I chose to include fitness coaches and how one can use them with various ID models. I actively use these learning design models with my clients. When I think about Instructional Design (ID) in health and fitness, I’m really thinking about building reliable behavior-change systems—personalized, testable, and measurable. Below is how I apply each model in practice, with examples you can swipe for your next check-in.
Design Thinking for deep personalization. I start with short empathy interviews to uncover constraints (time, budget, family routines, culture, environment) and motivators (energy for kids, confidence at work, blood pressure, sleep). I’ll map a simple journey from “Sunday plan” → “weekday execution” → “weekend recovery,” noting friction points like late meetings or limited kitchen access. Then I prototype tiny, low-risk solutions: a 10-minute “movement snack” between calls, a pre-logged lunch rotation, or a one-card grocery list. If the prototype feels heavy or awkward in the client’s real life, I shrink it further until it’s effortless to start.
Action Mapping to lock in the few behaviors that actually drive results. Instead of dumping more information, I translate goals into observable, countable habits. For weight management, my “big three” are usually: (1) protein-forward meals (e.g., 25–40g per main meal, 5×/week), (2) daily movement (10k steps or 45 minutes zone-2, 4×/week), and (3) lights-out by 10:30 pm. Everything else—supplements, exotic recipes, advanced periodization—waits until these are consistent. I categorize behaviors as binary (“did/didn’t”), define a minimum viable dose, and eliminate anything that doesn’t impact those metrics.
Merrill’s First Principles + Gagné’s 9 Events to make sessions stick. In sessions, I follow a simple arc: activate prior knowledge (“Walk me through yesterday: meals, steps, bedtime”), gain attention with a quick insight or stat, and set clear objectives (“This week, nail protein at lunch 5×”). I demonstrate with a 60-second cue (plate visual, label read, or form video), then we practice: mock a restaurant order, rehearse a bedtime routine, or do 2–3 technique reps on camera. I give immediate feedback and end with prompts and checklists the client can use in the wild (calendar reminders, fridge post-its, smartwatch nudges). The goal is to transfer skills that survive outside the session.
SAM (agile) for fast iteration. I treat each week like a mini-sprint. We pick one habit prototype, run it for 7–10 days, and review the “friction log” at the next check-in. If lunch protein fails on meeting days, we refine the system (pre-order on Sunday, keep shelf-stable options at the office). I maintain a small backlog of “next experiments,” but limit work-in-progress to one or two behaviors so we don’t dilute our efforts. Alpha → Beta → “Gold” means clunky → smoother → automatic.
Kirkpatrick to prove impact. I track beyond “felt good.” Level 1 (Reaction): quick 1–5 rating on clarity and usefulness of the plan. Level 2 (Learning): spot checks—can the client explain plate building or demonstrate hinge mechanics? Level 3 (Behavior): adherence % to the big three habits. Level 4 (Results): waist, resting HR, BP, sleep efficiency, energy, mood, or strength—whatever the client consents to and actually values. Trends matter more than single points; we use 2–4 week windows to judge a change.
My 6-step starter workflow, expanded.
- Empathize (Design Thinking): 15 minutes to learn goals, obstacles, social support, preferences, and non-negotiables. I ask, “What would make this week feel like a win?” and “Where does your plan usually break?”
- Define three keystone behaviors (Action Mapping): one each for nutrition, movement, and recovery. Convert them into if–then rules (e.g., “If lunch is a meeting day, then I eat the pre-logged bowl from Café X”).
- Design practice (Merrill/Gagné): micro-demo (60–90 seconds), guided practice (we build tomorrow’s plan together), real-world assignment (snap a photo of each lunch; 10k steps on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; phone on Do Not Disturb mode at 10 pm).
- Implement (SAM sprint): 7–10 days of simple tracking (using checkboxes or a 1–0 scale in a shared sheet). I prefer “streak view” so wins are visible.
- Evaluate (Kirkpatrick): adherence %, short reflection (“What made this easy/hard?”), and one outcome marker (e.g., average sleep). Decide: keep, kill, or tweak exactly one variable.
- Iterate: only increase difficulty once adherence >80% for two consecutive weeks. Progressions are prewritten (e.g., protein: +1 serving/day → hit at two meals → hit at three meals).
Concrete client vignette. A traveling consultant struggled with inconsistent lunches and late-night emails. We prototyped a two-option lunch rotation he could pre-order in 90 seconds and a 10:15 pm “digital sunset.” Week 1 adherence: 60% lunches, 40% bedtime. We trimmed friction: saved orders in the apps, moved the laptop charger out of the bedroom, and set an alarm labeled “Close the day.” Week 2: 80% lunches, 65% bedtime. By week 4: 90% lunches, 80% bedtime, resting HR down three bpm, and subjective energy +2/5. No heroics—just tight loops.
Templates you can copy.
- Quick empathy script: “What does a great week look like? Where does it usually break? What’s one small win we can guarantee by Friday?”
- Friction log: Date → Habit → What blocked me? → 1-line fix to test next week.
- Progression ladders:
- Protein: 1 serving/day → two meals/day → three meals/day → +snack if needed.
- Movement: 15-min walk → 30-min walk → 45-min zone-2 → add 2× strength.
- Sleep: Fixed wake time → alarm for shutdown → lights-out goal → wind-down ritual.
What to do when adherence drops. Shrink the habit (halve it), change the trigger (different time/place), or swap the method (different protein source or movement block). If life is chaos, move into “maintenance mode” with a single non-negotiable (e.g., 20-minute walk daily) until stability returns.
Data, privacy, and scope. I only track metrics that clients consent to, and I stay within the coaching scope—referring clients to medical professionals for diagnoses, pain, or clinical nutrition needs. The models don’t replace judgment; they structure it so progress is easier to start, simpler to keep, and clearer to measure.
Bringing ID into coaching: it turns “try harder” into a repeatable system—personalized with Design Thinking, behavior-focused with Action Mapping, sticky with Merrill + Gagné, fast to iterate with SAM, and honest about results with Kirkpatrick.
Here’s a clean “Sources & Attributions” block you can paste at the end of the blog—featuring Keven Brown, ChatGPT, and the Instructional Design Central page you specified.
Sources & Attributions
Brown, Keven. Practitioner insights and case examples informing applications for fitness coaching (personal communication, Sept 2025).
ChatGPT (GPT-5 Thinking). Drafting, synthesis, and model-to-workflow mapping for this article (conversation dated Sept 10, 2025).
Instructional Design Central (IDC). Instructional Design Models. Accessed Sept 10, 2025. (home)
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