Let’s start with what a health coach is not - a health coach is not a medical professional. It is outside of a health coach’s scope of practice to diagnose and treat diseases, interpret lab results or prescribe medication or supplements. Doctors are awesome. I have several friends who are doctors and they’re among the best humans I know. They can diagnose problem areas for their patients and provide guidelines for treatment. But they’re busy and don’t have the time to check-in and make sure their patients are holding themselves accountable for making the necessary changes to promote long-term health.
We’re also not here to “fix” you. We’re not here to tell you how you “should” be living your life. Your health is your responsibility. But navigating a goal, particularly around health, understanding how certain behaviors lead to health issues and holding yourself accountable can be challenging and confusing.
That’s where a health coach comes in.
According to the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC):
“Health and wellness coaches work with individuals and groups in a client-centered process to facilitate and empower the client to develop and achieve self-determined goals related to health and wellness. Coaches support clients in mobilizing internal strengths and external resources, and in developing self-management strategies for making sustainable, healthy lifestyle, behavior changes. While health and wellness coaches per se do not diagnose conditions, prescribe treatments, or provide psychological therapeutic interventions, they may provide expert guidance in areas in which they hold active, nationally recognized credentials, and may offer resources from nationally recognized authorities such as those referenced in NBHWC’s Content Outline with Resources. As partners and facilitators, health and wellness coaches support their clients in achieving health goals and behavioral change based on their clients’ own goals and consistent with treatment plans as prescribed by individual clients’ professional health care providers. Coaches assist clients to use their insight, personal strengths and resources, goal setting, action steps and accountability toward healthy lifestyle change.”
So a health coach is here to help you help yourself. We want to know what goals you have to feel better and where you’re struggling. We want to know learn your health history and what your current lifestyle looks like. Our goal is to help you change, build and maintain lifestyle habits that will lead to long-term, sustainable health. Consider a health coach as an extension of your healthcare team.
Is this a little broad or vague? Yeah, probably. But that’s on purpose. You’re unique. Your biology is unique. Your health history is unique. What might be nutritious for me may be poison for you (I’m looking at you, nut allergies!). So there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to creating and sustaining a healthy lifestyle.
Does it work? Ultimately, that depends on your commitment to implementing the right changes to your daily diet, exercise regimen, sleep hygiene and stress management. However, a 2017 study found that people who went through three months of health coaching improved blood pressure, cholesterol, body weight and cardiovascular fitness, among others.
Will it be challenging? It could be. Change is hard. You’ll probably have to get outside of your comfort zone and try new things that you haven’t tried before. You may have to break some bad but comfortable habits. But we’ll implement small changes gradually and build a solid foundation. I’ll hold you accountable, but I’ll also provide unconditional support and encouragement through the whole process. And hopefully, you’ll find a whole new comfort zone, one that fills you with life and energy.