What
Is a Health Coach and How They Can Help You
Bridging the space between your
healthcare provider, your goals, and your everyday habits.
You’ve
taken the first step to own your health journey by visiting your healthcare
provider with a goal or several goals in mind: manage your blood sugar, lower
your stress, or get better sleep. Healthcare is invaluable to clearly determine
the ‘what’ and the ‘why’. But then you go home, and what’s not so clear is the ‘how’.
There’s a palpable distance between knowing what good or great health looks
like and having the tools, strategies, and sustainable habits to live it every
single day and between appointments.
This
is where health coaching comes in and can narrow the gap. Based on a general
approach or a specific niche, health coach designations can include holistic
health coach, lifestyle coach, integrative health coach, functional health
coach, or behavioural change specialist. From an integrative health
perspective, health coaches can see the link between sleep, diet, stress,
digestion, mindset, and energy.
A
common misconception about a health coach is that they tell a client what to
do. On the contrary, here is the role of a health coach:
·
Partner and co-creator.
They guide and support clients in designing personalized, manageable action
steps that fit an individual’s real, messy, complicated life.
·
Accountability partner.
Sometimes a client only needs someone to keep them on track.
·
Help build health from
clarity, not confusion. Wanting to get healthy is a vague idea. Committing to
eat a high-protein breakfast three times per week to maintain muscle mass is
clear and actionable.
·
Help identify blocks. Why
have past attempts failed?
There
are also some things a health coach can’t do, such as:
·
Diagnose conditions. A
health coach works with the medical information a client already has.
·
Adjust or prescribe
medications or controlled supplements.
·
Provide therapy or mental
health counselling.
·
Push a specific ideology.
A client’s values, body, and lifestyle dictate their path to a desired outcome.
Health
is not just the absence of disease. Which brings up the question: if I’m not
sick or don’t have a chronic condition, do I still need a health coach? Health
doesn’t refer to physical health alone. It also encompasses emotional, mental,
spiritual, and cognitive health. Whether you’re managing a new health
challenge, are overwhelmed by your current lifestyle, or are a busy
professional who wants to get back to feeling like yourself, a coach can map
out what to do next.
Almost
anyone can benefit from having a health coach. But, if you’re unsure, many
coaches offer discovery calls or conversations, where you can discuss the coaching
process and assess mutual fit. In the meantime, here are simple, daily
foundational actions you can do today to take charge of your health and
well-being:
·
Drink a glass of water
first thing in the morning before your coffee.
·
Chew your food a little
longer to improve your digestion.
·
Step outside for five minutes
or take a short walk for fresh air and sunlight.
·
Pause multiple times a
day.
·
Do one thing at a time,
or single tasking.
Your
health isn’t a destination you look forward to; it’s an intentional journey
you’re on every day of your life. Try a proactive approach, practice
self-compassion, and know coaching support is there if you need someone to help
you figure it out.
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