Was 2011 a stressful year for you? Join the club! Over the years, my clientele have gradually changed their goals. Early in my training career, most everyone’s goal was to lose weight, tone up, and improve general health, but the last two years I have seen a huge shift. Nearly everyone I train now uses exercise for one primary reason: stress relief. Many of them still have complicated issues, some of them severe, but they are in need of an outlet right now, and exercise helps in that department.
Physical exertion provides a healthy avenue for pent up frustration. It releases endorphins, gets your adrenaline pumping, and allows your focus to change, even for just an hour. It’s one hour to not think about your troubles, concerns, or all the things you have to do. It’s one hour to vent and to clear your head. As a matter of fact, I get my best ideas during a hard workout, and I always feel better afterward. More and more people are realizing the stress-reducing benefits of exercise, so that is becoming their primary focus.
Let’s look at just a few of my favorite clients who have made this shift. Mr. B is a nursing student with a 5 year old. He originally hired me for weight loss, bone issues, and a bad heart. Now, he keeps me because it’s the only outlet he has. Between the commute to school, constant homework, lack of sleep, and his son, he’s going out of his mind. The exercise makes him feel sane and human.
Mrs. S originally hired me years ago for weight loss. It worked–she had a wonderful body within months. Now she is a new mom. She has no schedule, poor sleep, and is in desperate need of some personal time. She’s unhappy with her body, but could care less about the scale. She just wants to feel good.
I have two workaholics who both originally hired me for weight loss. I have worked with them for years and have watched them slowly get busier and busier. 2011 was a horrible year for them. From excessive traveling to overbooked clients, these two women are stretched beyond belief, and they need escape. If we miss a few sessions, these ladies are going nuts. They have to have the outlet exercise provides them. I train them now for two reasons: stress relief and so they can hike on their personal trips. One enjoys Europe and the other enjoys the West, but they both like to hike and need the strength to do so.
I could go on and on with similar cases. Don’t misunderstand the need for a healthy body weight, lean muscle, aerobic capacity, and strength, but stress can be lethal. More and more people are seeing the negative effects of stress in today’s age. With a crappy economy comes many other crappy situations, and my clients are feeling it. Their original goals are still important and we do address them, but sometimes it’s more important to step back and assess what you really need at the current time. These people need to feel better and to stop thinking. There’s no better way to do that than with a physical challenge.
