Case Study #2: From Couch Potato To Running 38 Days Straight!

This blog is the second in BehaviorFit’s: “Case Study” Series.

Last month, I shared how Ashley went from drinking 2-3 sugary sodas every day to NONE in 30 days. Check out last month’s post: Case Study 1: Putting Soft Drinks Down and Drinking Less Sugar

Today, I review the progress and success of another BeFit client.

Meet the Client

Let me introduce you to Oscar. He is an early-thirties, husband, and father of one. Oscar travels a lot for his job, so exercise took a back burner as his workload increased over time.

His exercise was nonexistent, but he wanted to change that.

After hearing a talk I gave, he reached out, seeking guidance and support.

Oscar had a history of working out regularly with high-intensity exercise but was struggling where and how to begin again.

What We Did

We started small. Oscar wanted to get back into running and swimming. After a few days of baseline data, of no physical activity, we set a small goal.

His first goal was to engage in some form of exercise, either running or swimming, 3x/week for at least 20 minutes each.

Over time, we updated each goal whenever we met during our bimonthly meetings.

What Happened Next: Working with the BehaviorFit Team

At first, he struggled with consistency. We addressed that and refocused his targets.

After meeting his new consistent goal, then, Oscar blew all expectations out of the water.

He was meeting his goal with 3-4 exercise activities each week, and has gone on a streak of running 30+ days in a row!!!

This is what consistent running looks like:

For the first 21 weeks, Oscar was inconsistent with the number of times her ran each week. Starting in week 22, he basically ran every day (the data points below the green bar).

He also has increased his average running time. A great testament to what gradual changing (or shaping) of exercise behaviors should like. The higher data points on the rate depict longer runs on average each week.

As his coach, I applauded Oscar for his consistency and effort. Because he began running every day only after a couple months of fairly consistent running, I was ok with the extra miles he put on his body.

I would have advised against running every day in week one.

Early on, Oscar had more bouts of physical activity that included swim time, but he eventually switched over to all running.

Here are just a couple other neat ways to look at Oscar’s results.

Comparing the first 30 days of working BehaviorFit to the last 30 days shows you this comparison:

And since December, he has gone on 98 runs! Wow!

Outside of the benefits we targeted through health and exercise, Oscar has shared that other areas of his life has improved:

• Less out of breath when giving company presentations
• More able to assist his wife with household chores
• Pants are fitting a little looser (oh yeah…without targeting nutrition, he lost about 15 pounds!)

What We Target Now

Oscar has a big conference and hectic travel schedule at the end of May. His current target is to maintain a minimum level of activity as things get busy for him. He seems to really enjoy running now, so we will begin working on intensity (pace) and duration (time running) over the next few months.

In June or July, we will be targeting more strength training.

Most importantly, Oscar has made exercise a habit and part of his life. Both on the road and at home. He has proven to himself and shown the BehaviorFit team how important making health a priority in his life.

We cannot be more proud of Oscar!!!

With this foundation of success and routine, there is nothing that Oscar cannot do!

To date, his running streak is active is going 38 days strong!

Go Oscar!

Keep moving,

-Nick & Gina

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]