Melanie Cole MS (Host): So many of us start a new year determined to exercise more and to pay more attention to our health. Getting started on and sustaining an exercise regimen can be so challenging. Well, we're here to help you overcome these challenges and develop a routine that's sustainable and will help you feel so much better.

Welcome to It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. I'm Melanie Cole and joining me today is fan favorite Jennifer Quinn. She's the Director of Member Services at Henry Mayo Fitness and Health, and I love to hear her smiling and laughing on the show. Jennifer, I'm so glad to have you back.

It's New Year time. People start by always saying, I need to lose weight. I need to exercise more, but they don't always follow through. And in the healthcare industry and in health clubs in particular, I know membership goes up a lot in January, but then kind of falls back off or people don't show up so much.

Can you tell us about some of the most common barriers that you see, doing what you do every day to getting started and overcoming some of those barriers is what we're going to talk about.

Jennifer Quinn: Absolutely, I would have to say this is one of the reasons, of many reasons, why when I stepped into this position at Henry Mayo Fitness and Health, it changed for me. Because this gym actually created a program to start people off. Because you're right. It's January. I want to make big moves. I want to lose all this weight.

I want more flexibility. I want to gain muscle. And they come in with these wonderful, incredibly large goals. And then within a week, they see that they have not made progress towards those incredible large goals. And it's overwhelming and it makes them feel defeated. And when you step into a gym, sometimes that's the first time you've ever stepped into a fitness facility.

Here at our gym, a lot of people are stepping into our facility because they're coming from the hospital with something that they had never experienced before. And so they're stepping into a gym with new issues, with new fears. And some of them don't even want to be here in the first place. So we really, yeah, so we really have to strip it all the way down to truly what is your goal? Truly what is your medical background? With that information, what can we do? And so whenever I sit down with someone who's brand new, I, the first thing they always want to tell me is all the details. And I say, no, no, no, slow down for a moment. What do you love to do? And they look at me so puzzled.

What do you mean? Truly, what do you love to do? Do you love to walk? Do you love to run? Do you love to swim? Do you love Pilates? Do you love to dance in front of the mirror while you're getting ready for the day? And I find that if you slow down and learn what people love to do, then you can start to talk about the details, then you can start to create the SMART goals, then you can create the plans and the behavior adjustments.

But first, we need to find out what they love to do. And that tends to be my experience and the most long term members are people who come in here starting with doing what they already love to do.

Host: What a great way to put it. And as someone who's been a personal trainer for 35 years or more, I can tell you that what you're doing, that's the way to get people to really look inside themselves and think to themselves, what is it I love to do? Do I like to garden? Do I want to start water skiing again? Do I want to be able to do any of these things? Now, you mentioned SMART goals. So why don't you tell the listeners what those are, as we're talking about beginning as a new exerciser and getting motivated and getting into an exercise program that you can stick with, why don't you tell us what SMART goals are?

Jennifer Quinn: Making SMART goals is when you've decided to break down the big ideas and break them down into smaller chunks. And so they are, you can measure them, they are attainable, and then you can actually move on to your next goal. So you have to take these big ideas. Think about it as a huge big brainstorm, and then from there, then you break it down into the smaller pieces.

But you know, Melanie, just as much as I do, that breaking that down is really, really hard. So I truly encourage people to recruit assistance. Get help, ask for help, and find a gym that has something such as a health risk assessment that allows you to sit with somebody who has four years or more of a background to actually go, what is my medical background? What are my big goals? Do a nice functional movement screening. Is your body going to allow you to do the things that you love? And then with somebody who's been in here and been in this industry for a while to help you create these plans. Doing it on your own, it's overwhelming. It's just, it's just overwhelming. So recruit assistance, ask for help. Ask for a personal trainer who has a four year degree behind them and move forward with somebody by your side.

Host: That's great advice is to set those goals, figure out your time, what you're willing to put into it, what you want to get out of it. That's also important and finding a qualified professional to help you is certainly one of the best things because that helps to keep you motivated. Now let's talk about motivation because yes, you can work with a trainer. Yes, you can have somebody help you with that evaluation.

And at the beginning of your workout, but at some point you're going to want to go in there on some times on your own. One of the hardest things that I've seen and one of the biggest barriers to maintaining a program that you're just starting, is that motivation. How do you motivate people Jennifer? What do you tell them to keep them motivated, to keep them wanting to come in or to keep them walking outside in the beautiful weather or anything.

Jennifer Quinn: Yeah. They always say it takes seven questions to finally get to somebody's why. It's never the first or second or third thing that they tell you. You really have to break down the why. In our area, we have a predominantly 55 plus population, so I'll have people come in and say, I want to keep up with my grand, my grandchildren.

Or they'll say, you know, I used to be able to go hiking with my family and I can't go hiking with my family anymore. So really, I always love to take the time to really understand the why. I don't like it when people say your why will make you cry. However, it's true. You know, you need to break down layers of why they're coming to the gym. And ultimately, you're going to find really what it is. And if it's keeping up with your grandchildren and creating strength and creating endurance, being able to pick something up from the ground and putting it up on a shelf, those things are very important. So if you slow down and spend the time to know what their real why is, I find that you're not looking then externally for that motivation, it's internal.

And all you have to do is, okay, and remind them of what that motivation is, which is internal.

Host: That's a great way to put it. Now, I think one of the most important things for new exercisers, Jennifer, and when I used to work in various clubs and we had a separation of the area where, you know, the aerobics, the classes went on and then, then where the machinery was, and then there was the free weight room. And that would be be a little intimidating. When people are looking for a place to work out and certainly someone who might be a little overweight or have had heart issues or is, older, like you say, over 55, what is it they should be looking for in a gym? When they walk around and they go in for that first time, which can be intimidating meeting with someone like you, but you're so sweet and so inviting.

Can you tell them what it is that you want them looking for in a place like Henry Mayo Fitness and Health?

Jennifer Quinn: I would say, pay attention to whether you are comfortable or not in that setting. Walk around. Is it clean? Is there enough space to walk around the equipment for you? Is the equipment clean? Are the trainers walking around you smiling? Are the members walking around smiling? Does anyone say hello to each other? Pay attention to if you're comfortable. And I will tell you that people are looking for different types of gyms.

And that's why I don't want to tell someone exactly what they're looking for. I want them to pay attention to what they're comfortable. Uh, I want them to be able to walk into an environment and say, yes, I want to come back here. And that is what's going to keep them coming. We have some members probably between 30 to 40 years old who they have come to our gym and they notice that we don't have any music. Because we have personal trainers educating their members,

Host: I love that.

Jennifer Quinn: And, they don't like it.

Host: Wear headphones

Jennifer Quinn: Okay that you don't like it. This, this is not your space. Just like if one of my members walked into another gym, and nobody's cleaning off their equipment, and people are throwing the plates around and the dumbbells around and the, and

Host: or if the music's too loud.

Jennifer Quinn: And you can't find any of the equipment that you want to use. That's extremely overwhelming, especially if you are coming to a gym for the first time. Maybe you don't like to go to gyms in the first place. So really walk into a, walk into a facility, pay attention to the members, the trainers, your front desk staff, see if they enjoy where they're at, and that'll give you a little bit of a of an insight to whether that's a place that you want to stay.

Host: My tinnitus couldn't handle the music at some of the clubs today. I'm telling you, but I mean, wear headphones. If you want music while you work out, that's just really the best way. But that loud music, like you say, people wiping off their equipment. That used to be such a pet peeve of mine. I mean, it's disgusting if they don't.

So I know that when you're talking about these things, these are real, applicable and that Henry Mayo Fitness and Health, the people are going to be happy like you and smiling and knowledgeable and professional and all of the things that you're looking for in a comfortable place to work. And as we wrap up, I'd like you to give us some of your best advice that you tell people every single day about staying motivated, starting a new program. And even Jennifer, I know they're a big ask, but if you want to include some safety tips in there, but I'd like you to summarize this, so take it away for us.

Jennifer Quinn: Yes. There are four steps that I always talk with our new members with before I set them in a meeting with one of our personal trainers. And number one is plan ahead. If you know that this is something that you want, plan ahead. Make sure you have the right clothing. Make sure your clothing is laid out the night before.

Make sure that you have the right amount of nutrition around you based off of the activities that you're going to do. You might want to get a larger water bottle. That's a conversation we have often. So really plan ahead to make sure that you can execute your goals. Number two, I know this is counterintuitive, but take it slow. Slow down, listen to your body, step by step, day by day, week by week. And then that consistency will create an incredible habit. My number three, which we already talked about is recruit assistance. Ask for help. It's okay to ask for help. It's actually courageous to ask for help. And then finally I say celebrate your victories. Make sure that along the pathway you are you're making sure that you're celebrating your accomplishments, you know, whether that's with a massage, with one of our massage therapists. Or maybe it's having coffee with one of your favorite people at the end of the week when you've shown up three days out of the week. So those are the four things I always remind them. And I know that they're not technical. They're not very technical, but they are what matters and it's what carries you through to continue with your goals.

Host: Beautifully put, and thank you so much, Jennifer. As always, you are an excellent guest. And to learn more about Henry Mayo Fitness and Health, you can visit HenryMayofitness.org. You can also always visit the free health information library at library.henrymayo.com to get so much great information that you know you can trust.

And that concludes this episode of It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. As always, please remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, and be sure and share this show with your friends and your family. I'll on your social channels because that's how we're all learning from the experts at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital together.

So we're learning this, share it with your friends. This was a great one. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Melanie Cole.