When
beginning my fitness makeover several years ago, I was suffering from
a torn hamstring. Knowing that I could easily reinjure myself with an
overly aggressive exercise program or by undertaking the wrong kind
of exercise, I hired a personal trainer.
Until
that point, I had considered personal trainers the exclusive province
of the rich and famous. I was delighted to discover that personal
trainers were affordable and available to work with ordinary persons
like me. The use of personal trainers is now widespread and has
resulted in an exponential growth in the industry
over the past decade. And despite the struggling economy, future
projections are optimistic.
Were
I to begin my fitness makeover today, however, I might consider
hiring a wellness coach. While personal trainers tend to focus on the
exercise component of fitness, wellness coaches cover all aspects of
fitness, including physical, mental and emotional health.
Like
the personal training industry, wellness coaching, even though a
relatively new industry, is experiencing dramatic
growth. In
some cases, growth is the result of employers’ use of wellness
coaching services to encourage employees to adopt healthier habits,
thereby reducing medical costs. In other cases, individuals decide
they are ready to make significant lifestyle changes, realize they
are unlikely to succeed on their own and reach out for professional
assistance. Yet another example is the person who wants to achieve
peak health and well-being and decides to take charge of his or her
health.
To
learn more about coaching, I talked with Margaret “Meg” Moore who
leads
Wellcoaches, a community of 3,000 health and wellness coaches.
Margaret is the lead author of the Coaching
Psychology Manual and
is a founding advisor of the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at
Harvard Medical School.
Here
are 8 questions and Meg’s answers to help you decide if you could
benefit from wellness coaching.
Q:
Do I need a wellness coach?
A:
Whether
you are ready to make significant changes in your lifestyle or want
to optimize your present lifestyle, a wellness coach will improve the
likelihood that you will be successful. Coaches are trained as
experts in facilitating lasting change and growth. They are partners
in assisting you to expedite the change process—outgrowing your
challenges and struggles——and helping you go faster and farther
than you would do alone.
Q:
What does the coach do for me?
A:
Coaches facilitate a process for change and growth through
invigorating coaching sessions that are workouts for your brain. The
goal is to build the optimal mind-set—
clarity, focus, energy and resilience—during
and following the change process to create and then maintain your new
lifestyle. While coaches bring lots of expertise and experience, they
will brainstorm with you to help you tap your own learning and
insights.
Q:
Is coaching limited to fitness? Or does it extend to all areas of my
life?
A:
The scope of wellness coaches is to help clients reach optimal
well-being, whatever that looks like for you. This includes physical
health (exercise, nutrition, weight, sleep and physical energy) and
mental health (stress coping, life meaning and purpose, positive
mind-set, nourishing relationships, resilience and concepts based
upon the science of positive psychology).
Q:
How can I assess my well-being?
A:
Here’s a quick assessment
to help you think about your well-being.
Q:
How long do individuals usually need a coach for? What does the
service typically cost?
A:
The ideal initial commitment is for three months. Following a 60- to
90-minute planning session, you may commit to two sessions per month
(30 to 45 minutes each, depending upon the complexity of your
circumstances) at a cost of approximately $100 to $150 per month. You
can continue after three months with two sessions per month or go to
monthly or quarterly sessions with e-mail or phone check-ins between
sessions. Plan on meeting your coach every year for a planning
session, just as you might meet a financial planner or your
physician. In light of the extended relationship, it’s important to
choose a coach who you think would make a great long-term partner and
advocate.
Q:
How can I justify this expense in a worrisome economy?
A:
In these tumultuous times,
it’s never been more important to invest in the only asset you
can’t live without: your health. It’s
important to stand back and ask yourself, how much is my optimal
health worth to me? While
Americans are living longer, many of us lost a lot of retirement
savings recently in the stock market, which means we will need to
work longer. But you need to be healthy to work longer and enjoy your
life.
Before
investing in a coaching program, define clearly what a good return on
investment would look like for you and work with your coach to reach
the returns that you need.
Q:
How do I find a wellness coach?
A:
Wellcoaches can help you find a coach. E-mail us at
[email protected],
call 877-744-3356
or go to www.wellcoaches.com/clients
and the Find a Coach page to search for a coach.
Q:
How do I know if the coach is effective? How do I evaluate a coach?
A:
Be sure to clearly articulate your goals and what you define as
success and then measure results accordingly.
According
to Coach Meg, “For the first time in human history, we are asking
people to take charge and be the bosses of their health and wellness.
This is a new life skill, which is challenging to master. While most
of us are skilled at managing our work projects, few of us have ever
learned how to develop and implement a personal wellness plan.”
Coach Meg’s mission is to educate and energize people to reach
optimal health and well-being.
After
trying and failing to lose weight for 40 years, I knew from my own
experience that mastering health and wellness skills on my own was
impossible. To make significant changes, I needed support.
If
you are struggling to lose weight, get moving, quit smoking, reduce
stress, sleep better or adopt a healthy habit, consider a wellness
coach. With professional assistance, you’ll find yourself making
daily decisions that are in alignment with your health and wellness
goals, and you’ll feel great about your positive choices.
"A
person who has health has a thousand wishes, a person who doesn’t
has but one." Anonymous
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