I was recently asked what my demographic was for my business? To put this into terms that makes more sense, at least to me, the real question is “Who are My Clients”? I think this is a great question and I look forward to creating clarity around this.
I think it makes sense to start with who my clients are not. Although I can and would welcome the opportunity most of my clients are not professional athletes. For the most part I work with people between the ages of 40-80 who have some to little fitness training, have tried various forms of fitness activities in the past, have had a hard time sticking with any kind of consistent fitness program and would like to have this be a part of their everyday life. I have also worked with people who are inspired to move towards a goal that they have always wanted to accomplish and they are looking for support and direction to prepare for the goal. Usually people in this demographic are just ordinary folks with big dreams and they are serious about doing what it takes to set themselves up for success. I also work with people that struggle with fitness either because it has never been a consistent part of their lives, they have had negative experiences with it in the past or they just don’t like it much, at least the kinds of activities they have tried. I also work very closely with people who are wanting to loose weight and realize that healthy eating is a start and a fitness program will support and help sustain a stable and optimal body weight. Lastly, and most certainty not least, I work with people that have a medical condition and either they recognize that they need support creating and sticking with a fitness program in order to avoid or reduce medication, loose weight, sleep better and lower stress levels or their health care provider has recommended that they seek me or people like me to assist them in creating lasting habits around fitness, health and wellness. People who are experiencing any of the above tend to seek out my services in relation to fitness. It goes without saying that fitness is only one component of creating lifestyle change. Other components that can not be over looked are a healthy eating plan and a wellness practice.
A healthy eating plan is another area that I assist my clients with. Again if my clients have very serious medical conditions that require extremely specific dietary requirements it is best if they work with a dietitian on this and I work directly with the dietitian to ensure there is a continuum of care and we then focus on fitness and wellness. Most of my clients come to me with a goal to loose weight. Many people have extremely busy lives, poor eating habits, use food as a form of comfort and often have sugar or caffeine addictions. Some of my clients may not have weight loss goals but do have health goals that require a change in eating habits and supporting them with a healthy eating plan is my focus. Some people are really interested in the best way to eat for performance with their fitness goals. Sometimes my clients goals are more focused on increasing their energy, sleeping better and making better food choices when they are traveling and/or under stress. My approach with any of these concerns is to help people set realistic goals, take small steps, change patterns and behavior a little bit at a time and combine a healthy eating plan with some sort of physical activity and a wellness program. Often the thing that will make the most change in someones life is related to diet but I have also found that healthy eating changes alone do not address everything and to support sustained change fitness and wellness are necessary.
Wellness is one of those terms that can mean a lot of different things to different people. I have found that when working with my clients that best way to explore creating a wellness practice I like to take a good look at what reduces stress for them. If they do not know we start to experiment. Often what I have found is if you had something from the past that gave you joy and you let it go that might be the best place to start. Meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, soft music and a nurturing space are just a few ideas to get people in the mind set to allow wellness into their life on a daily basis.
If you are one of those people that is looking for a different way to create lifestyle change for yourself and any of the above feels right to you I would welcome a conversation.
www.health-fitness-coaching.com
Happy New Year!
In health and wellness,
Laurie
