Fit2BTide S08.E17: Self-Determination Theory Explained

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Getting a flu shot is one of [00:00:01] Speaker B: the most important things you can do to stay healthy this year. Flu shots are available and free to University of Alabama students at sites across campus and at the UA Student Health center and Pharmacy. [00:00:12] Speaker A: Check out our schedule at CCHS UA EDU flu shot. [00:00:17] Speaker B: Call 205-348-6262 for a flu shot appointment at the Student Health center or walk [00:00:23] Speaker C: up Monday through Friday from 4 to 4:45pm WVUAFM, Tuscaloosa. [00:00:36] Speaker A: Happy Sunday, y'. All. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone and. Hi. [00:00:41] Speaker B: Hi. We got our mics fixed. [00:00:44] Speaker A: We did, you know. So before we started today's show, I was telling Whitney and our guests that I was listening to our radio show. Podcast. [00:00:54] Speaker B: Podcast. Cause we are on some podcast stations like Spotify and Apple, just saying yes. [00:00:59] Speaker A: So I was listening to that and then my kids were like, mom, is that you on the radio? And I was like, why, yes, it is. But I literally sounded like I was in a tin can in outer space. And so I was thinking, I was like, maybe we need to figure out our mic situation. But now I'm pretty sure that's been fixed. [00:01:16] Speaker B: I think it's much better, but. Oh, I'm just really always loud. It's from teaching. I project so much, but I think it's much better. So we're gonna have a good show. [00:01:26] Speaker A: Yes, we are. And so you probably, if you are one of die hard fans, you fanboy fangirl us. Like, all the things. You probably noticed we had a rerun last time because I was out of [00:01:39] Speaker B: town, you were out of town. I feel like we've had to do a couple of reruns this semester, but I think that's a good reminder that life happens. [00:01:44] Speaker A: Yes. [00:01:45] Speaker B: And we just are glad we can be flexible and we have such an archive of shows from seven years that we can pull from. But yeah, you're back. Glad you're back. [00:01:53] Speaker A: Yes. Thank you. I know. I went to Los Angeles. [00:01:55] Speaker B: Okay. [00:01:56] Speaker A: It was for a family thing. So just full disclosure. It was my grandma's funeral. She lived a long, beautiful life. So there is all of that. But aside from that piece, it was really great to, for one, see family. My mom is the oldest of seven children. I'm the oldest of 21 grandchildren. [00:02:15] Speaker B: 21. [00:02:16] Speaker A: Yes. And then my grandmother has 16 great grandchildren. [00:02:20] Speaker B: Man, what a big family. [00:02:21] Speaker A: Yes. And so I ended up being the one giving the eulogy. [00:02:25] Speaker B: Shut up. [00:02:26] Speaker A: On behalf of all the family. I didn't ask to. [00:02:29] Speaker B: Were you able to keep it together and stay composed? [00:02:31] Speaker A: I did. I did. That's hard to do. [00:02:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:02:35] Speaker A: I mean, there was definitely some tearing up. And so the people over the church, they were like, look, like as much as you want to freestyle it, you probably really need to write things down. And I'm glad that I did. [00:02:47] Speaker B: Your brain might kind of. [00:02:48] Speaker A: Yes. So that was super helpful. But then we also watched the super bowl as a family at my aunt's house. We had some in N out burger. [00:02:55] Speaker B: We did classic. [00:02:57] Speaker A: Yes. [00:02:57] Speaker B: I mean, California. Yeah. In N Out burger. We did not get to talk about the Super Bowl. I know we're a little behind, but, like, what are your thoughts on the halftime show performance? I have very strong thoughts about it. [00:03:09] Speaker A: Like, so, like, the mom in me is like, oh, my gosh. Like, who else can be, like, full blown pregnant and be performing? Like, that's amazing and awesome. Like, who's gonna top that pregnancy announcement? I don't know anybody. [00:03:25] Speaker B: Like, literally. So is that her pregnancy announcement? [00:03:27] Speaker A: Yes. [00:03:28] Speaker B: So that changes the game a little bit. [00:03:30] Speaker A: But from an entertainment perspective and what is expected of that show, I do not think Riri should have committed knowing that she would not be able to like the choreography stuff now. The music stuff. I forget how many hits she has. [00:03:47] Speaker B: Yeah, she had a lot. [00:03:48] Speaker A: I would have loved to have seen the full blown choreography that typically goes with those hits. So that was the sad part for me. So it was kind of like, oh, I feel you, mom to mom. That's cool. But then from a, like, spectator, I'm [00:04:01] Speaker B: like, you know, well, you know, it's interesting. First of all, I was very unamused. The dancers were awesome. The choreography change were awesome. But like, for her, it just was kind of like, I was like, eh. But then when I found out she was like with child, I was like, okay, maybe I should like. But let's be clear, Beyonce would have done something very different even being pregnant. I'm just saying, I'm not really a Beyonce fan. Don't kill me. But, like, I would just think that she would do more. Rihanna's not really a dancer. Yeah, she's not. But she's a singer and she did sing very well. So I was kind of like, I'm not going to lie, I was a little unamused. There might have been some symbolism in there that I was picking up on, you know, the vibes of Illuminati. Just saying. Just saying. [00:04:38] Speaker A: Yes. Well, the amount of memes that I saw afterwards that were a play on oh, when my period shows up unexpectedly. With attitude. [00:04:47] Speaker B: I was like, with attitude. [00:04:49] Speaker A: But no. Well, when we come back for our next segment, we need to rope our guest in. Cause I am very curious to hear his thoughts. Cause I think we've talked about the super bowl halftime show before. [00:05:00] Speaker B: Cause I think I. Surely we have. [00:05:02] Speaker A: I was saying something like, oh, yeah. And then, you know, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. That was just a few years ago. And then he politely reminded me that that was. [00:05:09] Speaker B: And that was a long time ago. Like 2007, wasn't it? [00:05:14] Speaker A: Maybe. I don't know. Early 2000s for really. Sure. But anyway. But anyway. Yes. I guess it's time for a break before we go on all the things. [00:05:20] Speaker B: There's a lot of catching up to do. Yes. [00:05:22] Speaker A: So you guys grab something to drink, run to the restroom, do what you gotta do. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 the capst. [00:05:35] Speaker C: Vuafm tuscaloosa. [00:05:44] Speaker B: Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney. And we're just recapping because we haven't seen each other in a little while. Did a rerun last week. And catching up on the super bowl. And either great performance or a lack of performance. I don't know. [00:05:56] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't know. [00:05:57] Speaker B: The spectator can choose. [00:05:58] Speaker A: We really. All the things, but. [00:06:00] Speaker B: All the things. [00:06:01] Speaker A: So super bowl happened, like I said, was in California. I don't know. It had been a minute since I had been on an airplane. So that was an adventure in and of itself, too. Like, LAX is always kind of crazy security. But one thing I noticed, and y' all may have been aware of this before me, but you know how normally in the bins, you have to take out your bags that have your liquids, and you put them in there, you don't do that anymore. [00:06:29] Speaker B: I wonder why. [00:06:30] Speaker A: There's some new features, fancy technology that will probably kill us. You can leave your laptops and all this stuff and the liquids in your luggage. That's great for your carry on. Yeah. So from a convenience perspective, cool. But I'm also like, does it still [00:06:44] Speaker B: have to be little? [00:06:45] Speaker A: Yes, it still has to be little. So that was a bummer. But, you know, you do what you gotta do. [00:06:49] Speaker B: Sure. But anyways, we're back and we're live. Ish. Yeah. But, yeah. We have Charles Burrows with us today. And, Charles, you're a guest, I would say. Look, I'm not even really introducing you correctly because you've been on the show so many Times. And you've actually co hosted with me when Sheena was out, But. Charles Burrows, welcome back to our show. [00:07:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:10] Speaker C: It's almost like I never left. [00:07:12] Speaker B: Right, right. Okay. So for those of you that don't know Charles, he's our fitness services coordinator at the rec center. And I'll let you kind of introduce yourself. I mean, like I said, you've been here so many times. I'm sure everybody knows you anyway. [00:07:24] Speaker A: Yes. [00:07:25] Speaker C: Yeah. So I'm Charles Burrows. I'm the fitness services coordinator over at University Recreation. So my main focus is overseeing personal training and assessment. I think that's what the website says. Personal training and assessment. [00:07:37] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:38] Speaker C: But I also oversee some of the different fitness programs that we have. Summer heat. And, you know, right now we're doing a personal trainer certification prep course. So a lot of stuff like that. So fitness education, personal training and assessment, all those different things. And I just realized I've been doing this for nine years now. Almost a decade. [00:07:57] Speaker B: Like, you're like, what? You're like personal training as a whole? [00:08:00] Speaker C: Yeah. I've been here at UA for five years, but I've been doing this for almost nine years. I've been a certified trainer for over nine years now. [00:08:06] Speaker B: So out of your nine years? Cause I always do, like, these own little light, like, my own little mental. Like, I don't know, I'm just gonna reflect on my life and what I've done. But, like, out of the nine years you've been doing fitness, have you changed your approach and your style of how you train somebody or teach somebody or view fitness in general? Because I know when we first start out, it's kind of overwhelming, and you're trying to kind of put pieces together. But would you say, like, your philosophy's changed any at all? [00:08:34] Speaker C: Absolutely. You know, when I first got into it, it was for mostly selfish reasons. Right. You know, my own transformation and my own desire to feel and look a certain way. And I think for me, probably my biggest philosophical change was just looking at fitness as something that's actually for your health and something that helps you to feel better and move better and not just to, you know, look a certain way or, you know, fit into these clothes or whatever have you. So my shift. My focus is definitely shift. It's definitely more of a quality of life thing rather than just, you know, want to look a certain way. [00:09:06] Speaker B: Could it be because you're older now? [00:09:07] Speaker C: Probably I hit my 30s, and I [00:09:09] Speaker B: was like, oh, I don't do it anymore. I'm telling you, when you hit 30s. It's like, I just want to feel good. No, I'm just kidding. [00:09:14] Speaker A: No, I mean, I appreciate it, you sharing that, because I think I was thinking in my head, if someone had asked me that same question about, like, has your philosophy changed? Totally. Because I think, you know, in the beginning of my career as a dietitian, it was about, like, oh, how do you eat the things to, like, lose weight and look a certain way? And now it shifted to having a healthy relationship with food while also focusing on your health and not taking away from that, but being a lot more holistic about it and quality of life, as opposed to, I want to get super sexy for spring break. [00:09:48] Speaker B: Yeah, that's definitely because that's the same for me. I used to teach so many cardio and strength classes, and now you couldn't pay me to teach a cardio or strength class, honestly, because as I've gotten older, it doesn't feel as great on my body. And I like yoga and Pilates. But also, it's kind of nice when you do start to mature in your thinking, and especially us being fitness people, we have to kind of sift through the social media and all this stuff that kind of makes us roll our eyes, like, oh, God. You know, but, yeah, that's. I mean, I think that's cool. [00:10:17] Speaker C: Yeah. You know, I think I've noticed that the people who are able to adapt that mindset where it's more about general wellness and feeling better, they stick with it longer, unfortunately, you know, when your goal is only to look like this or, you know, someone put on their paperwork today, they specifically wanted a bigger butt. Like, that was their goal. [00:10:34] Speaker B: I did get the request for Pilates one time. I want Gwen Stefani abs. And I was like, oh, man. Okay. [00:10:40] Speaker A: I thought you almost were gonna say another word that started with an A. And I was like, wait, we can't [00:10:44] Speaker B: cuss out of the media. [00:10:47] Speaker C: So, yeah, it's, you know, trying to develop more of a lasting habit. And I think it comes from developing a different mindset. So my focus as a professional has definitely changed because of that. [00:10:56] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think that's good, and I think that's what we should be doing. And we've got a lot of years collectively in this room of personal training and fitness and nutrition and dietetics, and it's just. It's kind of crazy. And it kind of brings me to, you know, our topic for today, and when we're thinking about it, you know, we're still at the beginning of the year. We're ending, you know, February, which is still very fresh for New Year's resolutions, if you want to call it that, or your goals and thinking about how to stay motivated through all this. Because I feel like once we hit March, at least for us in fitness, and once we get the hump of spring break and we're moving through to summer, we start to see less traction in the rec center. We start to see less participation. And it's almost like you're saying, Charles, people that keep those lasting behavioral habits are going to keep coming in through our doors or doing other things. But then we kind of, like, lose a lot of people. And I wonder if, you know, I'm just kind of thinking out loud, like, I wonder if it is motivation or if we think it's like, oh, I've reached my hump. Let's, you know, let's move on to the next thing. I mean, what do you guys think it is when we start to lose, like, people start losing interest in a program or eating healthy or staying on the right track? I mean, what is that? Is it motivation? [00:12:11] Speaker A: I think it could be motivation. And I think, you know, if we're thinking about other factors, sometimes it could just be they've naturally hit whatever that landmark they were, they were trying to hit, whether it was like, oh, my daughter's wedding or something like that into that dress. But, yeah, I feel like it's so multifaceted, for sure. [00:12:30] Speaker C: Yeah. It seems a lot of times we put these very specific due dates, which we kind of are supposed to do that, right? Smart goals. But how do we transform beyond that? How do we make those smart goals a smaller part of a bigger picture? I think that's part of it. And I also think, especially looking around the rec center, a lot of these students, they focus very much on adapting a very intense lifestyle to reach that goal. So it's very intense strict dieting, or very intense seven days a week in the gym. And they're having a hard time finding that balance. And I think that's also a factor as well. [00:13:03] Speaker B: Yeah, And I'm just thinking, like, literally walking past the weight room, going to my office, and I'll glance over, and I see mostly students in there and faculty staff, but just lately, most mostly students. And it's so interesting because I remember, like, I had the energy level and I could go to the rec and I could do class here, class there. I just, like, never got tired. It was like I just had the energy. And I think as we mature, that's just something that Changes for some people it doesn't. And that's like a whole nother topic to cover. But I don't know, it definitely could be the motivation. So I'm kind of curious. When we decided we were going to talk about motivation, it's the. Oh my gosh. What's our theory called? I just blanked. Oh, it's right here. Self determination theory. I'm clearly not just to remember things and I don't know what that means, but yeah, self determination theory. So Charles, you brought this up. You teach a lot on it. What is that? [00:13:53] Speaker C: Yeah, so I so. Well, first off, self determination theory is actually a theory about behavior change. It's kind of in that realm. And it wasn't created by fitness professionals. It was actually created by some psychologists. And what I actually, first off, I like it because of the name. It sort of hijacks the idea of motivation and it changes it to self determination. And I like that because I think that motivation itself has become a buzzword where it's a very specific feeling, it's magical, it's very energetic, while self determination is a bit more gritty. And it's about how to push through something rather than just doing something or feeling the right type of way to do something. So self determination basically says, you know, what are the different kinds of motivation and how do we use that to persevere? [00:14:44] Speaker B: I mean, I was just gonna say I think maybe we cover that on the next segment. [00:14:50] Speaker A: No, yeah, we definitely need to take a break. But you know, I'm just like, my brain is like moving through all the things. Cause when we're talking about motivation as a buzzword, we usually think of that as like, in many ways it's an emotion. It's a fleeting emotion. And I really like the way you said the descriptor of gritty for a self determination. That was on point. Yeah, look at me saying like catchy things. Yes, all the things. Okay, before I start saying more silly things, we're just gonna take a break. You are listening to Fit to Be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. [00:15:30] Speaker C: Wvuaf tuscaloosa. [00:15:39] Speaker B: Welcome back, friends. You're listening to Fit to Be tie with Sheena and Whitney. And we have our third co host, honorary co host Charles Burrows from University Recreation who is a fitness services coordinator there. Nine years of personal training in fitness started with his own, you know, goals and journey to become healthier. And now this is what he does with his life and his job and has trained and worked with people now and it's pretty dang cool to have a job like that. And I do the same thing. Sheena gets to work with people as well. It's pretty cool. But we're talking about, like, how to stay motivated. And I think for us, a lot of times, you know, just speaking on our side of things, it's kind of hard for us to stay motivated as well if we're supposed to be the motivators. And so, Charles, we have on our little cheat sheet here different types of motivation. And can you kind of give us an idea of, you know, what they are and how to, like, kind of use them? I guess. [00:16:31] Speaker C: Sure, yeah. So the self determination theory we talked about before last break, part of what this theory says is that there's two parts of motivation or two sources that we derive motivation from. Those are those autonomous sources, which is basically from within. And then there are controlled motivation, which is where we get motivation from something outside of ourselves. You know, in that autonomous motivation or intrinsic motivation, we typically think of those as, like, that little voice inside our heart. Whenever I'm talking with our fitness staff, I joke that it's that neuroticism in us when we're being neurotic. And we can't help but, like, be pushed to do something that is intrinsic motivation. Right. If you have a voice inside your head that doesn't let you not be successful. Right. You know, like, those students are really awesome, and they're awesome because they can't stand the thought of making a beat. We all know students like that. If it wasn't us, ourselves. That is intrinsic motivation. And sometimes intrinsic motivation can be negative. Right? We feel a certain way about ourselves, and so we're trying to push through that. But that is an autonomous motivation. And one thing that this theory does say is that autonomous motivation is actually the strongest form of motivation that we get, and it usually lasts longer. Controlled motivation is those videos, those tiktoks, those things that we watch that get us hyped up for an hour or two. But it's typically fleeting. So controlled motivation is sort of when we expose ourselves to things that are outside of us. [00:17:59] Speaker B: What motivates y'? All? Like, I'm just curious, like, to. Let's. Let's say to work out or to be physically active. We won't say workout, but like to be physically active and move your bodies. Like, what motivates you guys? [00:18:13] Speaker A: I think for me, personally, and then again, getting up in the age, it really is more about health and quality of life. And in this motivating Factor of I wanna live for my kids, I wanna live for my husband as opposed to I want to weigh X amount or look a certain way. Those are great little cherry topping benefits. But really when it comes to motivation now to be physically active, it is this intrinsic, like I want to do well cause I wanna set a good example for my kids, be healthy, that kind of type stuff. [00:18:46] Speaker B: And it's also as you get older because your views change and you have more on your plate. It's almost like your views just change that like you can't really think the same way as you once, once did. What about you, Charles? [00:18:58] Speaker C: Yeah, so I think it's a combination of autonomous or internal resources or, excuse me, sources. So you know, one of them is my own, like mental health. I notice that I am a more positive person when I exercise regularly. I have adhd, so it helps me to focus when I exercise regularly. And also it's that I guess there's an external component where I do this for a living and if I don't do this myself, how can I help other people? So a lot of it is I've got to do this because it helps me be better at my job. So it's a combination. [00:19:30] Speaker A: Now I'm curious, for new client intake forms, are there questions that kind of ask people about that, where you kind of know what's in their head that's motivating them? Or is that more of a situation where as the trainer is building that rapport with the client, it's more of a conversation kind of pulling that information out from them. [00:19:49] Speaker C: Typically it's that other part. You know, we ask them what their goals are. But part of what our trainers are supposed to do, do and should do is to sit down and kind of get those more motivating factors. Because sometimes it's hard to put on a piece of paper. Yeah, this is your goal, but why is that your goal? What is that underlying driving force that's actually bringing you in? So that is supposed to be something that's more done on a one on one personal level with a trainer. [00:20:12] Speaker B: And I think our paperwork is slightly different in the sense that people that sign up for personal training, their goals tend to be different. They want to, to lose weight, they want to, you know, get stronger. With Pilates, it's more. I have this issue that I want to correct or my doctors recommended this for me and I, I have a question. That is, what motivated you to join Pilates Reformer with us at UREC? And that's usually it's like I saw it on TikTok because, like, we're super, super fancy on TikTok right now. It's very relevant right now. Or you want Gwen Stefani abs because. And for the record, like, she does way more than just pilates for those, just so you know. But we're very different. And a lot of times people will say for us that they were motivated to join because their friends do it, because we do group sessions. And so there's a community and a social aspect about it and you just feel good. But I think I'm kind of like both of you guys. I actually just like moving my body because I really just enjoy it. Like, I don't think there's any type of motivating factor. This sounds bad, but, like, I don't ever think of it in the sense of, you know, I don't have kids, so I don't think of it that way. But I think of it as I just genuinely feel like I have to, like, I feel good when I do it. So whatever your motivation is, keep doing it. So I kind of want to talk about, you know, we've got this really beautiful little graph ish thing on our paper and that talks about the self determination theory. And you mentioned, Charles, that this could, you know, autonomy and competence and relatedness. Those three things could really take a lot of time. So we can start diving into those now, but just autonomy, I mean, so [00:21:48] Speaker C: at the basis of this theory, it basically says that we need these three things to be self determined, to persevere, to stay motivated. Right. And the first one is autonomy. And that's not to be confused with autonomous motivation. What we mean by autonomy is we're saying we have the choice to be here. One thing I see time and time again is those clients who are the least successful is the ones where someone is making them cope. [00:22:12] Speaker B: Right? Sure. [00:22:12] Speaker C: Whether it's their spouse who bought them training sessions. [00:22:15] Speaker B: I bought you personal training. [00:22:17] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. When that happens, I'm like, oh goodness, this client's gonna take some work. Or, you know, we have students who, parents are like, you put on £15 your first year, you need to train. What this theory says is if you didn't have the choice, you're not sticking around. [00:22:31] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:22:32] Speaker C: And it's as soon as a roadblock comes up, as soon as something happens, you're out. And that's true. We think about that. That's one thing I love about this theory is it logically makes sense and we see it time and time again is if you don't have the choice to stick with something, then a lot of times you don't have really any kind of real motivation to stick around. And so that's that first component that's really important is autonomy. It says, do I have the choice to be here? And how strong is that choice? You know, how much freedom did I have to make that choice? [00:22:59] Speaker B: I think about, like, our friends that are in recovery. Like, and my brother always tells me this, like, if you're doing, you have to do it for yourself. If you don't do it for yourself, you're not gonna stick with it. And so I think that goes for really anything, you know, so competence, competence. [00:23:13] Speaker C: We'll dive right in. Yeah. So it's funny, you know, that's you kind of mentioned part of it is I just like moving my body. That's why we do it. Right. Well, competence says, you know, how effective am I at doing this? And I think that's one thing that draws us fitness professionals who've been doing this a long time to continue doing it is that we have that competence. But what this theory says is that without that understanding of what we're doing as being effective, that we're not gonna stick with it. And that makes a lot of sense, Right? If my goal is to lose £20 by this date, if I don't feel like I'm doing it effectively, why would I be determined to stick with it? [00:23:48] Speaker B: Right. [00:23:49] Speaker A: Yeah. No, I mean, just. I know we're about to have to go into a break before we go into the relatedness, but I think even just with what you've talked about so far, it seems so common sense. But I think the fact that it is so common sense, we're not always actively thinking about that. We don't think about that as our and these components to everything. And I know after the break, Charles, I have some questions about, you know, what got you on this theory. How did you discover it? You know, you came in with your glasses on today, and I was like, okay, he's ready to party. [00:24:22] Speaker B: The glasses are on top of us. [00:24:24] Speaker A: And you are so research focused. And I think that's what's really neat about seeing how you've thrived in your role, really bringing that knowledge to your clients, to our employees, to our students. But, yeah, I could say all the things, but we gotta take a break. [00:24:39] Speaker B: Let's do it. [00:24:41] Speaker A: To fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the capstone. [00:24:48] Speaker C: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa. [00:24:57] Speaker B: Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied and if it sounds like sometimes we kind of like lag a little between our responses. The studio is very hot today and we usually don't turn the air on or the heat because it makes. Makes noises in the background. So if we kind of zone out a little bit, it's because it's very warm. Just thought I'd let you guys know, but I think we're doing a good job. [00:25:17] Speaker A: Yes, [00:25:19] Speaker B: that was perfect. Okay. The timing was on point. Sorry if I just laugh super loud in your car. Cause I leaned right into the mic, guys. Okay, so self determination theory with Charles Morose. And we are working on motivation. And so the third component is relatedness. [00:25:38] Speaker C: Relatedness. You know, this one often gets overlooked. And it's a very simple idea where if someone perseveres, if someone wants to stick with something, they need to feel like they belong to that thing. And the thing I think about the most with this is, you know, picture. You're that new client who has never worked out before. You know, maybe you're a bit overweight or you're self conscious about your body. And then you walk into the gym, right? It's your first time that the lights are down low, there's this studio vibe, there's that kind of music going on. And you look around and every single person has glimmering abs, bulging biceps, and they look like they're all oiled up [00:26:16] Speaker B: for a photo shoot and like the special clothes and all that kind of stuff. [00:26:20] Speaker C: And how do you expect that person to feel like they belong there? And that's really hard. And something we don't think about when we've been doing this for a long time. Something I sometimes forget about, right. Because in a lot of ways I feel like I belong in the gym because I've worked at one for so long. But a lot of people don't feel that when they first come in. And you know, maybe they have autonomy, maybe they're choosing to be at the gym. Maybe they have competence and they've got this plan in front of them that they know will work because someone told them it will, but they don't feel like they belong. And if they don't, how are they gonna stay self determined to stick with this? When they walk into a room and they feel like they just aren't a part of the group. [00:26:54] Speaker B: Go ahead, Sheena. [00:26:55] Speaker A: Well, I was just gonna say, Ned, do you think when people get over that hump and they are officially part of that community, you know, when I'm thinking about boutique fitness places or just gyms in general, you know, they have this large, like, social media presence and this way of, like, wanting to engage their members and to, like, put out there that you are part of our community. [00:27:16] Speaker B: Like, own it. [00:27:17] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, you are part of this specific box. Like, here we go. Like, do you think that, like, they know that if their members feel like they are part of something, they're gonna stick with it? [00:27:28] Speaker C: Absolutely. You know, they may not know the psychology behind it, but they know. And that is what makes CrossFit and all these other gym so pop. You know, Orange Theory Fitness. It's not that they have this magical recipe of workouts that's gonna make you in shape. It's they understand how to create this amazing community where as soon as you walk in, you feel like you belong. You know, they ask how you're doing, they welcome you with open arms, they give you a hug, they give you a sticker. Right. They understand how to make you belong. And I think a lot of gyms might struggle with that. And the ones that are successful are really good at that. [00:28:03] Speaker B: And it's very specified, you know, like a gym. Just in general, if you were to go to, like, a Crunch or a Planet Fitness, because it's a gym setting, unless it's like, something very specific. That's why CrossFit always comes to mind. You just don't go anywhere and do CrossFit. You have to go to a CrossFit gym, you know, you have to. To go, you know, do their workout, the workout of the day. Orange Theory is the same way. And I think there's. That might work well for some people. For me, I don't really care either way. I just know I need a room with some mirrors and a floor to do yoga or Pilates. But some people may like to go to that type of gym because they feel a part of something. They feel welcomed in that environment. [00:28:41] Speaker C: Yeah. You know, it's funny. We talked about how I've transformed since I first started all this. When I first started, I was very judgmental to a specific gym, Planet Fitness. And the reason I was judgmental was in my mind, I was like, they don't want people who are professionals there. They don't. You know, they give people Twinkies and pizza. And my mind was like, this is so stupid. Like, they aren't trying to actually help people change. But what I realized is that's one thing that Planet Fitness strives for, is they want to create this environment that is friendly and that it belongs. And so you walk in and you don't feel like you're being judged. And it took me a very long time to understand understand that's what they're trying to do. [00:29:14] Speaker B: No, I think I'm the same way. By the way, both our husbands go to Planet Fitness, and they always see each other, and they're like, what up, bro? You know, Anyway, totally funny. But, yeah, no, I totally agree. And I think that that's some of the stigmas that come behind fitness. And unfortunately, we've all been a part of that. When you're first getting into it, you have a mindset of what you think, you know, and how it is. And I like the boutiques. I really do. Because I think if it gives somebody a place to exercise and feel like they're part of the community, like, why not, you know? [00:29:44] Speaker C: And that's one thing I've seen with every single gym or place I've worked with, is that when that sense of belonging is created, people come. And no matter where it's been, whether it was that boutique gym with the lights down low, if you can successfully create that, people are gonna stick around. And that's not just stick around with their membership, but they're gonna stick around with their goals, and they're gonna be more determined, determined to stick with things because they know other people are counting on them, and they know that other people are, you know, happy to see their face. [00:30:13] Speaker B: Good. [00:30:14] Speaker A: I was gonna ask, so with the rec center in particular, do y' all see those clusters of community within the rec center as far as, like, patrons that, you know, come at the same time or, you know, or maybe from, like, a specific program like Summer Heat or whatever else where they've kind of made this, like, community within a community type situation. I don't know. [00:30:35] Speaker B: I think for us, because we are so big, it depends on what. What type of thing you're into. So if you go to group X classes and you go to day's classes with Adam or Lindsay, that's a very specific community. And there's been a lot of people that have become really good friends from that. Or, like, the deep water class at the Aquatic center, they have their own Facebook page. They like their friends. They, like, do their thing. [00:30:56] Speaker C: I was just thinking of that group in particular because they are amazing. You go for your first time, and they're like, oh, welcome to class. [00:31:03] Speaker B: Super inviting. And they're not like, you don't even ask them to do that. They just enjoy what they do. Pilates is the same way, you know? [00:31:09] Speaker C: Yeah. Personal training. Yeah. You know, I think out in the sea of the weight room that it is during peak hours that sometimes gets lost. But, you know, I usually, I work out in the mornings twice a week with a friend out in the weight room. And I see it there too. You know, there's a group of the regulars who, who, they're always happy to see each other and they're, you know, they're. It's up, bro. Sup, bro? [00:31:32] Speaker A: You know that guy? Yeah, [00:31:34] Speaker C: that relatedness, it's absolutely there. Yeah, it's just, I think it's harder to find when you walk into such a big weight room. You've got to know how to seek it out. [00:31:43] Speaker B: Also, when you're in a gym, you're feeling good. Like, let's not forget, if you're not hopped up on like pre workouts and you're like going in or like you just do a little work, warm up with some cardio, your endorphins kick in very quickly to where you feel awesome. And so you're just willing to like chit chat and talk to people and oh yeah, life's great. So, I mean, it's a natural response to the body to want to be around people. But then you put in exercising and physical activity and then the chemistry happens. It's a great place. [00:32:10] Speaker A: You know, I'm sold. I mean, just even the other day when I came to drop off a book to you and I took it to Mikayla's office, when I was walking back, I was like, I just feel like I need to put some workout clothes on right now and get it done. Like, everybody looked so. Just like determined. [00:32:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And I think for us at the rec center, it has really shifted to where, like, we do see more females in the weight room, sometimes more than the guys. And I think that's been kind of nice. Just people are learning how to move their bodies and lift weights and it's. I mean, it's been great. So, Charles, I'm kind of curious, you know, with the self determination theory, how do you apply this when you're working with clients or like when you're teaching your personal training prep course? Like, how do you integrate this? Cause we can talk about it all day long, but then we gotta actually, like somehow put this theory into action, I guess. I don't know. [00:33:02] Speaker C: Yeah, you know, in this prep course, we spend a lot of time discussing this because how do we take these ideas and make them more tangible? And I think a lot of it is how do we instill these things into our class? So the autonomy one's tough because a lot of times they didn't choose to be there. But from a trainer standpoint, it's asking them and then reminding them, hey, it's your choice to be here. When we're doing burpees and you hate burpees. Remember, it's your choice. And I think it's good to reflect that on that regularly because there is something very empowering about remembering this is my choice. Yeah, sure, I committed to this. Yeah, sure, I signed up, but ultimately I got in my car, I chose to come here, and there's something to be said about that. So a lot of it is just reminding people of that. In terms of competence, the trainer is often the one providing that. You know, a lot of times people, when they come in for personal training, they are at that bottom point when it comes to competence where they don't feel like what they've done has worked and they need someone to provide the effectiveness. And so as a trainer, it's providing that for them and then also educating them so that they feel like they have that moving forward. Because the information's out there. A lot of it is it's perceived competence, it's perceived autonomy, it's perceived relatedness. So it's how do we help them to perceive it and to accept it and to understand it's there. And then that relatedness, it's just helping them feel comfortable. You know, for us at the rec center, we're really lucky in that we have a personal training studio. And that's really nice because that environment is very welcoming for our clients. If the weight room doesn't feel that way, again, sometimes it's about perception, right? And if you don't feel like you belong in the weight room, having that private space is really helpful to feel more like you. [00:34:43] Speaker A: Well, I am just. I feel smarter, as I always do. [00:34:47] Speaker B: Every time you feel motivated. I do feel motivated. [00:34:49] Speaker A: I really do. And you know, I know we've got to take a break and then we've got our short segment. But Charles, we'd love to ask you about some upcoming programs that maybe be, you know, rolling out in the spring semester, things we can look forward to in the summer. But y', all, we're gonna take a break. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitley on 90.7 the Capstone. [00:35:11] Speaker C: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa. [00:35:20] Speaker B: Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied and hopefully you are feeling self determined to start working out and, you know, start, you know, maybe eating some healthy things. Some fruits and vegetables, which didn't really talk a lot about food today. We were just so in the fitness realm. [00:35:34] Speaker A: But next week, because we'll be talking about National Nutrition Month, because we'll be in Mars. [00:35:39] Speaker B: Yes. [00:35:41] Speaker A: I've got some nutrition tips coming. [00:35:43] Speaker B: Love it. [00:35:43] Speaker A: Yeah. So we're gonna cover all the things. But, Charles, so if we've got listeners who are like, oh, my goodness, now I am motivated, I see the light. What kind of. Of programs are coming up or ongoing that someone could potentially jump into? [00:35:59] Speaker C: Yeah, so. Well, for one, we do have a personal training special going on, and I guess it's only until Tuesday or Wednesday, but it's till the end of the month. And it is six sessions for $120, which is an absolute steal. So that's one thing that we're trying to do is try to bring in some more new clients to Rec Center. We got a lot of young, eager new trainers that are all. And so we need some clients to set with them. But apart from that, we do also have our Summer heat program in the summer. That'll be later going on. I guess that's summertime, though. So for the semester, we do have something called Round the Wreck that we're really excited about coming soon in April. And it's sort of like a. Almost like a spartan race, but it's an obstacle course that's gonna go all around the property of the Recipe Center. So there's gonna be tires, there's gonna be a football throw. There's gonna be a lot of stuff. And it's timed and it's competition. It's gonna be a lot of fun. [00:36:54] Speaker B: Yeah, competition, competition. [00:36:57] Speaker A: It makes America great. [00:36:58] Speaker B: It does. And also, also. That is so true. But also like self determination theory. I mean, low competition also helps to fuel that for some of you guys that are super competitive. So I was kind of curious. I know the last time you're on the show. Last semester, of course, you're our first guest of this semester, I believe. I think you're our very first guest this semester. Very cool. Well, last semester we asked you, like, what gets you hyped? And that was kind of our question. We really don't have, like, a very fancy question. But with it being a new semester and in the spring, a new year, do you have a goal that you're working on that you would like to share with our listeners? [00:37:31] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. So I don't necessarily have a fitness specific goal, but I have lately had a more nutrition goal. And it's two parts. One is to Cut back on caffeine and just stimulants in general. And then also number two is to cut down on sugar. I mentioned before in the episode, I've got adhd and I'm starting to learn more about some of the effects that things like sugar has on focus. And so I'm trying to clean up my diet a little more just to help with mental focus, mental acuity. So I'm more effective at work and, and in my workouts. So, yeah, it's more of a nutrition and brain stuff. [00:38:08] Speaker A: Nice. And I have no doubt that it is centered around a smart based goal. [00:38:15] Speaker C: Yes, yes, yes, it is. [00:38:16] Speaker A: Yes. But no, I love that. Now, Whitney, I think we've asked each other this and I'm like thinking about our last little moments. Do you have a goal for 2023? Have I already forgotten it? [00:38:26] Speaker B: You know me, I, like, come up with stuff. Well, I will say this. A professional goal is I will be testing out this year with my comprehensive Pilates training. And that's taken me a while to do. I've got one more training to do in March, and I will go for test out. Which just means if you're not familiar, it just means that, like you, you can move on every apparatus. You're fully nationally qualified. So I've been working on that. I honestly think I'm around the same lines as Charles. I've been trying to really kind of watch my sugar because I realize it makes me feel really bad. And this is coming from a girl that could eat like two full bowls of ice cream that, like, I bought some Girl Scout cookies the other day and ate like three and. And I felt really crappy. And so I thought, you know, I'm gonna start to incorporate a healthy choice. How about some yogurt? And I don't like yogurt, but I found some that I like. So I'm trying to make my sugar choice a healthier option to fuel my body. [00:39:15] Speaker A: That's a win. [00:39:16] Speaker B: Yeah. What about you? [00:39:17] Speaker A: I think so. From a professional goal standpoint, I don't know if I've mentioned on the show that I'm working on my certification to be a certified intuitive eating group facilitator and counselor, so I can have those official credentials. And then I'd say nutrition wise, I've been doing a lot of presentations lately and specifically with our faculty staff on something called the Mind Diet. It's a combination of the Mediterranean diet and the Dash diet, and it aims to help prevent cognitive decline. So it's really trying to emphasize getting a lot more antioxidant intake from certain fruits and vegetables and then reducing intake of other foods that introduce a lot of free radicals in the body. So, like, fried food is one of the biggest things that they really emphasize to individuals to reduce. So, you know, incorporating a lot more of those recommendations, as I think about, say, with my grandma passing and having dementia and really trying to be forward [00:40:12] Speaker B: thinking with that, I will say this. The husband is now starting to eat more vegetarian things because he has. We're just trying to be healthier, and it's been going very well. Not saying we're not eating meat at all, but, like, bacon's not allowed in the house anymore. [00:40:28] Speaker A: On that note, I think y', all, that was a great show. You have been listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone. [00:40:42] Speaker C: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.