What Is A Health And Wellness Coach?

Thanks to decades of research, science, and evolution, self-care has become the cornerstone of the modern approach to health. The health and wellness industry is now one of the fastest growing sectors in the world. According to the Global Wellness Institute, we spent $4.2 trillion on health and wellness in 2017.

Health coaches are at the forefront of today’s health and wellness revolution. As we search for ways to achieve a greater degree of wellness in our lives, many individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle are turning to health and wellness coaching.

Health And Wellness In The Information Age

We have access to more information than ever, which has contributed to the growth of the health and wellness movement. We are now more aware of the problems caused by an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. We are an aging population, with dangerous chronic health conditions at an all-time high.

Consider the following:

According to the Centers For Disease Control six in ten Americans have a chronic disease, four in 10 have multiple chronic conditions.
Seven out of every 10 deaths in the U.S. are caused by Chronic Disease killing more than 1.7 million Americans every year according to the Partnership To Fight Chronic Disease.
54% of Children now have a chronic disease.
Chronic disease will account for $47 trillion in healthcare expenditures by 2030, more than the annual GDP of the six largest economies in the world, if nothing changes according to Stanford University.

We now know that the number one cause of chronic disease isn’t genetic but behavioral – making the wrong decisions about diet, physical activity, sleep, and other lifestyle factors that ultimately have an adverse effect on health and wellbeing.

Health Coaches Can Help you Navigate your Health and Wellness.

When you decide you want to change, a new perspective can be challenging to achieve on your own. If you are like most people, you may not get very far. Only 8% of those who make change initiatives follow through achieving their goals.

This is a big problem since we now know that that the number one cause of chronic disease isn’t genetic but behavioral – making the wrong decisions about diet, physical activity, sleep, and other lifestyle factors that ultimately have an adverse effect on health and wellbeing. In short, the fault does not appear to lie as much in our genes, as in our choices.

Where To Start?

With easy access to so much information at our fingertips, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Even though we may know we need to change, we don’t know where to start, have a hard time developing a realistic plan, and then fail to follow through to achieve lasting change.

We are searching for solutions.

Health coaches partner with their clients to develop strategies to overcome obstacles on the path to wellness. They use their own practical experience and specialized education in behavioral change and proven psychological theory to provide unconditional support and positivity.

Their unconditional support and positivity help to create a definable, realistic plan. Health coaches are there to assist you as you navigate the inevitable roadblocks that arise, keep you on track, and to be your unconditional cheerleader all the way to the finish line.

How Does Health Coaching Help?

Coaching helps you to show up for yourself and to realize the growth you desire.

Coaching sessions are a deliberate focus on positive change. They help you determine whether you are ready to process and change old ways of being that are no longer serving your best self. Or maybe you need help maneuvering through a new challenging change in your life, or if you are ready to focus on a particular desire that you would like to realize.

A coach will help you define your vision for wellness and then use that vision to co-create a completely personalized action plan based on your goals and aligned with your values. Your personalized program will prioritize your health and wellness, enhance your well-being, and move you toward where you want to be.

The coaching process is about getting your life together, overcoming insecurities and fears, and reconnecting to yourself – mind, body, and spirit while creating space for positive change and new ways of being.

How Does Health Coaching Work?

One-to-One sessions can be in person or online (via phone or video conference) and are 100% focused on you, the challenges you’re experiencing, and what you want to realize.

Although it is not mandatory, there is usually a commitment of three or more months to allow lasting change to take place and to give the coaching process time to work.

Sessions are typically 45-60 minutes once a week in the beginning weeks, and then two times per month after that.

Since every journey is unique, these are only guidelines. The specifics of your situation will be determined between you and your coach.

What Is The First Step?

Most coach/student journeys begin with a complimentary thirty-minute discovery call to establish the relationship and learn more about how the coaching process works. As part of the discovery process, students will be asked to define what you value most for your well-being, be it weight loss, managing a chronic condition, or other obstacles to health.

Moving Forward With Your Health And Wellness

Are you ready to experience the satisfaction that comes from committing to yourself and your health and wellness?

A coach will honor you as the expert in your life and will not dictate your journey, but together with you will explore your “why,” and co-create your health goals within reasonable time frames and actionable objectives.

As a certified Health and Wellness Coach, I would love to connect with you and learn more about your journey and how we can partner to co-create your best life. You can reach me at www.healthylivingwithhope.com for more information or to request a free discovery call.