| THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING ON CHANGING ATTITUDES TOWARDS PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY |
Steven R. McClaran 
|
School of Health Promotion and Human Development, University of Wisconsin,
USA
| Received |
|
04 October 2002 |
| Accepted |
|
08
December 2002 |
| Published |
|
01 March 2003 |
©
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2003) 2, 10-14
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More and more people
seeking the expertise of personal trainers in recent years. With very few
previous efforts evaluating the effectiveness of the personal training experience
in the scientific literature, this study utilized movement in the Stages
of the Transtheoretical Model (STM) to determine the efficacy of personal
training. One hundred twenty nine volunteer participants (clients) (age
range: 20 " 65 years old) were assigned a university senior personal trainer
for a10-week program. At an initial meeting, the clients were given a form
to self-assess their stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption
(STM) choosing one of five stages: Pre-contemplation (not intending to make
changes), Contemplation (considering a change), Preparation (getting ready
to make a change), Action (actively engaged in making a change but only
for a short while) & Maintenance (sustaining the change over time). After
the initial assessment, the clients and trainer then met once a week and
had targeted discussions on problem solving techniques such as determining
the Benefits of Physical Activity, Barriers/Obstacles to Exercise, Support
System Recruitment, Goal Setting and Relapse Prevention in addition to providing
specific suggestions for the client's other exercise days during the week.
At the end of the 10-week personal training program, the clients then reassessed
their stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption. Of the 129
clients tested, 27 were in the maintenance (highest) stage and therefore
could not move up. None of these 27 clients moved down a stage. Of the remaining
102 clients, there was significant (p < 0.01) upward movement at the conclusion
of the program. 61 clients (60%) moved up one stage, 13 clients (13%) moved
up two stages, 27 clients stayed at the same stage (26%) and one (1%) moved
down a stage. The results suggest that one-on-one personal training is an
effective method for changing attitudes and thereby increasing the amount
of physical activity. Secondly, it seems that using problem-solving techniques
is of value for successful behavior change.
KEY WORDS:
Behavior change, stage
of change. |
|