By Lindsay Nauen, MBA, Health & Wellness Coach

My fitness journey taught me many lessons. One of the most unexpected was that of support teams. What is a support team? These are the people in your circles who are there for you to offer guidance, professional advice, encouragement and loving support. I came to realize that I had two levels of support—professional and personal—or what I call formal and informal.

My formal support team was a well-qualified group of professionals that provided the services I needed. I paid them for those valuable services. My informal support team included my family, friends and acquaintances who were also interested in fitness and good health and became friends over time. I was deeply grateful for their caring responses and positive attitudes.

Professional Support

As I started my fitness journey, I knew I would need support. I was embarking on a journey without a roadmap, and I knew I would need one. In this uncharted territory, I wasn’t even sure what I would need, but I was determined to find out. What I really wanted was to improve my health and my level of activity, so I could enjoy life and my family in ways that hadn’t been possible. For that, I needed people I could trust to help lead the way.

Primary Physician

I started with my family physician as the core member of my formal support team. I wanted to get a baseline for my health conditions, permission to step into this journey, and an accountability partner who would document my progress. Since I had several health concerns, this was a great place to begin.

My doctor was able to give me recommendations for a safe level of physical activity and outline any restrictions that were needed at the onset. As I moved into my fitness program, we were able to see the progress and adjust the recommendations as needed. He was also able to refer me to other professionals I might need.

Fitness Trainer

Because I had no idea how to get started in a meaningful way, I looked for a personal trainer. Where would I find someone to fit that need who would understand my personal challenges? I received a recommendation to a trainer from a friend and have been thankful for this introduction ever since.

Fortunately for me, the trainer was well qualified and accepted the challenge of working with me. Without that referral, I might have enlisted the help of someone who wasn’t trained or experienced in helping women with similar health conditions or of the same age.

What I’ve learned throughout the years is that the most helpful trainers are those who have a degree in a related field and a certification with a national organization, such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). When I see these credentials, I feel confident that they have the necessary education and training to work safely and competently with those in their care.

I’ve also learned the importance of asking questions. In my case, it was critical and comforting to know that the trainer I would be working with had years of experience working with post-menopausal, obese women. My training would be very different than that of a younger, more active woman. I was confident that I would learn safe, achievable fitness routines even though I had no idea what that would involve.

Dieticians and Nutritionists

Since I was stepping into something entirely new, I needed dietary guidance from a professional. Clearly, I knew that I needed to change my eating habits, but I wasn’t so clear on what the best changes were or how to achieve them. I looked for help and learned that, as with trainers, I wanted someone highly skilled and knowledgeable.

I learned that dieticians help clients achieve dietary goals by making appropriate nutritional changes, and registered dieticians have earned a college degree, passed a national exam  and completed extensive hours of supervised experience. Nutritionists provide advice based on your goals and everyday routine, and certified nutritional specialists have a master’s degree, impressive hours of experience and are certified after passing the national boards.

Because of my multiple health concerns, I worked with both a nutritionist and a dietician throughout my journey. Each person’s needs are different, and these professionals can offer helpful guidance on the road to improved health. Changing your diet can help you lose weight while increasing your energy and outlook. Asking questions helps find someone who is well trained to assist with your specific challenges and concerns.

Health and Wellness Coach

To further visualize and verbalize your fitness goals, a trained health and wellness coach can help you understand where you are and where you would like to be in terms of your general health and fitness. This professional can help you identify goals, motivation, course of action and the accountability to ensure results. All this happens as part of a respectful coaching relationship that continues to guide the client forward, enjoying each celebration of achievement.

Massage Therapist

Massage is a marvelous way to help heal and strengthen your body as you train and increase your level of fitness. I was surprised to find that I learned to know and listen to my body as I trained and exercised. A therapeutic massage helped to relieve any pain or muscle tension and improved my general body functioning.

Personal Support

Equally as important as the trained professionals in your corner, are the personal supporters—those who are there for you no matter what. This informal support team will listen to you, encourage you and celebrate with you. They are friends, family, trusted co-workers and people you socialize with regularly. They are people who care about you, your desires and your goal achievement.

Fitness Buddies

I learned that doing things together was much more enjoyable and encouraging than going it alone. I enjoyed the genuine friendships made at the local Y along with the variety of activities I could participate in there. As I received reassuring smiles, cheers of encouragement and high fives, I knew this was an uplifting place for me to embrace my vision of fitness. I never imagined that I could enjoy the fitness journey this much.

For me, some of my first and strongest supporters were those triathletes who were also participating in races. Initially, I felt a little intimidated by most since I was new to this experience and in awe of their level of achievement. My heart began to sing when I realized that they were cheering me on as I finished a swim and when they ran to the finish line with me. These are bonds that last!

Family and Friends

Of course, friends and family offer a big boost to any new plan when they are supportive and cheering you on. My family has certainly done this in a big way. My husband cheered me on at every event and eventually started participating along with me. We’ve even expanded our fitness adventures to include events in other locations.

My sons and their families have also been huge supporters and have participated along with me as part of our family fun events. I’ve also received sincere support from my mother, siblings and their families, and good friends, and I have memorable photos of events with many of them by my side.

It’s true that some people may not totally understand my journey—or yours—but I’ve learned many ways to keep things on a positive note. At times, all it took was a short conversation to reveal my true motivation and the joy it brings me for them to step onboard. Habits can be changed—one step at a time—and that has applied to me and the people in my life. When we care about each other, lives can change for the better. Mine did!