What is a Health Coach?
/The term “Health Coach” is quite the buzzword these days. A lot of people are waking up to the health of themselves and their loved ones and we are seeing an increased demand for this type of work and people who want to be involved. I’ve personally received a lot of inquiries in the last few months about where I studied because others are curious and want to get themselves healthy and help others as well. If you’re curious about the specific Health Coaching certification I received and my thoughts on The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, you can read about it HERE.
A Health Coach is someone who works with a set of individuals who have a health/wellness goal in mind and they help them to reach these goals. Think about it this way, you would hire a coach if you were trying to take up a new skill, wouldn’t you? Say you decided to start playing a sport or enroll in dance classes- you would have a coach for these types of activities. Health Coaching is no different than that. It’s a person with expertise in an area that will educate, guide, inform, and help others who need help in that specific area. A Health Coach is someone who will help you to stay consistent and who will hold you accountable so that you are more likely to reach your goals. The area of expertise will differ from coach to coach but you will find Health Coaches who specialize in the following areas, just to name a few:
Weight loss
Gut Issues
Hormone health
Fertility
Disordered eating
Anxiety/Depression
Self-love/Self-acceptance
Healthy relationships with food
Body positivity
There are different ways in which health coaches work with their clients. Some do 1:1 programs while others offer courses or group coaching programs. A lot of coaches do free consultations so they are able to connect with potential clients before working together to make sure that they are right for one another. If you’re looking for a coach, doing a free consultation with them first is the best way to make sure that they are the right person to help you with your specific set of goals. Coaches will typically do weekly or biweekly sessions with clients to check in, see where they’re at with their progress, and offer advice and suggestions to help them advance and improve. They will give resources and recommendations along the way and work out plans, meal plans, etc. A lot of coaches these days work remotely so your sessions would be virtual, but other coaches take in-person clients and even do things like go on walks or hikes with them so they can participate in something active during their session together.
When starting my health coaching business, I realized that I had the health/wellness knowledge, but I wasn’t good when it came to systems or the business mindset so I hired a coach to teach me those things. What I realized in hiring this coach was that she held me accountable and was there to answer my questions and give me confidence when I was doubting myself. The mark of a good coach is something who cares about your success just as much, if not more, than you do. They are committed to helping you get the results you desire and they are there to help you every step of the way. I realized too that even though my coach was really successful at what she did, she still hired coaches and mentors to help to get her to that next level. Hiring a coach to take the guesswork out of something that you want to achieve is not looked at as weak. Instead it’s actually smart on your part to hire someone that is more of an expert in the field you’re wanting more help in.
If you are looking for support and accountability in your health/wellness journey and you want to see how I can help you as a coach, schedule a free 20 minute consultation with me HERE to see if we would be a good fit for one another :).
With love,
Ashley
