What is a Health and Wellness Coach?
Welcome to my first blog post on our journey towards optimal health and wellness! As a clinical Registered Dietitian, Certified Exercise Physiologist, and Certified Health Coach, I’m here to guide you to achieve your health, nutrition, and exercise goals and objectives.
The Role of a Health Coach
A health coach is more than just a guide; I am your partner in health. I provide the education, knowledge, skills, tools, and confidence you need to take charge of your well-being. With obesity, stress, and chronic disease on the rise, an increasing number of people are seeking to take control of their health. Whether it’s adopting new eating patterns, moving more, or ditching bad habits, hiring me as your health coach can be instrumental in facilitating these changes.
Science-Backed Benefits
Individuals who engage with a health coach improve their diet by consuming more lean protein sources; fruits and vegetables; and less unhealthy fats and salt. Moreover, health coaching has been associated with weight loss, better cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and improved blood sugar control. Working with a coach focused on lifestyle change has also been shown to improve health indicators like blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and cardiovascular health.
Motivation and Accountability
One of the key techniques that I use is motivational interviewing. This approach involves asking open-ended questions that help my clients articulate their own reasons for change. It’s a method proven effective in many research studies, as people are more likely to succeed when they are changing for their own reasons, on their own terms.
Quality of Life
Ultimately, the goal of health coaching is to improve quality of life. By providing a personalized experience, I will help navigate difficult diet, lifestyle, and behavioral changes, leading to long-lasting transformations.
As we embark on this journey together, remember that a coach is a necessity in the modern world where health challenges are complex. With me as your coach, you can achieve goals that once seemed elusive and build a healthier, happier life.
Stay tuned for more insights and tips on how to elevate your wellness game. Together, we can make lasting changes that resonate beyond our sessions and into every aspect of your life.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to guiding you on this path to wellness.
References
Gordon, N. F., Salmon, R. D., Wright, B. S., Faircloth, G. C., Reid, K. S., & Gordon, T. L. (2016). Clinical Effectiveness of Lifestyle Health Coaching: Case Study of an Evidence-Based Program. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 11(2), 153–166.
Thom, D. H., Wolf, J., Gardner, H., DeVore, D., Lin, M., Ma, A., Ibarra-Castro, A., & Saba, G. (2016). A Qualitative Study of How Health Coaches Support Patients in Making Health-Related Decisions and Behavioral Changes. Annals of family medicine, 14(6), 509–516.
National Academy of Sports Medicine. (2017). What is a Health Coach and Why Are They Important?
