Deep Dive: Implementation Science for Longevity Coaches¶

The Science of Getting Things Done¶

You've probably noticed something frustrating in your coaching practice: clients who know exactly what to do, yet somehow don't do it. They've read the books, listened to the podcasts, maybe even completed a certification themselves. They can explain the benefits of exercise, the importance of sleep, the mechanics of protein synthesis. And still, nothing changes.

This gap between knowing and doing isn't a character flaw. It's not a lack of willpower or motivation. It's actually so common and so predictable that an entire field of research has emerged to study it.

Welcome to implementation science.

What Is Implementation Science?¶

Implementation science is the study of methods to promote the adoption of research findings and evidence-based practices into routine use. In plain language: it's the science of getting things done.

The field emerged from a frustrating reality in healthcare. Researchers would discover treatments that worked—proven in rigorous trials—yet patients weren't receiving them. The knowledge existed. The evidence was clear. But the gap between what we know and what we do remained stubbornly wide.

Sound familiar?

As a longevity coach, you're essentially an implementation specialist. Your job isn't primarily to discover new knowledge (though staying current matters). Your job is to help people apply existing knowledge to their lives. You're closing that knowing-doing gap, one client at a time.

Understanding how implementation actually works—what makes behavior change stick, what makes it fail, and what you can do about it—makes you a significantly more effective coach.

Why This Matters for Longevity Coaching¶

Longevity interventions face a particular challenge: the payoff is often years or decades away. Your client can't see their future self, can't feel the difference their current choices are making. This makes the implementation challenge even harder.

Plus, longevity coaching typically involves multiple simultaneous changes: sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress management, social connection, purpose. Each one requires implementation. Each one competes for your client's limited attention and energy.

Implementation science gives you a systematic framework for thinking about these challenges—and evidence-based strategies for addressing them.

The COM-B Model: Understanding Behavior¶

At the heart of implementation science is a simple question: Why isn't this behavior happening?

Researchers at University College London, led by Susan Michie and colleagues, developed a model called COM-B to answer this question.¹ The name stands for:

• Capability → Can the person do it?
• Opportunity → Does their environment allow it?
• Motivation → Do they want to do it?

These three factors interact to produce Behavior. If any one is missing or weak, the behavior won't happen reliably.

Translating to Coaching Language¶

In this certification, we use simpler terms that mean the same thing:

Skills, Motivation, Conditions → Behavior

This framework is powerful because it shifts you from "why won't they just do it?" to "what's actually blocking this behavior?"

Breaking Down Each Barrier¶

Skills (Capability)¶

Skills barriers come in two flavors:

Psychological capability: Do they have the knowledge, comprehension, and cognitive skills to perform the behavior?
- Can they read and understand a nutrition label?
- Do they know how to strength train safely?
- Can they plan meals for a week?
- Do they understand how to interpret their sleep tracker data?

Physical capability: Do they have the physical ability, strength, stamina, or skill to perform the behavior?
- Can they physically get down on the floor for mobility work?
- Do they have the coordination for the exercises you're recommending?
- Are there physical limitations (injury, disability, chronic condition) that affect what's possible?

Coach's insight: Skills barriers are often underdiagnosed. We assume clients know things they don't. Ask: "Have you done this before? Walk me through how you'd do it." Their answer often reveals knowledge gaps you didn't expect.

Motivation¶

Motivation barriers also come in two flavors:

Reflective motivation: Conscious intentions, goals, beliefs, and plans.
- Do they believe the behavior will help?
- Does it align with their values and identity?
- Have they made a conscious decision to do it?
- Do they believe they're capable of doing it (self-efficacy)?

Automatic motivation: Emotional responses, desires, habits, and impulses.
- Do they actually want to do it, at a gut level?
- Is it associated with pleasure or pain in their experience?
- Have they built habits that make it automatic?
- What emotional responses does the behavior trigger?

Coach's insight: Clients often report high reflective motivation ("I really want to get healthier!") while their automatic motivation pulls the other direction. The person who consciously wants to eat vegetables may still reach for chips when stressed—not because they're weak, but because automatic motivation is doing its thing. Both matter.

Conditions (Opportunity)¶

Conditions barriers also come in two flavors:

Physical opportunity: Does the environment make the behavior possible?
- Do they have access to a gym, healthy food, quiet sleeping space?
- Do they have the time in their schedule?
- Do they have the financial resources?
- Are the necessary tools and equipment available?

Social opportunity: Does their social context support the behavior?
- What do the people around them do?
- Will they face social pressure against the behavior?
- Do they have support and accountability?
- What are the cultural norms in their environment?

Coach's insight: Conditions barriers are often the most overlooked, yet they're frequently the real issue. A client living with a partner who fills the house with junk food faces a conditions barrier, not a willpower problem. A client working 70-hour weeks has a conditions barrier to exercise, not a motivation problem.

Using the Framework: A Diagnostic Approach¶

When a client isn't doing a behavior, run through the three barriers:

1. Is it a Skills barrier?
- Do they know what to do?
- Do they know how to do it?
- Can they physically do it?

2. Is it a Motivation barrier?
- Do they believe it will help?
- Do they actually want to do it?
- Does it conflict with other things they want?

3. Is it a Conditions barrier?
- Does their environment support it?
- Do they have time, money, and access?
- What do the people around them do?

The answer points you toward the right intervention.

Matching Solutions to Barriers¶

Here's where implementation science gets practical. Different barriers require different solutions. Using the wrong solution for the barrier is like prescribing glasses for a broken leg.

If It's a Skills Barrier¶

What works:
- Education: Providing information they're missing
- Training: Teaching them how to do it, step by step
- Skill-building practice: Deliberate practice with feedback
- Simplification: Breaking complex behaviors into smaller, learnable steps

What doesn't work:
- Motivational speeches (they already want to—they just don't know how)
- Environmental restructuring alone (the environment could be perfect, but they still don't know what to do)
- Increasing pressure or urgency (stress impairs learning)

Example: Your client wants to eat more protein but doesn't know how to cook. All the motivation in the world won't help until they learn basic cooking skills—or find protein sources that don't require cooking.

If It's a Motivation Barrier¶

What works:
- Connecting to values: Linking the behavior to what matters most to them
- Exploring benefits: Making the advantages vivid and personal
- Addressing fears and concerns: What are they worried will happen?
- Building self-efficacy: Starting small to build confidence
- Finding intrinsic reasons: Moving from "should" to "want"

What doesn't work:
- More information (they already know what to do)
- Environmental changes alone (the environment could be perfect, but they still won't do it)
- Shame or guilt (these backfire almost universally)

Example: Your client knows exercise is important but just doesn't want to do it. More research on exercise benefits won't help. You need to find what would make them want to move—maybe it's social connection, maybe it's feeling strong, maybe it's playing with grandkids.

If It's a Conditions Barrier¶

What works:
- Environmental restructuring: Changing the environment to make behavior easier
- Removing barriers: Eliminating friction and obstacles
- Adding cues and prompts: Making the behavior more visible and triggered
- Social restructuring: Changing who they spend time with, or how
- Resource provision: Providing what's missing (time, money, access, equipment)

What doesn't work:
- More education (they already know)
- Motivational techniques (they already want to—their life just doesn't allow it)
- Telling them to "try harder" (trying harder against impossible conditions just leads to burnout)

Example: Your client wants to exercise but works 12-hour days and has a 2-hour commute. No amount of motivation or education will create time that doesn't exist. You need to work within their conditions—maybe 10-minute movement breaks, maybe walking meetings, maybe weekend-only training for now.

The Behavior Change Wheel¶

Implementation scientists have organized these insights into a comprehensive framework called the Behavior Change Wheel.² It's a visual model that shows how to systematically design interventions.

The wheel has three layers:

Inner Layer: COM-B¶

The three barriers (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation) that we've already discussed.

Middle Layer: Intervention Functions¶

Nine types of interventions that address different barriers:

Outer Layer: Policy Categories¶

Seven policy categories that support intervention functions (communications, guidelines, fiscal measures, regulation, legislation, environmental/social planning, service provision). These are more relevant for public health than individual coaching.

Coach's takeaway: You don't need to memorize this wheel. The key insight is that different interventions work for different barriers. When something isn't working, ask: "Am I using the right type of intervention for the actual barrier?"

Key Behavior Change Theories¶

Implementation science draws on several established theories. Here's a brief overview of the ones most relevant to coaching.

Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change)¶

Developed by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente, this model suggests people move through stages in their readiness for change:³

1. Precontemplation: Not yet considering change
2. Contemplation: Thinking about change but ambivalent
3. Preparation: Getting ready to take action
4. Action: Actively making changes
5. Maintenance: Sustaining the new behavior
6. Termination: New behavior is fully integrated (not always included)

Coaching relevance: Meet clients where they are. A contemplator needs different support than someone in action. Pushing action strategies on a contemplator usually backfires.

Self-Determination Theory¶

Developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, this theory proposes that sustained motivation requires three psychological needs:⁴

1. Autonomy: Feeling in control of your own choices
2. Competence: Feeling capable and effective
3. Relatedness: Feeling connected to others

Coaching relevance: Coaching that supports autonomy (choices, not mandates), builds competence (skill development, small wins), and provides relatedness (the coaching relationship itself) produces more sustainable change than external pressure.

Social Cognitive Theory¶

Developed by Albert Bandura, this theory emphasizes the role of self-efficacy—belief in your ability to succeed—in behavior change.⁵

Coaching relevance: Start small enough that success is likely. Each success builds confidence for bigger challenges. Watching others succeed (modeling) also builds self-efficacy.

Health Belief Model¶

This model suggests behavior change depends on perceiving:⁶
- Susceptibility to a health threat
- Severity of that threat
- Benefits of action
- Barriers to action
- Cues to action
- Self-efficacy

Coaching relevance: Useful for understanding why clients do or don't perceive urgency. But beware: fear-based messaging often backfires, especially when self-efficacy is low.

Coach's takeaway: These theories aren't competing—they're different lenses on the same phenomenon. Use them as diagnostic tools: "Is this a stage-of-change issue? A self-efficacy issue? An autonomy issue?"

Implementation Intentions: The Power of Specific Plans¶

One of the most robust findings in behavior change research is the power of implementation intentions—specific plans for when, where, and how you'll perform a behavior.⁷

The Basic Format¶

An implementation intention takes the form: "When [situation], I will [behavior]."

Or, more specifically: "When [time/location/preceding event], I will [specific behavior]."

Examples¶

Vague intention: "I'll exercise more."

Implementation intention: "When I finish my morning coffee, I will put on my shoes and walk around the block."

Vague intention: "I'll eat more vegetables."

Implementation intention: "When I sit down for dinner, I will put vegetables on my plate before anything else."

Vague intention: "I'll go to bed earlier."

Implementation intention: "When the 10pm alarm sounds, I will close my laptop and go brush my teeth."

Why This Works¶

Implementation intentions work by:

1. Pre-deciding: You make the decision once, in advance, rather than needing to decide in the moment (when willpower is lowest)
2. Creating cues: The "when" part becomes a trigger that prompts the behavior
3. Reducing friction: You've already figured out the logistics
4. Forming associations: Over time, the cue-behavior link becomes automatic

Action Planning vs. Coping Planning¶

There are two types of implementation intentions:

Action planning: "When X happens, I will do Y."
- Specifies when/where/how for the desired behavior

Coping planning: "If obstacle Z arises, I will do W."
- Specifies how to handle anticipated barriers

Both are valuable. Action planning gets you started; coping planning keeps you going when things get difficult.

Examples of coping plans:
- "If my workout partner cancels, I will go for a solo walk instead."
- "If the restaurant doesn't have healthy options, I will choose grilled over fried."
- "If I can't fall asleep after 20 minutes, I will get up and read until I feel sleepy."

Coach's takeaway: Help clients move from vague intentions to specific plans. The question "When exactly will you do this?" is one of the most powerful coaching questions you can ask.

Maintenance and Sustainability¶

Getting started is one challenge. Staying started is another.

Implementation science distinguishes between:
- Adoption: Initial uptake of a new behavior
- Implementation: Carrying out the behavior as intended
- Maintenance: Sustaining the behavior over time

Different strategies matter at different stages.

What Changes During Maintenance¶

During initial adoption, people rely heavily on:
- Conscious intention
- Active decision-making
- Novelty and excitement
- Willpower and self-control

During maintenance, successful changers have shifted to:
- Habit and automaticity
- Identity ("I'm someone who...")
- Environmental defaults
- Social norms and support

Building for Maintenance¶

From willpower to autopilot: Design behaviors to become automatic. Consistent cues, consistent routines, reduced decision-making.

From external to internal motivation: Early motivation might be external (looking good, doctor's orders). Sustained motivation is usually internal (I enjoy this, this is who I am, this feels right).

From behavior to identity: "I exercise" → "I'm an exerciser." Identity-based change is more robust than behavior-based change.⁸

From solo to social: Behaviors embedded in social context are more sustainable. Find the community, find the accountability, find the people who do this thing.

Anticipating Future Barriers¶

A key maintenance strategy is planning for barriers before they arrive. Research shows that people who anticipate and plan for challenges are more likely to sustain behavior change.

Questions to explore with clients:
- "What might get in the way of this over the next month?"
- "When in the past have you struggled to maintain a change? What happened?"
- "What will you do when [common obstacle] happens?"
- "How will you handle holidays/travel/busy season?"

De-implementation: Knowing When to Stop¶

Implementation isn't always about adding behaviors. Sometimes the right move is stopping something—what researchers call de-implementation.

This might mean:
- Stopping a behavior that served its purpose (training wheels)
- Discontinuing something that isn't working
- Letting go of tracking/monitoring once habits are established
- Simplifying a complex protocol to what's actually necessary

Coach's insight: Clients often feel they "should" keep doing everything they've ever started. Permission to stop—strategically—can be liberating.

The Coach as Implementation Partner¶

Here's the shift in perspective that implementation science offers:

Traditional view: Coach as expert → gives information → client applies it

Implementation view: Coach as implementation partner → diagnoses barriers → co-creates solutions → supports the doing

Your value isn't primarily the knowledge you provide (though that matters). Your value is helping people close the knowing-doing gap. That gap is where most people get stuck—and where you can make the biggest difference.

This reframing also clarifies why coaching works better than just reading a book or watching videos. Books provide information. Coaching provides:
- Personalized barrier diagnosis
- Accountability and support
- Adaptation to real-life conditions
- Course-correction when things don't work
- Someone in your corner

You're not just teaching. You're implementing together.

Barrier Diagnosis Worksheet¶

Use this framework when a client isn't making progress on a target behavior.

The Behavior in Question¶

What specific behavior are you assessing?

Skills Assessment¶

Knowledge: Do they know what to do?
- [ ] Yes, they understand what's needed
- [ ] Partly—some gaps in understanding
- [ ] No—significant knowledge gaps

Know-how: Do they know how to do it?
- [ ] Yes, they have the skills
- [ ] Partly—some skills need development
- [ ] No—significant skill gaps

Physical ability: Can they physically do it?
- [ ] Yes, no physical barriers
- [ ] Partly—some limitations to work around
- [ ] No—significant physical barriers

If skills barriers exist, describe them:

Motivation Assessment¶

Beliefs: Do they believe this behavior will help?
- [ ] Yes, they're convinced it matters
- [ ] Partly—some doubts or skepticism
- [ ] No—they don't believe it will help

Desire: Do they actually want to do it?
- [ ] Yes, they genuinely want to
- [ ] Partly—mixed feelings
- [ ] No—they're doing it because they "should"

Confidence: Do they believe they can do it?
- [ ] Yes, high self-efficacy
- [ ] Partly—some self-doubt
- [ ] No—they don't believe they can succeed

Competing motivations: What else do they want that might conflict?

If motivation barriers exist, describe them:

Conditions Assessment¶

Time: Do they have time for this behavior?
- [ ] Yes, time is available
- [ ] Partly—time is tight but possible
- [ ] No—significant time constraints

Resources: Do they have what's needed (money, equipment, access)?
- [ ] Yes, resources are available
- [ ] Partly—some resource constraints
- [ ] No—significant resource barriers

Environment: Does their physical environment support this?
- [ ] Yes, environment is supportive
- [ ] Partly—some environmental barriers
- [ ] No—environment works against them

Social context: Do the people around them support this?
- [ ] Yes, strong social support
- [ ] Partly—mixed social influences
- [ ] No—social context works against them

If conditions barriers exist, describe them:

Barrier Diagnosis¶

Based on your assessment, what's the primary barrier category?

• [ ] Skills — They don't know how (prioritize education, training, skill-building)
• [ ] Motivation — They don't want to or don't believe they can (prioritize values work, building confidence, finding intrinsic motivation)
• [ ] Conditions — Their life doesn't allow it (prioritize environmental changes, removing barriers, finding workarounds)
• [ ] Multiple barriers — More than one category is significant

Primary barrier to address:

Solution Brainstorm¶

Given the primary barrier, what interventions might help?

Putting It All Together¶

Implementation science gives you a systematic way to think about behavior change—but it's not meant to be complicated. Here's the practical summary:

When behavior isn't happening, ask:
1. Is it a skills problem? → Teach, train, simplify
2. Is it a motivation problem? → Connect to values, build confidence, find intrinsic reasons
3. Is it a conditions problem? → Change the environment, remove barriers, provide resources

When planning for behavior, help clients:
1. Create specific implementation intentions (when/where/how)
2. Develop coping plans for anticipated obstacles
3. Design for maintenance from the start

As a coach, you are:
- A barrier diagnostician
- An implementation partner
- A bridge between knowing and doing

The research is clear: the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it is where most people get stuck. Understanding how to close that gap—systematically, compassionately, effectively—is what makes you a great coach.

References¶

1. Michie S, van Stralen MM, West R. The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science. 2011;6:42. doi:10.1186/1748-5908-6-42

2. Michie S, Atkins L, West R. The Behaviour Change Wheel: A Guide to Designing Interventions. Silverback Publishing; 2014.

3. Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC. Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1983;51(3):390-395. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.51.3.390

4. Ryan RM, Deci EL. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist. 2000;55(1):68-78. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

5. Bandura A. Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review. 1977;84(2):191-215. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191

6. Rosenstock IM. The Health Belief Model and Preventive Health Behavior. Health Education Monographs. 1974;2(4):354-386. doi:10.1177/109019817400200405

7. Gollwitzer PM. Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist. 1999;54(7):493-503. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493

8. Clear J. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery; 2018.