The Key to Understanding Your Clients’ Behaviors

Many times, you and your client know which behaviors and habits are an obstacle achieving their fitness goals, and that stopping those behaviors would help them make progress.

Yet they don’t.

This is where you come in.

As a next level coach, you have to look below the surface and understand the why of the behavior.

Understanding the root causes of behavior can be extremely helpful when it comes to guiding your clients to achieve their fitness goals. Here’s a brief overview of the four root causes from behavioral science and how they can impact your clients’ progress:

1. Escape: This refers to behaviors that are used to avoid or escape a certain situation or feeling. For example, if your client is regularly consuming alcohol as an escape from feelings of stress or anxiety, creating replacement behaviors that match that same root cause (escape) can make it easier for your client to stick to their fitness goals.

2. Attention: Behaviors that are used to seek attention from others can also impact fitness goals. For example, if your client is trying to lose weight but finds that they’re consistently eating more than they should when they’re around certain people, it might be because you’re using food as a way to get attention from others. In this case, finding alternative ways to get attention can help your client stay on track with their goals.

3. Tangible: Behaviors that are used to obtain a tangible item or reward can also be a barrier to achieving fitness goals. For example, if you find that your client is consistently rewarding themself with unhealthy food, it can sabotage their weight loss efforts. In this case, finding alternative rewards (e.g., new workout clothes or a massage) can help them stay on track.

4. Sensory: Behaviors that are motivated by sensory pleasure (e.g., the taste of certain foods) can also be a challenge when it comes to fitness goals. For example, if you find that your client is consistently overeating because certain foods taste too good to resist, it can be helpful to find healthier alternatives that still provide the same level of sensory pleasure.

Overall, understanding the root causes of your client’s behaviors can be a powerful tool in achieving their fitness goals. By identifying the underlying reasons for certain behaviors and finding more effective ways to meet those needs, you can set your clients up for success.

If you’re ready to discover the complete system that shows you how to apply these and other insights from psychology to your fitness practice so you can earn more and impact more, click here to learn about the 360 Wellness Coaching Certification.