Some of your clients come to a fitness studio because they are focused on fitness. They want to build muscle, meet specific physical goals, prepare for a race, or train for their sport.

Those clients are often very internally motivated and are often easy to retain. You can help them set goals that help them reach their big milestones, and they will be happy and satisfied.

However, there are a lot of folks who need help with their fitness but don’t have athletic goals. Instead, they may want to have more energy, fit their clothes better, feel healthier, or simply check “fitness” off their to-do list. For these clients, the fitness industry often falls short.

As a fitness business owner, you can stand out by helping these folks reach their goals too—and it takes a different approach.

Here’s how you can train for lifestyle rather than physical results:

Consider functional training

When you have a client who plays sports or is training for a race, you set goals to help them develop the skills they need for that purpose.

Do the same with your other clients. Consider what functional tasks matter most in their life. Do they need to keep up with young children or grandchildren? Do they want to have the stamina to replace their flooring or maintain a garden? Maybe they’re going on a trip and need to be able to carry a large backpack! Or maybe they’re just not sleeping well and want to try fitness to help with their insomnia.

Help your clients set goals and build habits that they can connect to these lifestyle elements. Setting the goals, even basic goals like “complete 3 workouts a week,” will help your clients feel more motivated. Motivated clients stick with their training longer, and are more likely to recommend you to friends and family.

Functional training will also help you expand your base of possible clients, by working with older adults or clients that are newer to personal training.

Build workouts that reduce the risk of injury

Obviously no personal trainer wants a client to get injured, but for a long time, the fitness industry has offered workouts without much thought for long-term consequences.

Now, fitness professionals and clubs are building workouts around the quality of movement. This means proper form, but it also means planning workouts specifically in a way that promotes mobility. This can give your clients not only better fitness but also reduced pain and the ability to stay active in later life.

Take holistic health into account

Human beings are more than a connection of muscles, bone, and ligaments. Holistic health is about planning for mental, physical, and emotional wellness. This takes fitness beyond the goal of flat abs or weight loss and towards an overall level of wellbeing.

Start to measure more than inches for your clients. Consider talking to them about emotional health, energy, healthy eating, blood pressure, and other wellness statistics.

Looking at someone as a whole person isn’t just a business strategy; it’s a way to keep them engaged and focused on their health even if some results—like weight loss—come slowly.

Use online personal training to keep clients engaged

Keeping your clients focused on their goals between training sessions can make a huge difference in client retention and success rates. If you want to make a difference, you have to use every tool available to engage your trainees.

Trainerize is one of those tools. We not only allow you to offer online personal training, but we also make it easy for clients to sync their fitness technology and receive encouragement from you. You can’t afford to miss out on strategies that help your business grow.

If you’re ready for this to be a year you’ll remember, build Trainerize into your business today. Contact us for more information!