If you scored higher in A’s, you tend to be self-motivated. “A’s” are individuals who tend to be decisive, independent, self-disciplined and results-driven, and pride themselves on reaching their established goals. Profile A individuals also prefer to exercise alone and participate in activities they can control and manage themselves, for example, walking, weight training or running. They excel when scheduling and planning their workouts and monitoring their own progress. This profile typically needs a nudge to get moving and prefers more details about “why” an exercise program is needed or beneficial, but once they have a plan in place, watch out!
Strengths
- Enjoy working out alone—not overly dependent on others for fitness success
- Have the ability to challenge and motivate themselves
- Excel with setting goals and tracking personal progress
- Enjoy learning about health and fitness
- Do best with routines, structure and scheduling
Challenges
- Can lose interest in exercise if no challenge or goal is established
- Experience boredom or burnout due to getting stuck in the same exercise routines
- Can be afraid to try new exercise programs, which can lead to fitness plateaus
- Struggle with motivation if accomplishing goals or progress seems slow
- Overanalyze fitness programs
Tips And Recommendations
Profile A (Self-Motivated) individuals are most successful with:
- Setting monthly, quarterly and yearly fitness goals
- Signing up for an event such as a 5K Walk/Run or half-marathon
- Scheduling personal “exercise appointments” before the work week begins
- Keeping a workout journal to monitor progress
- Tracking fitness moves, workouts and activities using tools such as pedometers, online journals and/or fitness tracking software
- Hiring a personal trainer or having a workout buddy to help mix up routines
- Reading or viewing the latest fitness books and or DVDs
- Trying new moves* to vary their routine
