The document discusses motivational strategies for four clients: Carl, Jennifer, Justin, and Sally, each facing different challenges related to fitness and nutrition. Carl is a college student lacking motivation and knowledge about healthy habits; Jennifer is a working mother struggling with time and finances; Justin is a motivated young teen needing family support; and Sally is an elderly woman with health issues and low self-motivation. Recommendations for each include education, community resources, support systems, and accountability to help them achieve their health goals.

1. EF310 UNIT 4 MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES
Client: Carl
Carl is your average college student. He is somewhat active, but not on a regular
basis and not strenuous enough to be effective. There are several concerns with his
eating habits and lack of consuming nutritious food and beverages. Carl has set goals but
does not have a plan in place to achieve them.
Carl would fall in the pre-contemplation stage of the transtheoretical model when
evaluating his current intentions on implementing a regular fitness routine (Howley &
Thompson, 2012). Carl lacks self-motivation when it comes to fitness, and prefers
recreational activities over exercising. He has not been diagnosed with any conditions
and is not overweight although his parents are. He does have exercise induced asthma
(EIA), but it is well controlled with an inhaler and does not prevent him from
participating in physical activities.
A barrier preventing Carl from making positive changes regarding his level of
fitness and poor nutritional diet is his lack of education on the adverse effects of a semi-
sedentary lifestyle. Carl is smart enough to realize the benefits of furthering his
education, but has lost sight of the fact without his health he has nothing and the
decisions made now absolutely impact the future. Carl should work to educate himself
on the basic recommendations made by the US Department of Health & Human Services
& Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Scheduling an appointment with a campus
doctor or physician’s assistant to discuss possible ramifications of his current diet and
family history of possible health/weight concerns would be a good start. Carl has a false
sense of self-efficacy as he believes he has everything under control and could make
changes if/when he desires. Working with him to set up a weightlifting routine and a

2. EF310 UNIT 4 MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES
clear way of charting progress would be beneficial. Another suggestion is to ask a friend
or classmate to begin the program with him, which will assist with accountability.
Client: Jennifer
Jennifer is a thirty-five-year-old single mother of three young children. She not
only cares for her children but also works a fulltime job as an office manager. Not only
is Jennifer overweight, but her three kids are as well. Jennifer struggles to make time for
exercise and preparing healthy meals for her family.
Finances are an issue, so a gym membership with daycare really is not an option.
Since both time and money seem to be her biggest barriers, utilizing tools in her
community like the local library and/or recreational center could be beneficial. The
library would have a children’s area to allow Jennifer time to research local events she
and the children could participate in. Ideally, she may find a women/mother group that
sponsors events at reduced or free rates.
A recommendation, for Jennifer, is to wear a pedometer and track her steps. This
inexpensive tool would assist her to track movement and will help her to know when she
needs to up her activity. A food diary would also be very helpful and there are many free
online options. In order to achieve her goal of reducing dependency on medication for
high blood pressure, it is absolutely necessary she does whatever it takes to lose weight.
Jennifer could check with her human resource department where she is employed.
There is a possibility of offered programs, gym rebates, and/or a resource center for
employees to network that have similar needs and interests. Jennifer currently seems to

3. EF310 UNIT 4 MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES
have a low sense of self-motivation. It is easy for individuals to get in what can feel like
hopeless ruts, but with dedication and participation, the feelings can quickly dissipate.
Using the transtheoretical model with Jennifer, she is likely in the contemplation
stage but has taken steps towards the preparation stage by completing the free fitness
assessment at a local gym (Howley & Thompson, 2012). With proper guidance and
education, she will be able to reach her goals.
Client: Justin
Justin is a thirteen-year-old seventh grader who finds himself obese at a young
age. He weighs 180lbs and is only 5’5”. He has set some great goals for himself and
with assistance and education, they can be reached in a relatively short period of time.
Justin has a high level of self-motivation and self-efficacy, but being a child he relies
heavily on his parents to provide him with the tools he needs to be successful and achieve
his goals. His parents acknowledge how important education is and noticed Justin was
needing help with his studies so they hired a tutor. Unfortunately, it was overlooked that
Justin is needing in other areas of his life as well where they are able to directly impact
him in a highly positive way by eating and exercising as a family as the whole family is
obese and needing to make several lifestyle changes.
When applying the transtheoretical model to Justin’s case, he falls into the
contemplation stage, but see him moving up rather quickly with the assistance of his
parents (Howley & Thompson, 2012). His parents are his biggest barrier in addition to
being a child. Dietary changes and increased activity would put Justin on the right track.

4. EF310 UNIT 4 MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES
Justin would benefit from a comprehensive assessment to determine his fitness
level, note current and future goals, and discuss in his own words what he believes his
barriers are and how to be part of the solution. Justin would greatly benefit from a
routine and a progress chart. Education both individually and in a group, would greatly
benefit Justin. A recommend would be for his family to join a local YMCA branch or an
equivalent to being their journey as a family to healthier lifestyle. The support of each
other and the tools of a local fitness center would dramatically help Justin and his family.
Client: Sally
Sally is a sixty-five-year-old woman who is obese and has health issues such as
progressive type 2 diabetes; she is also at risk for cardiovascular disease. She has very
little free time which is her greatest obstacle. She not only has a full-time position as an
administrative assistant but also has a part-time retail job, cares for her disabled husband
and nine-year-old grandson while his mother is deployed with the military.
In addition to having very little free time, her self-motivation is very low. Sally
has never cared for exercise or any physical activity. She prefers to relax in her
downtime, but unfortunately, her health will only continue to decline if she doesn’t make
drastic changes to her diet and implement an exercise routine. Her doctor forewarned her
she will need insulin to better manage her diabetes and will likely be placed on blood
pressure medication if she chooses not to change her ways. Sally has a fear of needles
and currently works a second job to make ends meet and realizes there would be an
additional financial burden on their family if her condition were to worsen. These alone
should be enough motivation to make changes, but she has a very reluctant disposition.

5. EF310 UNIT 4 MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES
Sally is in the pre-contemplation of the transtheoretical model (Howley &
Thompson, 2012). Even though it is very clear change is crucial, Sally has a negative
outlook and may feel overwhelmed as to where to start. Contacting a local senior center
for ideas and possibly classes she could take. The social aspect could make exercise
more appealing and the accountability of a partner would aid a successful program. Sally
enjoys being involved with her church, so possibly encouraging her to set-up an exercise
activity with other patrons after her weekly service would be beneficial.
A list of pros and cons and to read over on a regular basis is something that may
help Sally. Reading information her doctor provides and stressing the importance of
educating one’s self about health and health conditions are things that Sally should
consider as well. Another recommendation would be to involve her grandson as much as
possible. She would be setting a great example for him by eating better and exercising,
not to mention quality time together.
Reference
Howley E. T. & Thompson, D. L. (2012). Fitness Professional's Handbook. Sixth
Edition. Courier Companies, Inc.