With a new year comes new resolutions and goals. Many people have chosen health goals as their focus for the new year. This is a big step for many, as their health has taken a back seat to careers and relationships. Hiring a health coach can make all the difference in achieving health goals for the new year.
What is a Nutrition and Fitness Coach?
For most people, nutrition and fitness coaching offer a great opportunity. A health coach is a professional who works with people for a specific time, usually three months to a year or more. They help individuals set goals and achieve them. They don’t prescribe, diagnose, or treat any medical conditions. They are professionals who teach clients healthy habits that can even reverse lifestyle issues.
Accountability Partner
A nutrition and fitness coach is like an accountability partner. Many people have trouble getting their spouses, parents, or friends to take this role seriously. Clients will be most successful if they establish a trusting relationship with their coach. They should be able to ask honest questions and express doubts. Health coaches make suggestions and provide options, but the responsibility is still with the client.
Bridging the Medical Gap
A health coach sometimes is a middleman between a client and their doctor. Some people have a difficult time understanding a doctor’s diagnosis or suggestions. A health coach can help translate a doctor’s suggestions into easy terms and work with clients to improve communication with their doctor. Often, health coaches have a health science degree, but not always. They should be caring professionals and be interested in helping clients achieve their goals.
Stages of Change
There are five stages that individuals go through before making a difference in their lives. Precontemplation is the first stage, during which other people are concerned but the client denies they have a problem. Contemplation is the next stage. The client begins to think about the benefits of changing their lifestyle. The preparation stage allows clients to create a goal and take steps to get ready to make a change. During the action stage, the client works on changing one or more behaviors. Finally, in the maintenance stage, the client has learned to continue the change over time.
Health coaches must identify which stage of change a client is in before they can help them. They will listen to their client, interview them, and help them set goals to take charge of their health and life. An excellent coach will help individuals figure out why they want to change.
Creating a Plan
Once a client identifies a problem, it’s time to prepare and discuss habits and health plans. Sometimes, people skip this step and are disappointed when they don’t achieve their goals. A health coach will walk a client through their core habits and create new patterns to combat the unhealthy ones.
Who Needs a Health Coach?
Studies show that when an individual becomes accountable to someone for their goal, they have a 65% chance of completing a goal. If they are accountable and add a specific appointment with that person, the chances of success improve to 95%. That means someone who hires a health coach and sticks with a plan is 95% likely to reach their goal.
While individuals cannot control their genetics, they can control their habits and overall lifestyle choices. Implementing changes is not easy, but using a health and nutrition coach can increase the chances of success.