The Complete Guide to Behavioural Change for Sport and Fitness Professionals

Written by fitness and sport professionals, for fitness and sport professionals, this is a key text for anybody working with clients who knows that the biggest roadblock to success is the client's ability to make a change in their day to day life.
Many fitness professionals and sports coaches working with clients find difficulties in ensuring their clients stay motivated. Any professional prescribing a fitness programme to a client knows that the biggest roadblock to success is the client's ability to make a change in their day-to-day life. You can tell clients what they need to know, but you can't make lifestyle changes for them. You can however show understanding, put changes in perspective, offer motivation and lay out the smaller steps that build towards a greater goal.
The Complete Guide to Behavioural Change for Sport and Fitness Professionals covers both theoretical issues related to behaviour change and motivation and practical application in the fitness or sport setting, outlining all the different models of behaviour change and discussing clear motivation strategies. It is especially relevant for fitness professionals prescribing exercise to clients with health issues, or referred clients who need support to become more active. But it is equally suited to helping recreational and amateur athletes who want to change their lifestyle or mental attitude in order to improve their performance.
Written in clear, accessible language for the non-scientist, this a reference guide for:
- Fitness instructors and personal trainers
- Sports coaches and sports psychologists
- Professionals from the health and fitness industry working at Levels 3 and 4 of the qualifications framework
- Undergraduates and postgraduates in sports studies and health and fitness
- Those working to promote activity in community settings
- Anyone wishing to increase personal knowledge of behaviour change and motivation.

Debbie Lawrence is a fitness consultant and writer for numerous award bodies and training organisations and has over 30 years' experience in the fitness industry. As a qualified counsellor, she has an interest in exploring holistic approaches for working with clients.
Sarah Bolitho has worked in the health and fitness sector for 20 years. An expert on health-related activity, she works with a number of organisations and support groups on mental-health conditions such as stress and schizophrenia.
Elaine McNish is an experienced fitness professional.

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Section 1: Underpinning knowledge
1 Change
2 The need for change
3 Theories and models of change
4 Learning theories
Section 2: The skills
5 The psychology of change
6 Communication skills
7 Tools and strategies to help behavioural change
Section 3: The application
8 Putting it into practice
9 Health and specialist settings
10 Mainstream settings
11 Behaviour change in sports coaching
References