The Ultimate Introduction To Health Coaching
Discover the Essentials and Fast Track Your Journey to Becoming an Extraordinary Health Coach
"Becoming a health coach is a journey,
not a destination.."
A recent report by Research and Markets shows that health coaching has emerged as a 6 billion-dollar service market with over a 100,000 health coaches and advisors active in the industry...
And that's just in the United States!
It's clear that health coaching is one of the hottest professions around right now and this makes sense when you think about it.
As more and more people aim to become high performers and as more people begin to understand that health and well-being are the foundational elements that support all other areas in life including wealth, fulfillment and happiness...
The demand for experienced, knowledgeable, passionate health coaches is rising exponentially.
So, if you're dreaming of becoming a health coach or you're just starting out as a health coach, you'll be happy to know that your timing couldn't be more perfect!
Now is the time to dive in, learn all you can and find ways to practice and master this rapidly growing, fulfilling line of work...
This guide is designed to give you the ideas, insights and input you need to gain a strong understanding of what it takes to become a respected, in demand health coach in a competitive, lucrative industry.
Building a health coaching business is just like any profession. It requires knowledge and experience.
Since the industry is fairly new, like all coaching professions, you can acquire the requisite experience through observing and socializing with more coaches in your domain.
Given how many successful coaching programs have sprung up in the country in the past decade or so, this has become fairly easier.
Apart from acquiring experience, it is important to arm yourself with the knowledge and coaching skills to be an effective health coach.
As you start to connect with the idea of becoming a successful health coach, keep this in mind...
Becoming an extraordinary health coach is a journey... not a destination.
This is about aiming to master a set of lifelong skills as you gain a deep, comprehensive understanding around health-related topics and categories.
This is about doing what it takes to elevate your clients to the highest levels of health and wellness.
This Guide is your jumping off point and it will set you on the right path to making your dream of becoming a health coach, your new reality.
Ready to get started? Let's get this show on the road!
CHAPTER 1
What Is Health Coaching?
Most people are familiar with the phrase "health coaching" or "health coach," but how many have 100% clarity on what those words actually mean?
While there is no definitive industry-wide description there are a number of conceptual and practical ways to answer the question that's also the title of this chapter...
What Does A Health Coach Do?
Health coaching is essentially an exploration of what a health coach does when they work with a client and, in its purest form, it is the act of helping people achieve their goals in the areas of health and wellness.
They offer expert input, strategies, instructions, techniques, and other kinds of knowledge and information usually in the areas of diet and nutrition, although this is beginning to expand to other aspects of health such as mental and emotional balance.
Health coaching often happens directly in a 1:1 coaching conversation with a client but the coach can choose to share their expertise in other ways such as in a group program with clients who are focused on the same health goal or the same type of health goal.
For instance, a health coach could offer a 6-week online weight loss program featuring pre-recorded video and audio lessons as well as weekly live Q&A group coaching calls.
Health and wellness coaching can also happen at in person retreats, weekend workshops... the possibilities are wide and varied.
One of the largest and most respected nutrition schools in the United States, the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, describes a health coach as...
What Is Not Health Coaching?
So these definitions and explanations are about what health coaching is and what a health coach does, and this is great, but it's also important to look at what it is not as there's often some confusion between a health coach and other health-related roles mainly personal trainer and wellness coach.
Personal trainers focus mainly on a client's physical health and fitness. However, some personal trainers help clients with mindset work, nutrition, habit and behavior change as these are all related to a client's success when it comes to hitting the gym regularly and achieving their physical transformation.
Wellness coaches often has a wider focus than other roles in the health category. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S, defines wellness as "the degree to which one feels positive and enthusiastic about life" and so a wellness coach often supports clients with physical, mental, emotional, social and even environmental challenges.
"Health coaching" and "wellness coaching" are often used interchangeably and in line with the continuous growth and evolution of the industry, the term "health coaching" will be used to cover both health and wellness coaching in this guide.
One of the most important aspects of being a health coach is to help your clients thrive as they attain high levels of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement through your program. This requires great attention to detail, and involves deep work.
As a health coach, you need to put your heart into your coaching as focus and discipline constitute the core tenets of your business. Therefore, it becomes more important for you to understand all the various factors that affect your career as a health coach.
Knowing what health coaching, how important it is to you, and answering for yourself the various questions that arise from your discovery of the various facets of it is crucial for the future of your career.
The fastest way to truly understand and embody what health coaching is - and more importantly - what it means to you, is to reflect on the definitions you learned in this chapter and then create your own.
To get you started, answer these 3 questions:
Why do I want to be a health coach?
What do I want to help people achieve as a health coach?
How will being a health coach change my life?
When you've answered those questions, complete the following sentence to create your personal definition of health coaching:
Health coaching is ________________
