas to Get Booked as a Speaker: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/get-booked-as-a-speaker/

There's more than one way to skin a cat! Heard that? Well there are multiple ways to run a successful business and to coach menopause clients that will prevent them from making mistakes that cost them energy and muscle. 

This episode dives into a topic covered more in depth in an upcoming masterclass for CEUs being offered to our current Flipping50® Menopause Fitness Specialists and to other fitness & health coaches serving midlife women. 

#1 TELL THEM. 

Tell them the science (literally share it the source and interpret the science) 

Common mistakes you can coach menopause clients on: 

·      the belief plant-based diets are healthier for all

·      Going high intensity is always the answer 

·      Ignoring resistance training 

·      They’re fragile if they have osteoporosis or osteopenia 

2 SHOW THEM HOW

Show them how to do it.

This is literally helping them learn the way to support themselves after they learn what you teach.

For instance, you might teach a workshop on how to do something very specific like:

·      planning their exercise schedule

·      doing core exercise correctly 

·      how to cook and meal plan 

#3 TELL THEM WHAT TO DO

Tell them what to do.

In this case you don’t actually do it for them. 

You can plan the steps but then your work is done. They may have to go hire people or get to the functional doctor to follow up on questions you’ve helped them gather. 

If you’d like to dig into these methods a little more, and learn how each can be a unique revenue stream, you'll want to be register for the coaching CEU course I’ll share with each of our Flipping50® MENOPAUSE FITNESS SPECIALIST  alumni first then share with the public.

RESOURCES: 

Health & Fitness BUSINESS SCORECARD: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/scorecard  

 

OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:

3 Ways to Generate Revenue for Anything You Want: 

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/the-voice-for-fitness-professionals-podcast/

5-Tip Health Coaching Marketing Formula: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/health-coaches-marketing-formula/

Save Your Spot for this Event (and Invite Your Clients!):

First things first! Define your successful fitness retreat! 

There are half a dozen goals you may have, but to host a successful fitness retreat you have to pick your top one. You can have subcategories below it. I’ll give you 6 possible ways to define success. Then I’ll walk you through how to plan and types of activities and experiences you want to offer. 

6 Measures of a Successful Fitness Retreat

1. Profit 

2. Community

3. Bonus 

4. Upsell 

5. Affiliate sales 

6. Orientation for high ticket group (mastermind) 

Types of experiences: 

Physical 

Hiking, biking, yoga, SUP, triathlon training, water fitness, strength, Pilates, horseback riding, golfing

Individual opportunities for learning 

Addressing the group but individual worksheets

White space 

Down time! Between activities, plenty of time to get ready 

Emotional 

Laughter, vulnerability, bravery, courage, sadness

Connecting 

Group hot seats, partner activities, small groups

Profitability will depend on several factors: 

How much does it remove you from doing what you would otherwise be doing to generate revenue? Or from access to team members depending on you? 

How much does each dinner, activity, lodging, and materials cost you? 

Will you deliver solo or have guests attend and present? Will you pay them or compensate otherwise? 

Think in advance about your refund policy. Will you:

Refund at all? 

Do a partial amount? 

Will you refund within 30 days of the event? 

Will you be educating them? Entertaining them? Connecting them? Connecting them on a deeper level to you? 

If you’re doing a hike, does pace and ability matter? How to screen everyone so they’re similar or have sherpas along for a lower price or as trainers health coaches who work for you. 

Do a planning session. 

Vet each of your venues. 

Do a post retreat breakdown.

What went well? What didn’t go so well? What would you do differently? What would you do more or less of? 

How could you screen more optimally to be sure you’re attracting the right audience? 

Price it: 

Evaluate Raw Cost

Value your time 

Set Registration Fees

Could there be a VIP experience?

Consider Upsell 

Where? 

Local (for you), destination, Local (for them). 

When? 

Lead Time? 

Two months is not enough, 6 is not too long depending on the location and nature of the retreat. 

Price Structure: 

Early Bird, and regular (40% above costs, or 50-60% above costs) 

Bonus and no bonus (value of bonus commensurate with the value of the retreat) 

Follow up: 

Feedback & Evaluation 

Make the offer (if applicable) 

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Fitness Coaches: Identify and Stop Overworking and Under Earning: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/overworking-and-under-earning/

18 Revenue Generating Strategies | Health & Fitness Professionals: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/revenue-generating/

Blueprint for Your Fitness & Health Coaching Business Plan: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/health-coaching-business-plan/

Resources: 

Women's SheTreat: https://www.flippingfifty.com/store/coaching-programs/2023-retreat/

Making fitness recommendations on social media or your “newsletter”? Are you meeting with clients and giving them some tips on how to improve their health? 

For fitness and health coaches working with individuals, it’s time we do them justice! These fitness recommendations need a tune up.

First, let’s acknowledge this: there are all kinds of health coaches. Some are board-certified functional health coaches that have a significant depth of study, knowledge, understanding what questions to ask and what answers reveal. 

Then there are health coaches that are certified by organizations that have required little more than reading a text or viewing training videos online, taking a test when ready and receiving a passing grade of 75% or more. (I always wonder about that 25% of comprehension, don’t you?) 

Then, there are health coaches that have adopted the title without diving into training of health coaching, how to answer questions. They may also be giving advice as a fitness or nutrition professional, and not actually coaching. There’s a distinction between the two. For more information on a CEU course coming up, stay tuned at fitnessmarketingmastery.com. As a part of the Flipping50® Menopause Fitness Specialist course for alumni and for CEU course alone, or as a part of renewing I’m providing a 2-hour training on coaching midlife women. 

Be the first to know by clicking here: https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist  

I’ll let you know when we open again, and when the course is available to take. No obligation, we’ll just send the details!

OK, let’s dive into those recommendations and why so you have a much better understanding!

Common Fitness Recommendations that need to die!

1. Healthy Snacks 

Not all clients should snack. A percent of women over 40 are definitely dealing with some blood sugar issues or adrenal stress. However, many more women actually need to fast between meals so their liver can function optimally and they can begin to burn fat. Snacks keep someone using what goes in now. So the need for snacking is a clue. And yes, for those women who do experience shakes, or nausea or dizziness, they need to deal with that now. However, that’s a sign you need to get to the underlying cause of it. 

In the Flipping50 Menopause Fitness Specialist, we help clients (and trainers who work with them) identify which protocol will help them. Food, sleep, exercise - all need to be unique if this is the status of clients. 

Suggesting healthy snacks without suggesting when and why and who is a disservice to midlife women. It is keeping some fat.

2. High Protein Meals from inflammatory foods 

In 2014 some of the most popular pages on Facebook were those listed as “high protein meals” and now? On instagram it’s “fitness meals.” The following is huge. But the ingredients are often highly inflammatory foods for most midlife women (and others). 

Hormonal changes bring gut issues. They show up in skin issues, weight loss resistance, digestive issues, irregularity, inability to reduce fat, inflammation. That points to leaky gut. Leaky gut is an obstacle for weight loss, immune function, disease prevention because not absorbing foods or supplements means there’s a gap between what someone thinks is healthy lifestyle and what’s really happening. 

3. Exercise 1st Thing in the Morning 

This will be unpopular. Especially if you do something very Orange Theory and have 4:30am or 5am classes or meet with clients at this time. But there is greater risk of disc issues within an hour of waking. [A podcast with Dr Stuart McGill at Flippingfifty.com or on your favorite podcast platform will help you understand this]. So, are clients up by 3:30 to do your session? 

Don’t shoot the messenger. It’s science.

You also may be disrupting sleep, not something midlife women can afford. Working with your hormones on a daily basis - as well as weekly - is so very important.

And I won’t go into this, but end of the day isn’t ideal for intense exercise either. So HIIT at that 5:30pm class isn’t in your client’s best interest. 

Surprised? More blogs and podcasts at fitnessmarketingmastery.com support how and why.

You may also like this: https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleep-fmm-specialist-opt/

And last but not least, this common fitness recommendation is potentially the nemesis of some midlife women. 

HIIT Workouts to Burn Fat 

A midlife woman already under a high level of perceived stress, and sometimes not perceived is just increasing cortisol. That’s increasing catabolism. That as you know is when muscle breaks down and the body stores fat easier. 

The body can not both store and burn fat. Under stress, it will opt for fat storage. Stressed midlife women, or those with too little cortisol, needing a nap after workouts, are burning out… not burning fat. 

Sooner or later they will have to stop. Stop exercise. Stop training with you. 

HIIT workouts should be the smallest percentage of exercise and movement time a midlife woman does in a week. 

HIIT should also be the last thing added and first to go if a woman isn’t feeling amazing! And getting results from her program. 

Other Episodes You Might Like: 

3 Reasons (and fixes) Your Female Fitness Clients Aren’t Getting Results: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/female-fitness-client/

Adaptogens for Coaching Midlife Clients: How & When It Helps: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/adaptogens/

Coaching Clients Effectively | Weight Loss Success Coach Interview: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/coaching-clients-weight-loss-success/

Resources: 

Flipping50® Menopause Fitness Specialist: https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist

Help Clients Sleep Better: https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleep-fmm-specialist-opt/

Health & Fitness Business Scorecard: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/scorecard

 

What’s the difference between coaching and advising a client? Are you using the title coach but a little unsure of what that means?

You’re not alone.

There are thousands more coaches of all kinds: health coaches, business coaches, life coaches, wellness coaches, divorce coaches, career coaches, and many wear the hat of an expert in their field too. 

So, whether you are or you’re not a personal trainer, this is for you. 

Coaching has great value. 

Yet, when you’re playing the role of cheerleader or you’re giving expert advice you’re not actually coaching. 

This episode explores when coaching is valuable and when you want to advise, if you do have the knowledge. 

Coaches: 

Support

Ask questions

Improve accountability

Encourage autonomy 

Encourage self-examination 

Ask for realistic goals

Trainers: 

Provide assessments 

Give recommendations for actions 

Set realistic goals

Give answers 

Evaluate performance

Determine next steps 

When clients don’t know what to do in order to achieve results, trainers determine the actions that make the most sense for them.

When clients know what to do but aren’t doing it, coaches help discover why that is true. 

To be an effective leader in programs, you may be both. 

First, you’re trying to determine the exercise plan based on a scientific combination of current status, health and activity history, hormones, goals, and limitations. That’s training using exercise science to create an exercise prescription. 

Concurrently or next you may be trying to consider why past attempts failed or why clients are non-compliant. That’s coaching using questions. 

Both skills are necessary for the improvement of fitness.  

Where does the line between coaching and advising blur? 

Where coaching and advising blur – and where effectiveness begins to wane, is when what is intended to be a coaching call becomes empathetic and without objective. 

A coach is definitely a warm person. However, it’s not enough. Are you able to ask questions that help someone see the answers for themselves? A coach allows an individual to have more personal power. When a coach praises or judges and evaluates she robs the client of personal power. 

Let me do a check-in with you, respectfully. You may have just felt a little offensive to what I just said. I’d like for you to stay with me. I hope you’ll consider that you’d only take offense if it was something you felt you did. 

If you say, good job! I’m proud of you! I’m so glad you did that…

Any of those is evaluative and a judgment. Though they’re praise and you may see that as positive, they indicate an evaluation. 

If instead you asked, how do you feel about that? Or I can only guess how good that feels, what’s it like for you? How is that different from what you’d experienced before? 

If you’d like more information on how to buff your coaching skills. Not those we associate with cuing and positioning clients, but skills like mirroring and reflecting, stay tuned. I’ve got a Coaching Midlife Women’s workshop coming up later this month you’ll love.

Resources: 

Fitness Business Scorecard: https://www.flippingfifty.com/the-fitness-health-coaches-scorecard/

Other Episodes You May Like: 

How to Charge More, Raise Your Health Coaching Rates, and Not Pee Your Pants Doing It: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/raise-your-health-coaching-rates/

6-Figure Months From 6 Mindset Shifts: Fitness Coaching Business: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/6-figure-months/

4 Fitness & Health Coaching Website Pages that Make Sales Easier: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/website-pages/

 If you’re a trainer or health coach with all the certs, and education, a desire to serve and to make a living, it doesn’t matter if you can’t find clients and students for your fitness programs. But there’s such an obvious need. So the question isn’t is there demand. It’s where are they, how do you get them (instead of letting them find another option). It’s also getting out of your head the idea that to find clients and students for your fitness programs isn’t the problem. If you believe that there’s too much competition, you’re sunk.  

So in this episode.. whether you run a gym and you’re struggling to bring people back in, or you offer an online fitness business, there is something in this episode, examples of how to market, in this episode. 

There is room for all of us. 

 00:00 

For those of you doing online programs feeling threatened by the reopening of gyms and the changes of numbers - Maybe you experienced some success during 2020 or 2021 if you got started then, and maybe your numbers aren’t quite as good in 2022. OR, Maybe you’re wondering about it being worth starting in 2022 because you haven’t yet. There’s something for you too.

Statistics

05:20 Despite compelling scientific research and widespread public health recommendations, among women 45–64 years and 65–74 years old, only 18% and 11%, respectively, perform physical activities that enhance and maintain muscle strength and endurance two or more times per week

(2010) 

Create a Community

06:57 Although personal involvement and commitment to any exercise program are essential, studies indicate that initiating individual behavior change is more likely with social or environmental change and support. 

A large number of women who drop out report time, and preference of exercising at home, as obstacles to exercise (in a gym). Good news for at-home exercise options not as good news for gyms, you might think. 

But post pandemic it’s a different landscape. Some are returning to gyms because they miss the, what I call, parallel play. That is, when you go somewhere for a specific reason and others are doing the same thing. You’re not distracted in the gym by laundry, lawncare, or the work desk staring at you.

This could actually be a positioning point for gyms now that group fitness and personal training options that are abundant and easily accessed online. Marketing that appeals to that pain-point of not getting to the workout, even with the best of intentions, because at home there are just too many other things to get in the way, may be one way to connect to people with fresh ads.

The elephant in the room for gyms is that:

10:04 Globally, from Q1 to Q2 in 2020 there was a 46% rise in fitness downloads:

60% of Americans enjoyed their home workouts during quarantine so much, they plan on canceling their gym memberships. 

Interestingly, India had the highest increase in downloads, rising by 156%. I bring that up for this reason: it makes sense because India had the largest lockdown in the world from March – May 2020 when 1.3 billion people were suddenly housebound. 

If you don’t have a gym in India and you’re wondering why this is important, stay with me. If you consider then states in the US, or wherever you are listening in the world – Canada, the UK, Australia – with the strictest lockdown status, the largest reported numbers of C-virus, those areas may be among some of the hardest to come back without an online option, marketing that takes an honest look at benefits of exercise vs risks of contracting the virus. 

Will the Pandemic Help Physical Activity Increases 

11:50 What remains to be seen is if this increase in accessibility and convenience will support increased fitness or a rise in the number of people consistently exercising enough for health benefits. 

Will the Physical Activity Increases Support Better Health?

This too, for gyms may be a point of distinction for those who embrace education of “activity” and “availability” compared to quality and direct tie to the needs and goals of individuals.  

It’s an opportunity to educate on the benefits of yoga and Pilates, that are not the same benefits one needs for muscle strength, metabolism, and bone density. 

It’s an opportunity to demonstrate the need for planes of motion in movement and not isolating activity to say, a spinning bike. 

Statistics on Participation in Exercise Pre-Pandemic

15:10 As age increases, participants are more likely to adhere to strength training. For example, for every additional decade of life, participants were approximately 10 times as likely to adhere to strength training.

In a study that featured comparison of web-based vs print-based physical activity interventions (a decade before the pandemic), web-based outperformed print-based, but both were effective. 

So, you understand how this went:

• One group was given a print-form of exercises and journal to record. 
• Another was given web-based exercise instruction and recording of activity. Both worked well. 

The results:

71% of previously inactive became active 

94% of previously active continued activity at recommended levels after the program 

Yes, please, all day, right?

The World Needs Options

18:26 For those of you doing online programs feeling threatened by the reopening of gyms and the changes of numbers - Maybe you experienced some success during 2020 or 2021 if you got started then, and maybe your numbers aren’t quite as good in 2022. OR, Maybe you’re wondering about it being worth starting in 2022 because you haven’t yet. There’s something for you too. 

At-home exercise works. Print, web-based, both work. Meaning, whether you’re using a pdf of exercises and just providing a simple program, or if you’ve created videos… how you provide online training may not matter. 

But, something else does. 

What It Takes

If you arrive at the right program for your ideal customer, you can create a huge and lasting impact. However, there’s one more step. You have to be able to market this program. They have to know it exists and it’s just right for them. You have to have a means to distinguish it from others and make someone say, I don’t just want any program, I don’t want any program but that one. 

Your voice – whether it’s funny, serious, educational, girl-next-door… needs to be full of conviction and inviting to the person who will thrive in your offering. You need to sound like you can hear the voice inside their head. They need to feel you know what they’re thinking, what they worry about, and what they want. That’s not branding, it’s not a broad approach, it’s marketing and it’s narrow.

How do you know when your message is distinct enough? 

20:30 You’ll have enough followers that you have some haters. Someone will say things like, “you confuse me” or “you need to get to the point” or “I don’t like your tone of voice.” I’ve heard all those. But out of 100 people if 2 people with nothing more to do than criticize tell you that, and you connect with 98? Those people will only find you IF YOU take a stand. They will find you because of the way you explain things, and don’t rush to conclusions, or whatever unique quirks you may think you need to fix! Keep them! 

In fact, marry your unique interests with your message. 

In the Marketing to Women Copywriting course, students learn how to identify not a broad target of women in midlife or women who are pregnant for the first time, or just diagnosed with osteoporosis… but that within THAT niche you choose, there are 5 unique personas that you will either repel or attract with the marketing you choose. Then you combine your personality with that? Gold. That’s how you find clients and students for fitness programs… in an evermore crowded space trying to get them.  

From the images, the script you use in videos on your pages, to your opt in pages, your emails or social media posts, what you say is important, HOW you say it is everything. Every woman in your niche does NOT make her buying decisions based on the same values.

Consider this 

23:02 How many people are socially awkward and don’t enjoy the gym? How many actually now have social anxiety since things are opened back up – who never experienced that before? How many of them were the paying members in a gym we call “low maintenance” – meaning they used it less than 2x a month? 

So, let’s say you’re targeting women in their 50s and 60’s who are concerned about bone and brain health and balance. Are you talking to the ones who have anxiety and depression? 

With pandemic weight gain (averages still range from 15-29lb), and the correlating diabetes, pre-diabetes, bone loss risks from pandemic behaviors we are still in a moment in time when we’ve got to address this in marketing. 

And few are. 

Another point of distinction. Lead with it, don’t bury it. 

I’ve attended and presented at 6 fitness conferences in the last 2 ½ years. Interestingly, not one had many – if any – sessions dedicated to what’s true right now, and how we bring up the need now, deal with long-haulers, anxiety and depression from isolation to get people started where they are. Problems people have now are not the problems they had pre pandemic. Even now, as things “feel normal” cases are coming up, weight is still there, causing the risk of comorbidities that the right exercise can do something about. 

We won’t get people active, or over the hurdle of coming to the gym for the first time, or back to the gym, without talking about these issues. What’s their comfort level in your environment relative to their anxiety and depression? It affects large masses of people. Do you deal with how to orient them and make them comfortable? Enthusiastically telling them that the exercise is going to help, isn’t enough. 

25:43 You’ve got to tell them how you’re going to make them comfortable coming in and doing the exercise. You want to describe what they feel when they go to leave their house, or get out of the car once in the parking lot. These are real things. You don’t alienate people who don’t have anxiety and depression by doing that. You probably also impress them with your openness and willingness to talk about tough issues. That’s your distinguishing feature and positioning point.

Gym Owners and Trainers: 

26:37 Will you suggest times of day that are better? 

• How will you check in with them with a phone call to review how it’s going? 
• What’s their preferred communication? 
• Will you suggest a private session instead of a group program based on their individual emotional needs?

These are the kinds of things we have to keep in mind now:

• Coming on too strong, 
• high enthusiasm, 
• over-the-top confidence…

could actually alienate some of the people who need you most. 

Think in the Now About Your Avatar

Who do you want to help? Who do you need to help? How many people does your current approach leave out feeling they don’t fit in or want to?  

And best question… how can you create or tweak an offering so that they have a place they can feel like home… whether it is at the gym or at home?  

There’s a place for your business model, for creating one that you love and allows you to deliver in the way that you want to for your lifestyle. You may want to keep exploring models you hadn’t yet considered for these times we’ve never been in. 

Keep the Faith

28:34 So, don’t be fooled by gym-reopenings being bad if you’re an online program provider or coach. 

Don’t be dissuaded or fearful of all the Peloton, mirror, and online trainers and apps if you’re a gym. 

There are always going to be people who choose people and need to lift heavily safely in a gym. There will always be people who have all the things sitting in their home, access to thousands of workouts, and don’t do them, needing accountability – of an online coach or program. 

We all know, we are not serving enough people and that is where the real opportunity lies. Combine the real talk about seriousness of health and fitness in this moment we’re in, not ignoring or discussing weight loss the way you did in 2019 and find your point of distinction.  

Don’t be just different. Be better. Be the perfect match for your ideal customer and the absolute wrong match for others.. Feel like home. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Marketing to Women Copywriting Course : https://www.flippingfifty.com/copywriting-course

Similar Recent Episodes You Might Like: 

12 Content Ideas for Fitness & Health: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/content-ideas/

3 Reasons (and fixes) Your Female Fitness Client Isn't Getting Results: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/female-fitness-client/

 References:

There were many references used in the creation of this episode, many of which were also referenced in this Flipping 50 episode: https://www.flippingfifty.com/

Seguin RA, Economos CD, Palombo R, Hyatt R, Kuder J, Nelson ME. Strength training and older women: a cross-sectional study examining factors related to exercise adherence. J Aging Phys Act. 2010 Apr;18(2):201-18. doi: 10.1123/japa.18.2.201. PMID: 20440031; PMCID: PMC4308058.

Coaching midlife clients brings a new set of hormones, conditions, injuries, lifestyle habit challenges and stressors. You should have an equally robust toolbox expansion to go with it.

Consider this one episode that will help. In our Flipping 50 Menopause Specialist course there is a module dedicated to one of the topics we discuss today. You’ll hear my guest expert on adaptogens discuss just how you can find ways to inform your clients, support them through application, and in doing so, increase your value as a coach. 

I’m curious: have you tried adaptogens?

I’ve shared details about benefits of maca - and the difference in the quality and mysterious 11 strains that may or may not help a woman in previous Flipping 50 podcasts. I’ll link to that as well as to the brand that I recommend for clinical grade maca when someone truly wants to use an amount proven to support their needs. 

Others include ashwaganda, rhodiola, and we’ll talk about more on this and the other podcast. When you or your clients are looking for natural, this is a great solution! 

My Guest:

Danielle Ryan Broida is a pivotal voice in the functional food and wellness space. As a Registered Herbalist of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG), Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Instructor of Mycology, and Head of Education at Four Sigmatic, she is teaching the world about the importance of a life on super herbs and mushrooms for vitality, longevity, and better performance from brain to body. She is the author of a new book, Healing Adaptogens, published September 27, 2022.

Rapid Fire Questions we answer in this episode:

• How can adaptogens help midlife female clients?
• What are the most common questions midlife women ask about adaptogens? 
• Is there any risk of drug or medication interaction? 
• Do most adaptogens come in a dose recommendation based on weight or to-tolerance, or how is that addressed?

Listen to the full Flipping50 episode: https:///www.flippingfifty.com/adaptogens

My Foursigmatic coffee episodes are fewer and further between right now but I do love it and the wise addition to a habit most women already have. Why not make good habits all that easy to well, adapt? 

Other Episodes You May Like: 

Coaching 7 Hormone Phases: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/hormone-phases/
Training Menopause: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/training-women-in-menopause/

 

Why the psychology for health & fitness professionals today? You love exercise and you crave it… and most of your clients don’t. We’re often so far from clueless or from understanding what that feels like to be awkward, uncomfortable, and feel out of place we can’t relate. 

We’ve got to earn and learn our empathy. 

Why I hate exercise, my summer report. It’s the truth for too many of us. Since my beginning in fitness 38 years ago, the statistics have not improved. There are still too few of us exercising enough to improve our health (let alone our fitness). This interview episode dives into that psychology for health & fitness professionals.

Change 

Behavior change is hard. And if you know that all too well, say you’ve seen your detailed exercise prescription fall by the wayside and clients fall off the bandwagon, you’ll find a great deal of support inside the Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist course you have access to expert interviews like Dr. Joan Rosenberg, Mindy Gorman-Plutzer, Dr Sandi Scheinbaum - and more.

They discuss the art and the science of coaching change, within scope of practice, and as issues like disordered eating, self-sabotage, and past failures, haunt your clients. These complimentary Expert Interviews are a professional development extra for the certification course, and a priceless resource for improving the coaching skills you use daily. 

Learn more about the Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist here. 

My Guest: 

Mike Kelly says he has some contrarian views related to health and fitness developed over 40 years in fitness. 

He has been a personal trainer, university varsity level S&C coach; expert legal fitness witness;and a master TRAINER for other fitness professionals. Despite knowing the body extremely well from an anatomical perspective, he went back to school five years ago to become Queen's University's oldest Psychology grad in the spring of 2020 – knowledge he says has allowed him to expand his understanding of the connection between psychology and the physiology, or as we know it, mind-body connection. 

He adopted the moniker “The Cynical Trainer” which he uses on social media and we’ll find out what that’s about. 

Questions we answer in this episode: 

• Before we discuss now, let’s talk about why you’re here, what got you into providing health and fitness as a career? 
• Why the moniker, "The Cynical Trainer"?
• What do you feel are contrarian views to exercise (and who do you mean you’re contrarian to)?
• What are your thoughts on the current obesity levels?
• As an older adult, how do you personally exercise and what are your goals and motivation?

Connect with Mike:

https://wemeanfitness.com

Mike on Social: 

Instagram: @cynicaltrainer

Twitter: @cynicaltrainer

Facebook: canfitpro Ottawa

Other Episodes You might Enjoy: 

Getting the Inactive to Exercise: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/getting-overweight-large-size-person-start/

From Anti-aging to Anti-ageism: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/from-antiaging-to-anti-ageism/

Psychology for Health & Fitness Pros book: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/psychology-for-health-fitness-professionals_james-gavin/1335646/#edition=4559028&idiq=5714385

 

Training women in menopause is an honor. They don’t trust easily. They have been around the block. It’s not their first rodeo. And it comes with an opportunity and responsibility. The opportunity is that this woman influences 3 generations.  

The responsibility is, screw this up and you can change her future for the worse. Muscle, bone, brain health, and diseases made worse with blood sugar issues hang in the wings.  

No pressure! Lighten up! You’re up to the challenge. 

This episode is sponsored by the Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist

1)    Solely focused on “functional” exercise 

Corrective and functional exercise is very important. For this population, it is very much needed! The word “functional” is very misleading, however.  

In midlife, women juggle – or have a trainer who will for them – multiple needs of metabolism, muscle maintenance, bone density, fat optimization, as well as their mobility and joint/ligament health.

A trainer focused only on one or the other, whether it’s lifting heavy and power training, or it’s exclusively corrective exercise at the cost of the others… does a woman a disservice. 

As always is true in a workout program, there are priorities and then there are secondary goals. A woman might have as her first priority to improve her mobility and any necessary corrective exercises for alignment. Secondary goals may be to begin boosting metabolism and blood sugar support. 

So, while she’s spending much time doing unilateral work, or isolating some small muscles, she also can begin her strengthening of major muscles and lifestyle movement to reduce blood sugar swings.  

Helping a client understand this is key to compliance and successful outcomes. 

2)    Lack of emphasis on timing of exercise

The training women in menopause, the timing and type of exercise becomes a real priority. Whether for helping support blood sugar stabilization, or optimizing fat burning or sleep, the influence of hormones on exercise becomes a key to successfully exercising for longevity and results women want today.  

Late day intense exercise will backfire on more midlife women than it helps. It’s no longer a matter of “whatever time of day you’ll do it” is the best time to exercise. 

Sleep disruption or quality of sleep issues are more likely to occur and circadian rhythm will be hurt more than helped.

3)    Failure to identify signs of hormone issues 

Knowing that a woman is struggling with hot flashes and night sweats and that this is identified with menopause is one thing. Identifying her burning mouth or electric shocks as the same is another. Knowing how to modify exercise and what to ask about her lifestyle habits for her if she’s got insomnia is still another. 

There are 34 identified symptoms of menopause, not all are easily identified and in odd combinations are even illusive to doctors. So ,it’s beyond time that trainers who spend so much more time with a client knows what to ask, how to respond, and what to do with the information when it comes to exercise. 

4)    Recommending clients have hormones tested

This is a recommendation assuming a lot. First, it’s assuming a woman wants to take hormone replacement therapy. 

Second, it’s assuming a woman knows where to get tested and what differences in tests she wants are. 

Third, it assumes that a woman knows who to go to that will interpret these labs for her optimally not according to norms. Norms are developed according to a whole lot of people who don’t feel good. Norms are nothing more than “average.” 

If a woman doesn’t feel good, a trainer has already helped identify signs and symptoms and modified exercise and coached lifestyle habits, the first question is, “Do you want to consider hormone therapy or learn more about your options?”  

From there an educated coach can – within scope of practice – share information, suggest resources, and connect with her network of functional health doctors for the appropriate next step. 

5)    Inadequate knowledge about labs and results 

I alluded to this in #4, but there is a big difference in tests (doing a Dutch test vs a blood test, doing the types of thyroid testing that fully informs where the issue may be, and potentially micronutrient or stool tests to first look at whether improvements to gut health and micronutrient sufficiency or detoxing could be the root need to help hormone production and micronutrient absorption). 

A midlife hormone or health coach doesn’t need to have a medical background. She does want to responsibly know what’s possible, know when to refer and who to refer to.  

There’s no better coach or trainer than one who’s been through it or is going through it herself. 

We see these mistakes training women in menopause daily. On social and in gyms. We see corrections and suggestions NOT made as well as training mistakes made. 

When we realize it, understand it, for me at least, it was time to do something about it. It’s not popular necessarily – or 9 years ago it wasn’t – nor was it in 2020 when my TEDx was released – to go against what many believe.  

But it’s what leaders do. Are you ready? Let’s create an army supporting women in the way they deserve. 

Resources: 

Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist: https://www.flippingfifity.com/specialist 

Leave a comment:

What do you see in regards to women in menopause and the mistakes they make, we make ourselves as fitness pros, or trainers are making? 

 

 

 

If your fitness clients aren’t getting results, it’s alarming, right? You know that session or two, even a week or two of a plateau is normal, but it gets hard to come up with answers about why it might be true to calm your clients. 

00:00

Unless of course, you start to second guess them. Are they cheating? Are they overestimating exercise they’re doing outside of sessions or underestimating caloric intake? 

But none of these is the most likely reason your female fitness clients aren’t getting results if you’re working with midlife female fitness clients.  

Look, there’s the easy stuff you can teach that anyone is teaching today about losing inflammatory foods. But the easy and obvious answer isn’t so obvious to many trainers. 

So, here you go. 

These three reasons have two things in common.  

• First, they’re all hormones.
• The second thing all three of these things have in common is… they all require adequate quality and quantity of sleep. 

For midlife female fitness clients, that may be something they wish for but haven’t had in a while.  

If you don’t know how to sequentially coach your clients on the solutions to better sleep, then I suggest you get my quick and dirty freebie. (LINK to new FMM sleep freebie-https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleeper

05:23

# 1 Cortisol  

If cortisol is high (or low) there is either too much muscle breakdown or too little energy and the body and metabolism are slowing down everything.  

Muscle breakdown and fat storage both occur far faster in the presence of high cortisol than do lean muscle gains and fat burning. 

When even one night of sleep deprivation occurs, cortisol levels the next day work against your client’s goals. 

 06:12

#2 Growth Hormone 

This hormone is key to growing lean muscle. The right strength training stimulus – you’re probably providing if you’re listening to this – is one way to boost it. In fact it’s one of the best. But did you know? Growth hormone is released during deepest cycles of sleep. So a woman who is having hot flashes, and night sweats and or has an old dog or a snoring spouse… is going to suffer. She’s waking up multiple times and never allowed into that deep sleep.  

Other women have had insomnia for years. You know what happens for them? They just accept it. And they say, “that’s good for me” when they sleep for 4 hours straight or don’t wake until 4 even though they don’t need to wake up til hours later. 

You can be a key turning point in them changing the story they tell themselves. 

I met Jennifer when she was in her early 60’s. She’d had insomnia for decades. We tried everything, with some success. But finally, I said, let’s check with your doctor to see what would be the smallest viable sleep supplement with least side effects possible. With the help of that sleep aid, she changed her sleep habits, her relationship with bedtime, and lost 100 lbs. 

 12:13 

#3 Testosterone  

If you’ve got women in midlife still drinking wine, skimping on protein and doing cardio, they’re killing their testosterone. 

It too is created during deep sleep cycles. Other ways of optimizing testosterone include the opposite of what I mentioned as saboteurs. That is, interval training, strength training, and high protein. 

 15:01

That’s it… 3 ways, or really one way to improve 3 hormones that will change your relationship with your clients and improve their results. Turn your business into a coaching business as well as a training business by leveraging knowledge like this.

Resources: 

Sleep Tips for Your Clients (new link..https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleep-fmm-specialist-opt

Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist (https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist)

Other Episodes You May Like: 

Why Some Women Struggle with Weight, Hormones at Menopause: https://www.flippingfifty.com/hormones-at-menopause/

Midlife Weight Gain Occurs Over Decades | The Misunderstood Delusion:https://www.flippingfifty.com/midlife-weight-gain/

 

If you have a female training client, I can almost guarantee she wants it all, AND they is overwhelmed before she starts. 

00:00 

You, dear trainer (or health coach) will be tempted to give them the diet changes, the hydration goals, and the exercise to do all at once. And they will start on Monday and blow it by Wednesday and come back to you next week sheepish, feeling like a failure already. 

So don’t! Here’s how to get much faster results with uncommon strategies. 

 04:51 

#1 Give them less. 

For an older female training client, often overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is give them less and have them focus on it more. 

06:19

Better than “more” first goals: 

Track protein at each meal

Increase sleep quality

Try adding 5 minutes to walking time this week

Especially if you work with female midlife clients, sleep is key. Click here (https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/sleeper) for the tips I’ve coached women to increase sleep by up to 2 hours a night.  

10:02

#2 Set a daily check in. 

After you and your client chose that better goal, set a daily check in about it. Have them text you or use Voxer if that’s your choice to tell you how it went. 

Silly as it sounds, it’s not at all. It’s simply the best way to stay on track and not feel alone. 

When you decide to do this, preface it with the elephant in the room.

Tell her, you’ll feel silly. You’ll think, I should be able to do this myself.

And tell her that she’d be wrong. Pro athletes check in daily with software apps their coaches see in real time after they do the daily workouts they were assigned. 

For the highly successful, there is always a team.  

Here’s how I know this. Introvert me, could easily talk to no one for days. I can create a ton of content, market it, grow my business along just fine. 

But if I want to amplify what I’m doing, I check in with my mastermind team, my coach, and colleagues who also do not want to accept status quo. 

Listen, most people go through the motions. They complain about success they don’t have from work and effort they didn’t do. So, to get results you have to have the accountability to someone outside yourself. Too many are like crabs in the bucket pulling you down to average. (tune in to an upcoming podcast on Flipping 50 if you want more on that topic).

 16:42

#3 Create External Rewards.

I know, I know. We think we need to create an internal motivation where it’s only important to the individual. And often they’ll tell you, they don’t want anyone else to know until … they’ve lost a few pounds… or they see progress in some other way. 

But that will backfire. 

I’ve trained for a dozen marathons, more than half of them followed a 2.4-mile swim, and a 112-mile bike ride (also known as Ironman). The first thing you do when you’re training with a group, is tell the world. You’re encouraged to write letters, share it with everyone (even if you’re not fundraising).  

That’s because saying it out loud helps YOU believe it more, or in this case your client. Help her tell others, start saying “this is what I’m doing” not “this is what I’m trying.”  

Whether it’s dinner with the family, a massage, or a pedicure… just for consistently hitting activity or protein goals mentioned above doesn’t really matter. That it’s a public goal and a publicly celebrated reward.. that’s the difference. 

21:32 

Make It Easy

Your female training client has a lot on her plate, especially if in midlife. Make it easy. Even for the ones that want more and want it to hurt and want to feel sore (they’re out there), strategically hold them accountable to small things. 

You’ll increase success rates with all kinds of clients by keeping them coming and injury free. Working exclusively with the female training client? I’d love to hear from you!

Resources: 

Sleep Tips for Your Midlife Clients:  https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/sleeper 

More Midlife Clients Now (link https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/5daysmoreclients

Other Podcasts You May Like: 

20 Tips to More Midlife Fitness Clients Post Pandemic | #319: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/more-midlife-clients/

Training 7 Women’s Hormone Phases of Life | Fitness & Health Pros: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/hormone-phases

Women’s Fitness, Health, & Hormones | Training Menopause: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/hormone-course

The amount of women who deal with disordered eating on a daily basis is stifling. These are women, and may be you, who think about food from the moment they wake until they go to bed at night. 

They focus on what they will eat, what they won’t eat, and how much. Least of all they focus on how hungry or satisfied they are. And they’ll come to you for help with weight issues that are potentially catching up with them after struggling for years or retriggered because of the changes that occur during menopause. 

At no other time since puberty has the body gone through such a major change than as menopause, even including pregnancy which has it’s own challenges and changes. At menopause though may have the advantage of having other individual’s health at stake. The midlife woman is often influencing daughters and knows it. That may make the need or desire to change stronger. 

00:00

My Guest:

Mindy Gorman-Plutzer brings 2 decades of experience to her private practice as a Certified Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner and Eating Psychology Coach. Mindy’s life experience and training inspired her to create a framework that combines functional nutrition, positive psychology, and mind/body science; introducing a compassionate resolution to physical and emotional challenges resulting from chronic and complex health issues, as they relate to Eating Disorders. She’s the author of The Freedom Promise: 7 Steps To Stop Fearing What Food Will Do TO You and Start Embracing What It Can Do FOR You.

Questions we answer in this episode: 

03:01 What are some things you’d like health coaches and trainers to know about E.D. recovery?

07:10 How often might it be true that a woman doesn’t want to change yet, how would a fitness or health coach positively coach clients with disordered eating? 

08:20 What are examples of “active listening”?

10:35 A coach or trainer can easily feel the all eyes on her and be dealing with a disorder themselves. What do you recommend a coach do working with clients with disordered eating, while they currently are being triggered themselves? 

It’s not uncommon for midlife women to be in denial about disordered eating, or to simply not recognize it because it has been a pattern for so long. When they’re ready, the teacher shows up, and it might be you. 

Connect with Mindy:

Website:  www.thefreedompromise.com/guide 

She’s Social: 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TheFreedomPromise/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreedompromise/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FreedomPromise

Resources: 

5 Days to More Midlife Clients: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/5daysmoreclients 

Other Episodes You May Like: 

3 Reasons Your Midlife Clients Aren’t Getting Results: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/female-fitness-clients/

3 Fast Ways to Better Results with Clients: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/female-training-clients/

If your female fitness clients aren’t getting results, it’s alarming, right? You know that session or two, even a week or two of a plateau is normal, but it gets hard to come up with answers about why it might be true to calm your clients. 

 00:00

Unless of course, you start to second guess them. Are they cheating? Are they overestimating the exercise they’re doing outside of sessions or underestimating caloric intake? 

But none of these is the most likely reason your female fitness clients aren’t getting results if you’re working with midlife female fitness clients. 

Look, there’s the easy stuff you can teach that anyone is teaching today about losing inflammatory foods. But the easy and obvious answer isn’t so obvious to many trainers. 

So, here you go. 

These three reasons have two things in common. 

First, they’re all hormones. 

The second thing all three of these things have in common is… they all require adequate quality and quantity of sleep. 

For midlife female fitness clients, that may be something they wish for but haven’t had in a while. 

If you don’t know how to sequentially coach your clients on the solutions to better sleep, then I suggest you get my quick and dirty freebie. https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleep-fmm-specialist-opt

 05:23

# 1 Cortisol 

 If cortisol is high (or low) there is either too much muscle breakdown or too little energy and the body and metabolism are slowing down everything. 

 Muscle breakdown and fat storage both occur far faster in the presence of high cortisol than do lean muscle gains and fat burning. 

 When even one night of sleep deprivation occurs, cortisol levels the next day work against your client’s goals. 

 06:12

#2 Growth Hormone 

 This hormone is key to growing lean muscle. The right strength training stimulus – you’re probably providing if you’re listening to this – is one way to boost it. In fact, it’s one of the best. But did you know? Growth hormone is released during the deepest cycles of sleep. So a woman who is having hot flashes, and night sweats, and or has an old dog or a snoring spouse… is going to suffer. She’s waking up multiple times and is never allowed into that deep sleep. 

 Other women have had insomnia for years. Do you know what happens to them? They just accept it. And they say, “that’s good for me” when they sleep for 4 hours straight or don’t wake until 4 even though they don’t need to wake up till hours later. 

You can be a key turning point in them changing the story they tell themselves. 

I met Jennifer when she was in her early 60’s. She’d had insomnia for decades. We tried everything, with some success. But finally, I said, let’s check with your doctor to see what would be the smallest viable sleep supplement with the least side effects possible. With the help of that sleep aid, she changed her sleep habits, and her relationship with bedtime, and lost 100 lbs. 

 12:13 

#3 Testosterone 

 If you’ve got women in midlife still drinking wine, skimping on protein, and doing cardio, they’re killing their testosterone. 

 It too is created during deep sleep cycles. Other ways of optimizing testosterone include the opposite of what I mentioned as saboteurs. That is, interval training, strength training, and high protein. 

 15:01

That’s it… 3 ways, or really one way to improve 3 hormones that will change your relationship with your clients and improve their results. Turn your business into a coaching business as well as a training business by leveraging knowledge like this.

Resources: 

Sleep Tips for Your Clients:

https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleep-fmm-specialist-opt

Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist: https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist

Other Episodes You May Like: 

Why Some Women Struggle with Weight, Hormones at Menopause:

https://www.flippingfifty.com/hormones-at-menopause/

Midlife Weight Gain Occurs Over Decades | The Misunderstood Delusion: https://www.flippingfifty.com/midlife-weight-gain/

 

What for you is successful enough? If there’s no wrong answer, no right answer, what do you really want? Is it a monetary return? Is it a certain lifestyle? 

00:00

One thing I’d like for you to consider is you may already have it. I realized not long ago that I’m living my best life day today. I love my schedule, love my lifestyle, and am traveling just the right amount to the places I want to go. 

 

If I close my eyes, or if I write in a journal about my ideal home… I’ve been living it. 

 

And all too easily we sometimes start thinking that we have to keep striving and pushing and efforting. Are you successful enough? Or what would that look like for you? 

 

In this short Q and A episode with Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist, Amy, we talk about her second career and how she’s building a business. … and you can too. 

 

5-Day Kickstart to Attract More Midlife Clients.  https://www.flippingfifty.com/midlife-clients 

 

My Guest:

Amy VanLiew is a Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist with certifications in Menopause Fitness, Corrective Exercise, and Osteoporosis Fitness and she’s a retired engineer! She helps women over 50 get moving and feel better even as the aches and pains of age start to creep in, all from the comfort of their own home. At 50 she learned that life should not be about punishing our bodies or starving ourselves it's about accepting ourselves, learning to navigate the changes, and being healthy enough to do the things we love to do, To feel good, to feel satisfied, and to also be able to truly enjoy this later and better half of life.

 

Questions We Answer in this Q and A Episode:

• 03:26 Biggest aha to you about menopause fitness? 
• 04:21 What have you found to be the area where the clients you’re attracting struggle the most? 
• 06:25 You’re a recent cover girl, which we’ve talked so much publicity being a key to getting you found, how did it came about?
• 12:00 What if you were starting over again, what would you advise a listener do to get started? 

 

There you have it. You too can be successful enough. 

 

Listen to the Full Flipping 50 episode with Amy at 

https://www.Flippingfifty.com/healthy-enough 

 

Connect with Amy:

Website: https://behealthyenough.com/

Amy Social:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behealthyenough/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/behealthyenough

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeHealthyEnough

Additional Episodes You Might Like: 

Healthy Enough Over 50 | What It Is 

https://www.Flippingfifty.com/healthy-enough 

How Are Your Nutrition Recommendations Making Clients Fat?

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/nutrition-recommendations/

If you have female training clients, I can almost guarantee they want it all, AND they are overwhelmed before they start. 

 00:00 

You, dear trainer, will be tempted to give them the diet changes, the hydration goals, and the exercise to do all at once. And they will start on Monday and blow it by Wednesday and come back to you next week sheepish, feeling like a failure already. 

So don’t! Here’s how to get much faster results with uncommon strategies. 

 04:51 

#1 Give them less. 

For older female training clients, often overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is give them less and have them focus on it more. 

06:19

Better than “more” first goals: 

Track protein at each meal

Increase sleep quality

https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleep-fmm-specialist-opt 

Try adding 5 minutes to walking time this week

Especially if you work with female midlife clients, sleep is key. Click here (https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleep-fmm-specialist-opt) for the tips I’ve coached women to increase sleep by up to 2 hours a night. 

 10:02

#2 Set a daily check-in. 

After you and your client chose that better goal, set a daily check-in about it. Have them text you or use Voxer if that’s your choice to tell you how it went. 

Silly as it sounds, it’s not at all. It’s simply the best way to stay on track and not feel alone. 

When you decide to do this, preface it with the elephant in the room.

Tell her, you’ll feel silly. You’ll think, I should be able to do this myself.

And tell her that she’d be wrong. Pro athletes check in daily with software apps their coaches see in real-time after they do the daily workouts they were assigned. 

For the highly successful, there is always a team. 

Here’s how I know this. Introvert me could easily talk to no one for days. I can create a ton of content, market it, and grow my business along just fine.

But if I want to amplify what I’m doing, I check in with my mastermind team, my coach, and colleagues who also do not want to accept the status quo. 

Listen, most people go through the motions. They complain about the success they don’t have from work and the effort they didn’t do. So, to get results you have to have the accountability to someone outside yourself. Too many are like crabs in the bucket pulling you down to average. (tune in to an upcoming podcast on Flipping 50 if you want more on that topic)

 16:42

#3 Create External Rewards.

 I know, I know. We think we need to create an internal motivation where it’s only important to the individual. And often they’ll tell you, they don’t want anyone else to know until … they’ve lost a few pounds… or they see progress in some other way. 

But that will backfire. 

I’ve trained for a dozen marathons, more than half of them followed a 2.4-mile swim, and a 112-mile bike ride (also known as Ironman). The first thing you do when you’re training with a group is tell the world. You’re encouraged to write letters, and share it with everyone (even if you’re not fundraising). 

That’s because saying it out loud helps YOU believe it more or in this case your client. Help her tell others, start saying “this is what I’m doing” not “this is what I’m trying.” 

Whether it’s dinner with the family, a massage, or a pedicure… just for consistently hitting activity or protein goals mentioned above doesn’t really matter. That it’s a public goal and a publicly celebrated reward.. that’s the difference. 

 21:32

Make It Easy

Your female training clients have a lot on their plates, especially if they’re in midlife. Make it easy. Even for the ones that want more and want it to hurt and want to feel sore (they’re out there), strategically hold them accountable to small things. 

You’ll increase success rates with all kinds of clients by keeping them coming and injury-free. Working exclusively with female training clients? I’d love to hear from you!

Resources: 

Sleep Tips for Your Midlife Clients: https://www.flippingfifty.com/sleep-fmm-specialist-opt 

 

More Midlife Clients Now:  https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/5daysmoreclients

 

Other Podcasts You May Like: 

20 Tips to More Midlife Fitness Clients Post Pandemic | #319: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/more-midlife-clients/

Training 7 Women’s Hormone Phases of Life | Fitness & Health Pros: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/hormone-phases/

Women’s Fitness, Health, & Hormones | Training Menopause: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/hormone-course/

00:00

This is part two, How to Raise Your Rates, in the raise your rates series. In the first, I addressed when to raise your rates including 3 key times. And #2 may shock the Lulu’s off you. The link to that episode will be here in the show notes today. As always you’ll find those at fitnessmarketingmastery.com and podcasts are available on your favorite podcast platform!

So, you’ve decided to take the plunge. You’ve done the math. You’re excited by the idea of earning more per session, per hour, per program, or membership!

And then, gulp, you think, oh my goodness, how do I tell them?

03:58

Here’s how to raise your rates step by step.

1) Notify your current clients

1. Choose a time. For big increases in annual or, monthly rates give a longer runway. That might be 90 days.
2. Choose a method. Will you send them an email, a postcard, a video message?

I often use a pending increase of rates for a program or a membership to benefit my community. I let them know that say, during the anniversary promotion of the After 50 Fitness Formula for Women course Labor Day weekend they can have the course at the 2015 rates this one last weekend.. plus enjoy a bonus.. before the rates go up on Tuesday after Labor Day.

My evergreen sales for this course after the rate increase don’t suffer because no one knew the “old” rate and the acute 4-day promotion sales increase. And, I’m not “discounting” or devaluing my services or products to increase revenue in either case.

07:16

An example of how to raise your rates… when they are terribly low!

One of my students recently raised her rates for private coaching by doubling what she’d been offering. When she had a prior coaching client come back to do coaching again, the client didn’t bat an eye and paid in full for the new rate. My client is so excited by picking up a client and confirmation “she’s worth it,” that there’s renewed enjoyment of coaching. 

The truth is her rate is still too low. A coach is worth an investment. If your model is working for a doctor’s office and the doc is retaining you for $75 an hour … but charging $150/hour, it may be time to look at starting your own business. Coaches with experience and who provide transformation earn $300 - $1000 an hour. Are you worth it? No one will believe it unless you do.

09:53

2) Determine if you’ll grandfather in your current clients for same rates

1. Create a new product, making the old product invisible and sharing the link with renewing clients or simply having them on auto-renew (as with a subscription)
2. Creating a unique discount code for them to use when they check out
3. Create rules like consecutive or uninterrupted service for retaining the current rate

With private clients I’ve been working with for years I will often grandfather them in. That is, they’ll continue paying the same rate, and as long as they continue to renew they will enjoy that rate. You’ve done the homework, you’ve got the relationship, and if it’s a client you love, then you decide. Not so much? Let them know you’re raising rates! Maybe you increase theirs by a smaller fraction.

I will say, I’m to the point I’ve raised my rates such that I have one long-standing private client paying a small fraction of my full fee. And I mean 25%. Not 25% off, but 25% of my full fee. You can decide what feels right to you and you can discuss it openly with your clients.

14:47

3) Add bonuses

That unlock with renewal at the new rate, so you are increasing the value not simply raising rates. Though it’s reasonable with experience, increase inflation, service rates do need to increase, especially if there’s a cost of goods or rental space involved, it still feels better to any of us as consumers when we also know we are receiving upgraded service or additional service with the increase.

17:04

4) Decide if you’ll allow a “stock up” at current rates flurry to happen.

1. Pros: it can increase revenue in a big way to do so
2. Cons: it can lock you into being busy servicing people at a lower rate than you know you’re worth and defeat the very reason you’re raising rates: you’re worth it and the transformation you provide is worth it!
3. You can put a limit on number of purchases allowed if you do decide you’re going to allow this.

I encouraged both monthly and annual memberships sales this past December while I let everyone know of rate increases occurring in January of 2022.

22:49

Last tip for how to raise your rates: make it count.

Don’t do some modest increase. My client doubled her coaching fees. I increased my annual membership by $100 and monthly by $10. I recently increased my private coaching fees by 200%. I attract better clients, serious about doing the work, and love working with them. If you raise your rates only every couple of years, and you’ve been scared ____ less to do it during Covid, make it matter.

23:48

Worried About Renewals?

How do you keep them coming back? I have anniversaries “unlock” access to new programs. In our membership, the biggest exercise asset is 12-week strength training programs. I have a special access for 1st year anniversaries and another for 2nd year anniversaries.

I’ve got members who have been with me for 5 years. They’ve been grandfathered in at the rate they joined. Membership is now 66% higher. They’re not only enjoying those low rates, but they help other community members with answers to their questions and are first to talk about excitement for a particular program.

It’s a win-win to have those legacy members involved, even at a lower rate. Consider the asset of holding onto members vs. trying to advertise and gain new ones.

There you have it, how to raise your rates. If you’re listening to this one but haven’t heard WHEN to raise your rates, health & fitness coaches go check it out.

And here’s the thing, think it through. Once. Think it over. Then just do it.

Resources:

Marketing to Women Copywriting Course

 

 

Other episodes you might like:

Be sure to listen to Part I of this podcast

When to Raise Your Rates, Fitness & Health Coaches – Part I

They Got the Freebie, How to Enroll In Your Program? | Say This Not That #307

 

Please Vote for Podcast Titles!!

fitnessmarketingmastery.com/vote

We’re approaching that time of year when every personal trainer who is committed to a career in fitness needs a new fitness client process. You need a system or a method. And you need to measure whether it works.

After 37 years in fitness, and 33 as a one-to-one trainer or health coach I’ve definitely made my share of mistakes. But actually, thanks to my ex-husband and friend, back in 1992 I developed a process and I have used it over and over to describe how I work with clients, to start clients, and to continue with clients.

My first session follows several steps.

Consultation with New Fitness Client Process

More and more with each book published, media appearance, TEDx talk, keynote speech, clients will apply to work with me without ever doing a consultation.

But still 50% of the time, I will consult with a customer not sure if we’re a match or with questions about how it works. Even during this consultation, I share the steps of how I work with clients from beginning to next. We all like to know what to expect. Setting expectations should be a part of your process.

Following enrollment there is Pre-First Session Homework for the New Client
They’ve filled out all the pre-questionnaires, history, inclusive of health, fitness, hormones, and awareness.

Documents are Turned In

Homework is Turned in 24 or more hours before I meet with a client. That guarantees I have time to go through them and start identifying an ideal lifestyle plan.

That plan however is never the actual starting point. Literally, never.

We’re working with real life humans with a history of habits and preferences and a reality that has to be a part of the step-by-step change we help them make.

Books to read for supporting you in supporting them:

• Tiny Habits
• Atomic Habits
• The ONE THING
• Essentialism

Identify Questions for First Session

I’ll pick one, two or three areas where I want to ask questions.

If I don’t see an obvious ONE THING to start with and ask if the client agrees, I’ll ask them which feels like a bigger pain point for them so we’re co-collaborating on a starting point. I never turn a client’s world upside down or assign an arbitrary goal out of the blue. They are somewhere before we met. That’s our starting point for deciding where to go next and for deciding what turn to take.

I have a template that I use for those meetings. I use a checklist. I list the follow up questions I need to ask to collect all the data I need. Those questions are qualitative and quantitative both.

The answers to those questions that I’ll use to finalize the actual proposed plan for week 1. In my mind I’ve got week 2, 3, 4 also plotted. That’s creating an ideal. There is always a change to it based on data and feedback from week 1.

Flipping 50 Master Class 

Platforms for meeting:

• Tele-conference calls
• Skype
• Facetime
• Zoom

Follow up connections with clients:

• Text
• What’s App
• Voxer

Start Your Sessions Systematically

Ditch the small talk and the, how are you? Seriously, catch your clients when they throw that back to you. Yes, it’s polite and conditioned but it’s trite. This is about them. The purpose of this call is not to open up how you are.

I’ve got their session prep form in front of me when we talk. But I always ask, is there anything else you want to add to this list or is it complete? And: Is there anything unusual coming up for you in the next week I should know about so as we talk I can take that into account so you’re next week’s plan makes the most sense for you?  

I ask if the client wants to go through things from top to bottom or if there’s a highest priority item they want to start with.

Give Choices

All of that is about putting the client in charge. Listen, we’re co-collaborating here it’s not a dictatorship. My job is not to make someone co-dependent, it’s to help them rely on their own judgment and take charge. It’s more about that than taking responsibility. A client who’s reached out to you is extremely responsible.

My view is the client is an expert. No one knows them better than they do. My expertise is hormone balancing fitness, kinesiology, movement, and behavior change that sticks. We have to do this together.

End Sessions Systematically

One of the important things for you to do is pad your sessions. I learned this the hard way. When I would have calls with 3 clients in a row and then have the day take off like a runaway train, getting back to send homework and summarize the session and give recordings to clients became really hard to do.

So, I leave 10 minutes minimum and I’m also taking notes (keyboard right into their call transcript). You can also transcribe it with otter.ia but you will have to go through and edit that or have someone on your team do so.

That way I send homework, recordings, any additional resources to a client before I start anything else. It’s so much less time consuming done this way.

A part of the session end for my new fitness client process is letting them know when we have 10 more minutes in this session. It’s a good time to ask, is there anything additionally that you want to make sure we talk about today, or do you want to continue on the track we’re on?

Foreshadowing

There is always a next step. I want clients to know that even as I keep the steps small in the beginning there will be bigger ones that I may believe they’re capable of even before they do. I’ll plant seeds about their progress, their goals, and about our working together and what next steps are.

You want to make sure you have a next step. What will your clients need or want next? If you can’t keep a customer or client and keep them on track with life goals you’ll also jeopardize your business. Find a way to always be thinking, what’s next for this client? How can I serve them in their next step? Often those options don’t require that one-on-one attention. That then provides a new opportunity for both them and your business growth.

That’s the sign of a business with longevity.

If you’re training women in menopause, you have questions. It’s not all a to b to c to d… and success.

The best way to learn is to be in a group where you can go over your cases and clients because there is no one absolute path. You can find those easy ones, and yet you’re going to think you’re doing everything right and realize no, the belly bloat, the lack of fat loss, the extreme fatigue are still obstacles.

Questions about the Flipping 50 Fitness Specialist I answer today:

• Why should I do it with Flipping 50?
• How soon can I complete the program?
• How soon can I start using this with clients?
• What’s the difference between the Specialist and the Advanced Specialist?
• When I go through the program, do I get personal coaching?
• If I want the information for myself (too) should I just do one of your programs first before I do the Specialist or Advanced Specialist?
• Does the program teach me exercises to do with my clients?
  Do I need a certification or degree to do the program?
• What background is beneficial before I start?

Training women in menopause ... easy mistakes to make

Working with women in this phase of life is rewarding and frustrating. If you're still trying to focus on fat burning by eating less and exercising more you could make clients feel worse not better. 

During perimenopause when many women haven't even begun to realize they're not getting results because of hormone changes, you can find opportunities. 

Training women in menopause with a blueprint for assessing hormones makes it easy. When you can interpret both the signs from the body and from lab reports and suggest testing options you can create a unique and in-demand business. 

You're not limited to training women in a geographic location. Once you've got the skills menopause is something every woman in the world goes through. There area 46 million women in menopause now and 6 thousand women enter it every day.

RESOURCES:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/programs

 

6 Signs Your Menopause Clients may not recognize

...and how to modify training to support natural hormone balance.

Millions of women are in menopause, 46 million according to ACOG, right now. Millions more are entering perimenopause and don't recognize the signs. 

If you don't know it when you see it, you may not realize your usual way to help lose fat and get muscle tone will not only not work, they'll make her worse. 

What happens when she does know? She's wants the support of a hormone balancing specialist. Do you know the signs? Menopause clients alone could fill your schedule for decades. 

Questions I answer in this episode:

• What are six signs you can use as a checklist for your clients in perimenopause?
• What modifications will help rebalance hormones naturally?
• What might you suggest for your clients?
• How can you offer additional service to help her?
• What are the self-sabotaging things she’ll do you can warn her about?
• Where can you gain more information about working with your menopause clients?

Right now if you hurry you can get 50% off ... It's available to the first 50 Flipping50 Specialists. Get on our directory. Whether you’re interested in adding female hormone balancing coach to your current list of credentials or interested in changing careers, if you love working with women in midlife and older, now is a great time.

Use certificate50 if you're one of the first 50 in 2020!

If you're a woman in perimenopause, menopause or post menopause looking for a trainer, reach out, or connect with me about our online programs at Flippingfifty.com. 

Flipping 50 is the first and only exclusively hormone balancing fitness for women in menopause and beyond. Recognized by AARP as a top podcast for 50+ and presented internationally to fitness professionals at some of the largest fitness associations in the world. 

Connect:

Fitnessmarketingmastery.com/programs

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Tools to Get Clients to Stick With Their Exercise

Clients who stick with their exercise get better results. That’s a no-brainer. We’re clearly not doing well getting that to happen. This episode unpacks things you’ll want to consider to change what happens for your clients, especially those new ones.

Dropout rates are consistent over the past 30 years. Adherence to physical activity in a way that it positively improves health and fitness has not improved.

Let’s set you on a course that helps your clients stick with their exercise – and makes you a rockstar trainer.

My Guest:

Nathalie Lacombe is mover, shaker, and joie de vivre giver! She blends her 25 years of international fitness experience with her degrees in psychology and exercise science to passionately connect with fitness enthusiasts and professionals. 

After a decade as an executive at canfitpro, Canada’s leading fitness education body, she left it all to move closer to family and launch the second half of her career. 

As a fitness instructor, personal trainer, international speaker, and Yoga teacher her purpose is to enhance fitness adherence and increase the number of people who find joy in being active.

Questions we answer in this episode:

• How much do we know about what helps people stick with their exercise program? Why do most people drop out? What can truly make an impact?
• Since exercise is painful and time consuming for most people, is making it enjoyable possible? How do pleasure and sensuality impact our preferences, choices, and behaviors?
• Do auditory vs. visual vs. kinesthetic learners enjoy different types of exercise? 
• How can listeners know which learning style is predominantly theirs? 
• How can listeners choose physical activity that will help them crave workouts? And therefore help them stick with a program?

Connect:

www.nathalielacombe.com

She’s on social:

Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn: NathalieLacombe

Facebook Pro Page: NathalieLacombeFitness

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1 visit Voice for Fitness Professionals in iTunes

2 click listen in iTunes

3 leave a star rating and a comment

4 know how much I appreciate it!

Learn how to attract the MOST lucrative market and KEEP THEM! 

Click here to learn more about attracting the #1 most lucrative market now and for decades. 

Women’s Fitness, Health, & Hormones | Training Menopause

Are you training women in perimenopause, menopause, or post menopause? Chances are good you are or will. There are 6000 women a day entering menopause. They’re looking for help and they’re educated, interested, and can afford it.

To get them is easy. To keep them is the trick. They know if you do or don’t know your hormones and can help by discussing your role with their functional or western trained doctors.

This episode explores the tremendous opportunity and the possible ways you’re missing it.

In addition to coaching trainers and businesses on how to monetize their social media, I am founder of Flipping 50, where I’ve developed a community of over 150,000 in the past 6 years. Social media works, and women are seeking support online. I’m the creator of the Flipping 50 Specialist, where I share my system with you so you can create a business serving a market that will be a major source of health influencers for decades.

Questions I answer in this episode:

• What is the difference between hormone balancing exercise and conventional exercise prescription?
• How is training menopause clients unique?
• What advantages are there to training menopause clients?
• How can you set yourself up as the authority in training menopause clients?
• Do you have questions about training menopause clients?

Check out both my books for resources or reach out for a consultation to learn whether a certification is optimal for you.

Connect:

Medfitclassroom.org

Medfittour.org Pre-Con Tour

More information on other course & pre-con contents:

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/pregnancy

https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/young-women

Thanks for leaving a rating in iTunes!

1 visit Voice for Fitness Professionals in iTunes

2 click listen in iTunes

3 leave a star rating and a comment

4 know how much I appreciate it!

Are you working with adolescents? Find yourself coaching youth sports or being asked by parents to work with their kids? 

This episode will keep you up to date on what to consider and what's important working with this population.

Dr. Michelle Maddux received her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) in Tempe, AZ and her Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. She is the Director of Operations and Product for Toolbox Genomics and the founder of Soaring Phoenix, a consulting firm dedicated to educating clinicians on the fundamentals of integrative and functional medicine. She is passionate about changing the paradigm of medicine and stopping the epidemic of complex chronic disease.

Dr. Maddux focuses on the areas of nutrition, integrative medicine, adolescent medicine and eating disorders. She is a part of a team collaborating on a Women’s Fitness and Hormones Course for MedfitNetwork.

Questions we answered in this episode:

While some trainers love this age group, many wellness professionals – or their bosses - are terrified of working with adolescents, what would you say to change their minds?

Let’s compare for listeners, say what might be the major difference in what a 13-year-old female should be doing in a workout versus a 23-year old?

What are the pros and cons of being a male trainer working with adolescents, specifically females?

How do listeners effectively target these age groups in advertising?

Or do they target the parents of adolescents?

Click here to learn more about the upcoming course:

https://www.medfitclassroom.org

pre-conference workshop at med fit tour in SoCal:
https://www.medicalfitnesstour.org/socal/

Is the Fitness Industry Cracking The Obesity Code?

The Obesity Code book review is perhaps one of the most important episode we’ve done. At the least it’s a most important topic. We’ve not cracked this code or solved this problem yet. We’re all still unraveling factors that contribute. As fitness professionals we’re key in supporting individuals with obesity.

The Book:

The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian doctor expert on intermittent fasting and low carb for treating people with type 2 diabetes.

Six parts of the Obesity Code:

Part 1 of the Obesity Code, “The Epidemic,” explores the timeline of the obesity epidemic and the contribution of the patient’s family history, and shows how both shed light on the underlying causes.

Part 2, “The Calorie Deception,” reviews the current caloric theory in depth, including exercise and overfeeding studies. The shortcomings of the current understanding of obesity are highlighted.

Part 3, “A New Model of Obesity,” introduces the hormonal theory of obesity, a robust explanation of obesity as a medical problem. These chapters explain the central role of insulin in regulating body weight and describe the vitally important role of insulin resistance.

The Second Half of the Book

Part 4, “The Social Phenomenon of Obesity,” considers how hormonal obesity theory explains some of the associations of obesity. Why is obesity associated with poverty? What can we do about childhood obesity?

Part 5, “What’s Wrong with Our Diet?,” explores the role of fat, protein and carbohydrates, the three macronutrients, in weight gain. In addition, we examine one of the main culprits in weight gain— fructose— and the effects of artificial sweeteners.

Part 6, “The Solution,” provides guidelines for lasting  treatment of obesity by addressing the hormonal imbalance of high blood insulin. Dietary guidelines for reducing insulin levels include reducing added sugar and refined grains, keeping protein consumption moderate, and adding healthy fat and fiber.

Added points:

Intermittent fasting is an effective way to treat insulin resistance without incurring the negative effects of calorie reduction diets.

Stress management and sleep improvement can reduce cortisol levels and control insulin. 

Three main topics for discussion of this book:

• Proteins – whey/animal/dairy
• Fructose
• Carbohydrates + fat (or sweet fat)

Proteins- especially dairy can stimulate insulin significantly

Whey protein can raise insulin even higher than whole wheat bread

Increasing plant-based proteins can decrease the insulin response

But not completely eliminating…because of the satiety solution to weight control

Increased insulin promotes weight gain

Increased satiety suppresses it

(hormones secreted by protein consumption)

It’s Not “All Animal Protein is Bad”

When you talk only about increased meat consumption you talk about a large number of people reporting… often in a poor economic division of the population you find consumption of poor quality meat to be frequent.

So depending on you and your awareness studies may not reflect your personal risk at all.

Conflicting Information

The insulin spiking effects aside, dairy and meat had differing effects on weight gain though in some studies:

Dairy didn’t cause it..in part because it’s hard to over consume cheese or milk or yogurt (according to Fung) and easier to do so with meat.

Noteworthy

It’s “fattening carbohydrates” consumed with fat = sweet fat in the presence of cortisol that combines with insulin.

Vinegar and fiber add protective features.

Processed foods period should be avoided. It’s not the calories or even the amount as much as the processing of the foods we eat. 

What I liked about the book:

Dr Jason Fung is stating the facts. He’s citing the research. He isn’t advocating for one perfect solution. He isn’t beginning with an argument or persuasive speech wanting the reader to buy into his plan.

It’s validating some of the news you hear and debunking the simplicity of calories alone without consciously addressing the quality of food. It looks at the relationship between hormones influenced by food and the result of fat storage.

The simple message in the book:

• Simply … unprocess your diet. Stop eating out of boxes and plastic wrapped foods. Start eating more vegetables, more plant based protein, more fibrous foods.
• Use animal protein and fruits more sparingly and get the highest quality of them.
• Avoid fructose, particularly sweet fat.
• Manage your stress, and make sleep hygiene a priority for insulin and cortisol control.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, not just for every fitness professional, for every student, and every client. This is a great book club read at your gym. If you want to create more community I highly suggest reading it and bringing people together. Do a panel with local university professors, nutritionists, and obesity experts.

What’s up next in the book review?

The Trillion Dollar Coach

 

Ever question your client relationships? Or see an employee or colleague that makes you wonder about how best to handle client relationships and boundaries?

If you want to support your client’s strong foundation to make self care changes but stay within scope of practice, tune in.

Eighteen year-old Stanley Padgett married his seventeen-year-old high school sweetheart in what easily could have been another divorce statistic. Another couple who naively wed too young and couldn't make it work.

While they enjoyed each other, they were tested early and often. They raised their first child while working their way through college. Their second wasn't any easier as Stan was attending Duke Law School at the time.

He graduated from Duke University School of Law in 1982 and has been a business trial lawyer in Tampa since then.

His book, “UnVeiled: Secrets of a Marriage that Lasts Forever” and his course “The Diamond Relationship Formula” are the result of a lifetime of work and research.

Unlike most "relationship experts," what Stan teaches does not come from a book or from a classroom. It comes from a life well lived and a marriage that endured and improved through good times and bad, in sickness and in health. Their marriage has been cut and polished into a Diamond Marriage.

How important is a stable relationship in anchoring a foundation for self care in health and fitness? 

How can a trainer support positive client relationships for his/her clients in order to gain greater compliance and improve client outcomes?

Boundaries and scope of practice are a challenge due to the nature of personal training. Do you have suggestions for curbing conversations that could come back to bite a trainer?

It can be heady, or flattering, to be treated as a confidante – how to be aware of that?

Starting early, going late, potentially struggling with finances – can weight heavy on relationships, how can you as a trainer take care of your own relationship foundation?

Learn More: www.relationshipmagicacademy.com

Connect with Stan:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/relationshipmagicacademy/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RelationshipMagicAcademy/?ref=bookmarks

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationshipmagicacademy/

RMA Website - http://www.relationshipmagicacademy.com/

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE70toYDYQ0

Are you coaching clients with food addiction who want to lose weight? Are you frustrated with a lack of success, and lack of compliance?

Today’s episode is all about tips for coaching clients based on the successful life-changing transformation of one man who has become a coach. He walked the talk first. He researched his own journey. Michael Leppo shares what he learned as he researched his own midlife transformation.

This episode will remind you (and your coaching clients) that it’s never too late. After decades of food addition, weight issues, and conditions caused by them, anyone can make changes.

Coaching clients is an integrated approach involving the science of exercise and nutrition, along with the motives, cues and triggers for behavior. Michael’s story is a perfect example of where coaching the physical process can often miss the underlying root cause of the problem. 

This episode is all about coaching clients who have started and stopped and still want to lose weight but can’t break a cycle and don’t know why. You can be the bridge to a new pattern of thought, action, and permanent behavior change.

 Michael shares valuable insight you can use with your coaching clients:

• Two things that triggered his change
• His age when he decided to change
• 3 Ways to motive coaching clients
• Why coaching clients have a hard time breaking a habit
• What’s going on in the brain based on the food your coaching clients eat

We discussed:

• The “bliss point” of processed foods
• Why the term “food washed” can help you understand your coaching clients
• Coaching clients through behavior change by better brain chemistry 

Michael offered suggestions to avoid these common mistakes working with coaching clients:

• Focusing on what you want to say next instead of listening to what’s being said or not said (why the common acronym WIFM is a priceless coaching tool)
• Asking closed-questions or leading questions (what to do instead)

Connect with Michael Leppo:

www.positivedailyfuel.com

Email: positivedailyfuel@gmail.com

Twitter: positivedailyfuel.com

Nutrition coaching... is it for you? Can you legally do it and be within scope of practice? A personal trainer who wants to be authoritative, credible, and stand out among the noise of health coaches and trainers today wants to have knowledge and tools beyond the norm. A degree and certification are not enough. If lab tests about nutrient sufficiency, hormone balance, blood sugar response, and food sensitivities are getting your attention, you'll want to listen and pay attention to this episode. 

This is the future of personal training that results in not only functional movements but functional protocols that balance hormones. It's not a doctor-only world any more. You can identify and use the right labs with the right customer needs and support change that changes lives. Nutrition coaching that is informative and supportive of change is not necessarily out of scope of practice for a personal trainer. Know what is and isn't an option for you. 

Reed Davis is a Certified Nutritional Therapist, received honors for his postgraduate work at The University of San Diego School of Law, and is the Founder of the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® (FDN) Certification Course. Reed is known as one of the most successful and experienced clinicians in the world today, having provided functional assessments to over 10,000 clients for hormone levels, bone density testing, adrenal function, digestive problems, immune system and detoxification issues as well as testing for pathogens, food sensitivities and many related health problems.

Reed has served as Health Director and Case Manager at The Better Health & Wellness Center in Poway, California for over 15 years and now teaches a course in functional medicine with over 2500 trainees or graduates in 50 countries. He is also a Clinical Advisor at BioHealth Laboratory where he helps doctors interpret lab test results and develops natural protocols to restore function instead of just treating the symptoms. Reed lives in Southern California teaching the FDN Certification Course and helping his graduates to build robust, private-pay practices.

Get more information and make 2018 YOUR YEAR:

https://ua175.isrefer.com/go/Cert/V4Fitness/

Discount Code for $500 off the course (exclusive to our listeners): GOTIT500

Debra's Favorite Quotes from this episode:

“healing opportunities"

“treat nothing specifically, everything non-specifically”

“poop on insurance”

“No guarantee, [instead] responsible expectations”

“D.R.E.S.S. for health success”

“repair, rebuild, restore, rebalance”

Connect and Follow Reed and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition:

https://www.facebook.com/FunctionalDiagnosticNutrition/

https://www.pinterest.com/FDNTraining/

https://www.instagram.com/fdntraining/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7xDnEKCe9gKeWZ2vbE3C8w

https://twitter.com/FDNtraining

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Functionaldiagnosticnutrition

https://www.linkedin.com/company/498977/

Health coaching is trending upward. The level of strategy, communication skills, and underlying methodology you use in your coaching with clients can distinguish you from the competition. Today I visit with found of the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, Sandra Scheinbaum. 

Resources: viacharacter.org

Resources: www.functionalmedicinecoaching.org

 

As always, leave a comment below and continue the conversation on Facebook.com/fitnessmarketingbiz

You've got them. You need to keep them. They aren't all 100% motivated. How do you become the fitness whisperer? Get it in this short segment. 

Connect:

www.voiceforfitness.com

Find the Fitness Professional's Blog there and get insider information on the subscriber side. 

The simple, easy, fun way to becoming a fitness expert that no one is doing. #fitnessmarketingmastery

Bryan Adair joins Debra Atkinson for a talk about the controversy of the calorie. Do you count? Do you toss counting? What works? What works permanently? Part I of II

Connect:

Fit Pro Blog

Fit Pro Private Subscription

Reach Bryan at www.agelesshq.com

 

 

Bryan Adair joins Debra Atkinson for a talk about the controversy of the calorie. Do you count? Do toss counting? What works? What works permanently? Part I of II

Connect:

Fit Pro Blog

Fit Pro Private Subscription

Reach Bryan at www.agelesshq.com

The motivation behind participation evolves. The messages that you send throughout your programs or training relationship with a client also need to evolve. You'll attract more, keep more clients coming regularly and have more continue with the right message at the right time! 

As always connect with Debra:

www.voiceforfitness.com

Facebook

Twitter

Youtube

Dr Mike Bracko, an expert on sleep and performance as well as recovery and weight loss shares value-enhancing tips for trainers who want to serve clients optimally. What should you ask on assessments, in session and between? What effects does one poor night sleep have on your next day session? What does a chronic insomniac need from you? Mike answers these questions and more. 

Contact Dr Bracko at drmikebracko@aol.com

Mike is an international fitness presenter, writer/contributor as well as editor and committee chair for esteemed industry associations such as ACSM, IDEA and Can-Fit-Pro just to name a few. 

As always you can connect with Debra at:

www.voiceforfitness.com

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Behaviour change is a tricky concept. New clients that flood our fitness businesses in January can all but disappear by March. They start and stop before you and again after you. Making big changes in both your business and their results with a coaching approach that leaves exercise last may be your competitive advantage. 

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