What Stage of Change Are You In?

Here's what we know about fitness and human behavior: the reason you're not going to the gym isn't motivation or willpower. It's not even time or any other excuse. It's where you are in the process of actually changing your behavior and that process is predictable.

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In the 1980s, psychologists developed something called the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change. In short, people don't just decide to change and then magically change. They move through five distinct stages.

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Which one are you in right now as it relates to your fitness journey?

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Stage 1: Pre-contemplation — “I will do it eventually, just not right now."

You're not thinking about changing, at least not seriously. Maybe you've convinced yourself you're fine, or you've tried before and it didn't stick so you're not bothering with it. The best thing that can happen at this point is a moment of honest reflection so you can move to stage two.

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Stage 2: Contemplation — "I'm thinking about joining."

You know you should do something. You've probably Googled gyms, asked a friend, or bookmarked a class schedule. But you haven't committed yet. This is where a lot of people remain for a long time. Contemplation isn't failure. It's the stage where the decision is actually being made. The key is not camping out here for too long. 

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Stage 3: Preparation — "I just signed up."

You've taken the big step…you signed up, bought the shoes, blocked time on your calendar. This stage feels good, but it's shaky. Preparation without follow-through can make you slide back to contemplation. The most important thing here isn't motivation, it's momentum. Small actions, consistently. If this is you, read that last sentence again: SMALL ACTIONS. Start with two, not six, days a week. 

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Stage 4: Action — "I'm coming 3x per week."

You're doing it. This is the stage that looks like success, but it's also the most demanding. You're building the habit, which means you're in the hardest part. Life will try to get in the way. Excuses may pop into your head. The goal here is protecting your routine until it stops feeling like effort and starts feeling like just “what you do.”

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Stage 5: Maintenance — "This is just who I am now."

This is the goal. The gym isn't something you make yourself do anymore, it's just part of who you are (“I am someone who works out.”). It's part of your identity. If you're here, you've done the hard part. Now you protect what you've built.

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The whole point of understanding the stages is knowing what to do next. Be honest about which one you're in, stop beating yourself up for not being further along, and take the next step.

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Every person in our gym started somewhere on this list and what mattered wasn't how fast they moved through it. It was that they kept going.