There’s been a gradual shift happening over the last ten years on the professional side of the fit biz. All of the major certifying bodies have been pushing “specialty certifications.” This is smart marketing. Not just as an income source for these organizations to keep fitness professionals in their funnel, but because there really isn’t a one size fits all approach to getting in shape. It’s unlikely that a 55 year old woman and a 35 year old guy will have the same goals and probably have different reasons for not attaining them. One may gravitate towards studio cycling or boot camp style workouts and the other may prefer traditional weight training and Pilates. Did you know that each of these workouts requires a different certification? And that’s just for trainers and instructors to work with clients who are already committed to going to the gym or studio, or, having a trainer come to them. But there’s a much larger issue at hand. What about everybody else who still hasn’t figured out how to stay committed or even find the motivation in the first place? And what about the people who are working out but haven’t learned to eat right yet so are undoing all their hard work by making the wrong food choices? This is where a whole new segment of instructors and trainers are specializing. Myself included. It’s called “Health Coaching.” It’s an advanced certification meaning you already have to have at least a base certification. Health Coaching addresses a clients fitness beyond the time they spend in the gym or studio. It helps people address the issues that prevent them from staying on track like dealing with saboteurs, external influences that undermine success and decision making. Sounds kinda like a having a fitness shrink, doesn’t it? Well it is a little bit like that. Health Coaches help clients reach their overall health and fitness goals. They are trained to coax clients gradually through several stages of behavior change, help correct bad habits that negatively affect health and
Maybe you have worked with a trainer in the past who helped you with these things. I know helping my clients find motivation outside of our time together and looking at their diet and nutrition habits has always been something I did gratis with our sessions. But after going thru the Health Coach training, I realized there was so much more to helping people reach goals than designing a program and giving diet advice.
Don’t personal trainers help their clients reach the same goals, you ask? In the physical realm if the goal is to lose 10 lbs and define certain muscles, yes. But since diet is 80% of losing fat and seeing shredded muscles, the client has to be able to stay with the program if they want the results to be permanent. Trainers see clients maybe one to 5 times a week for about an hour. As trainers, we can influence what is happening during that one session. We can create exercise programs that will burn the most calories for a clients’ abilities. Trainers can also suggest lifestyle changes and offer advice on nutrition (note: by law they cannot write up meal plans for clients). But outside of the gym, trainers just have to cross their fingers and hope the client will stick to what they suggested. Rarely do the results last for good.
So what’s different about a Health Coach? The specialty of the health coach is to work with the client on what is happening outside of the gym as well. that affects a clients ability to reach their health goals. Health Coaches usually already are certified trainers or fitness instructors.
Every decision you’ve ever made got you where you are now. If you slide in and out of your commitment to get fitter, if sticking to your program or maintaining motivation eludes you or changing the patterns that derail you need to be brought to light and put out to pasture, then maybe it’s a Health Coach you need more than a Trainer.
Questions or comments? Hit up me up at jill@jillbrownfitness.com.
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