Health Promotion

Wellness coaching to promote healthy behavior and facilitate the achievement of health-related goals

Wellness coaching has become acceptable to both corporation and people to help improve performance, manage stress and achieve work and personal objectives . Yet very few papers have been published with a specific focus on health and coaching. This paper highlights the possible role of coaching to facilitate the promotion of healthy behaviors and to help people achieve their health-related objectives .

Introduction to Wellness Coaching

The practice of personal, family, health, life, company , sports, performance and executive coaching has grown substantially since the early 1990s (Cockerill 2002, Fournies 2000, Neenan and Palmer 2001, Parsloe and Wray 2000, Peltier 2001). Although the term “coach” has been borrowed as a metaphor from sport, it is now applied to the personal and work domains. Hence the term “coaching” has entered into the public psyche beyond the sports pages of the national newspapers and is becoming generally accepted as advantageous to its recipients. It can even be seen as trendy having your own personal life coach. Whereas, in the United Kingdom, there is still a stigma attached to seeing a counsellor or psychotherapist.

What’s wellness coaching?

There are many definitions of coaching. Four are summarized below -

1. Health coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them - a facilitation approach (Whitmore 1992, based on Gallwey, a tennis expert).

2. Health coaching - Directly concerned with the immediate improvement of performance and development of skills by a form of tutoring or instruction - an instructional approach (Parsloe 1995).

3. Health coaching - The art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of another - a facilitation approach (Downey 1999).

Psychologists have created another variation -  

4. Health coaching psychology is for enhancing well-being and performance in personal life and work domains with normal, non-clinical populations, underpinned by models of coaching grounded in established adult learning or psychological approaches (adapted Grant and Palmer 2002).

It can probably be assumed that these definitions should reflect the nature of coaching as practised by many practitioners. Therefore the key aspects of coaching, depending upon the model of coaching being applied, appear to include enhancing well-being , learning, facilitation, tutoring, instruction, development of skills and improving performance. In addition, coaching is usually goal and solution focused (Grant 2001).

Wellness Coaching

Similar to health education specialists, usually the coach takes an active and directive role. Normally , the health coach helps the coachee to achieve their goals by facilitating the learning process. If “health coaching” or “coaching for health” is the focus, the coach might help to educate the coachee on specific health-related topics and subsequently support them in achieving

Wellness Coaching -  Practice Briefing

Wellness coaching to facilitate the promotion of healthy behavior and achievement of their health-related goals . As the term coaching is becoming acceptable to the public, the theory of health coaching can be more favourably received by a client group on the other hand to attending a health education lecture. An established health-related professional body, the Institute of Wellness and Education, provides a definition of health promotion and health education in their constitution -

The practice of health promotion and health education may be described as the organisation and execution of the influences affecting the environment, as well as individual knowledge, attitudes and behavior, in matters concerning health with a view to enabling communities and people to maintain and promote personal and community health and well-being , together with a proper acceptance and use of the health and medical services available. (IHPE 2002)

This definition doesn’t conflict with the general principles of the coaching approach, although its focus is on health and it can also be at the community level. This would be similar to stress or stress management coaching that is now available. The International Stress Management Association (UK) has recognized the practice of this form of coaching for a number of years. It could be argued that stress management training and stress management coaching comes under the umbrella of the health education field. Another professional body, the Association for Coaching (2003), includes both stress management coaching and health coaching on its website as “Speciality Coaching’. Accordingly the term “health coaching” is entering into general public awareness, although not necessarily among mainstream health education or promotion specialists.

Within the field of health, papers have been published on behavioral counselling which has been used to educate clients with coronary heart illness (Steptoe et al 1999). Fascinating ly, the counselling is active and directive in nature and takes an educational approach which could be more accurately described as instructional coaching.

A tentative definition of health coaching is given below -

Wellness coaching is the practice of health education and health promotion within a coaching context, to enhance the well-being of people and to facilitate the achievement of their health-related objectives .

This definition attempts to link health education and promotion to the key elements of coaching.

Psychological Blocks To Change

Due to the personal nature of coaching it might include tackling the health-related psychological blocks to change which could be challenged in the person or group coaching session. These cognitive or attitudinal blocks to change could be divided into Health Inhibiting Thinking (HITs) and Health Enhancing Thinking (HETs).* Cognitive techniques such as Socratic questioning could be used to help a client to modify their thinking.

Health Coaching -  Final Thoughts

With the increasing interest in coaching, the introduction of “health coaching” or “coaching for health” might have an appeal across different generations. However, there’s a lack of published research that underpins the effectiveness of health coaching. Although many models of coaching exist (Bluckert 2003), the application of models to health coaching which take an educational approach, such as cognitive-behavioral or multimodal, might provide promising results (Neenan and Palmer 2001, Palmer et al 2003).

In our modern and hectic lives filled with the demands of family, work, and much more, it could seem difficult to tackle our health and wellness on our own.  Many of us create goals that seem beyond reach and we cannot seem to stick to a specific health and Corporate Health Promotion Program for an extended period of time.  With the numerous struggles that prevent us from reaching our optimum individual wellness, many of us would welcome the assistance and guidance of a professional wellness coach.  

A wellness coach is a trained professional who works with individuals to help them to reach their health and wellness goals by developing and implementing personal Employee Health Promotion Programs.  A wellness coach is highly educated and typically maintains advanced degrees in areas such as Exercise Physiology, Occupational or Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, and Nutrition.  A wellness coach sets achievable goals for the client, holds them accountable, and acts as a guide, motivator, and support system for that individual.  They focus on behavioral change by using individually developed programs to meet the unique needs of the client while offering creative solutions to help them achieve their objectives .  

In order to fully understand the role of a wellness coach it is important to understand the various factors that involved in overall wellness.  The five major components of wellness are health risks, physical activity, stress management, weight control , and nutrition.  A wellness coach focuses on each of these areas of wellness while meeting the specific needs of the client whether they are trying to lose weight, get in shape, reduce stress, or quit smoking.  They evaluate a person’s needs based on a highly scientific study known as a HRA .  After a wellness coach has determined the specific needs of the client, he or she is able to create the Corporate Wellness Program, set achievable goals for that individual, and monitor them while they reach success.  Wellness coaches focus on physical health as well as mental and emotional health in order to create a balance in the client’s life.  They not only work on helping the client with their current health and wellness issues, but they assist the client to maintain their individual health by creating future goals in their Corporate Wellness Program.  

Every individual has unique needs and time constraints that require attention in different ways.  A wellness coach provides convenience with their services by working with clients in a variety of ways.  The client and coach may use telephone meetings, e-mails and instant messaging (electronic coaching), face-to-face interactions, or a combination of these various forms of communication.  Although electronic coaching is becoming the most popular method due to its lower cost and efficiency, each client may choose the method or methods will work best for them.  The wellness coach is available 24 hours a day through online communication to make it even more convenient for the client to reach his or her goals .  Wellness coaches offer the kind of assistance that fits the needs of each client in order to make it easier for the client to embrace their personal Employee Health Promotion Program.  

Based on the convenience, knowledge, and assistance that is offered by a wellness coach, it is easy to see why more people  are taking benefit of these coaches to assist them in achieving their ultimate health and wellness goals .  

How to Make sure to take Control of Stress and Improve Your Wellness

What is Stress?

Stress is the emotional, physiological, and psychological effects caused by internal or external mental pressure.  It’s an unavoidable part of life, but despite its negative connotation, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Stress might even be advantageous in cases when it enhances performance and helps people  to achieve difficult objectives .  However, when stress is excessive and causes a personal to feel loss of control, health problems can occur such as headaches, tension, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, irritability, and digestive problems.  When stress levels elevate to this point, health and wellness is compromised.  Person may seek the assistance of a stress management coach in order to help them take control of their lives and improve their health and wellness.  

Who are Stress Management Coaches?

Stress management coaches are educated professionals who develop programs to assist people in developing coping strategies to manage stress and minimize the presence of stressors in daily life.  Coaches explore the reasons why an individual may react in certain ways to various situations by using health assessments as well as depression and anxiety screenings.  After determining an individual’s causes for their feelings, stress management coaches are better able to create programs tailored to meet specific needs.  Coaches set attainable goals , act as a mentor and a support system, and use techniques that are most suitable for each specific individual.  There are many effective methods to reduce stress, and stress management coaches can help you to achieve your goals to make yourself happier and healthier.  

How Controlling Stress Improves Your Health

When individuals are faced with chronic stress it begins to cause physical symptoms which may range in severity.  Chronic stress can weaken the immune system, therefore making the person more susceptible to colds and the flu as well as more serious health problems such as heart illness and diabetes.  Health and wellness might also suffer due to the fact that the maintenance of healthy habits is often diminished in priority in the presence of stress.  There are many helpful techniques that a stress management coach can help you develop to protect your health from the dangers of excessive stress.  

Be sure to take Control

Stress can be as detrimental to individual health as a poor diet or even tobacco use when it is out of control.  Managing stress is an achievable goal and will definitely be a reality with the help of a professional.  With a stress management coach people may work to accept that stress and take action to manage it.  Learning to effectively deal with stress will improve current daily life and protect your health and wellness in the future.  

Do you find it difficult to stay excited when trying to make changes to your health? Are you aware that changes must be made in your daily life but you do not know where to begin? Health coaches are trained specialists who work with you individually to help you reach your wellness goals by developing and implementing personal Corporate Wellness Programs.  They motivate, guide, and support you in order to reach sustainable behavioral changes by offering creative wellness solutions.  Health coaches provide individually created programs to meet your unique needs by focusing on physical, mental, and emotional health.  They help you become proactive in your life by eliminating unhealthy behaviors and making wellness a priority.  

Advantages of Health Coaching for Your Employees

Employees can benefit greatly from health and wellness coaching in a variety of ways.  Health and wellness coaching is one aspect of a Employee Health Promotion Program that can help people decrease major health risks in their lives by changing high risk behaviors.  Some of the many reasons why workers work with wellness coaches are to get in shape, lose weight, reduce stress, quit smoking, and create balance in their lives. Health and wellness coaches assist people with current health problems as well as preventing future wellness issues.  Because each program that a wellness coach creates is unique to suit the needs of the client, they can be sure that it will be a program that is right for them. Many busy workers may feel that they do not have the time to spend working individually with a coach so these wellness professionals offer coaching sessions in a variety of ways.  While electronic coaching through the use of e-mails and instant messaging has become a popular method due to its convenience, telephone and face-to-face interactions may also be used.  Employees have the ability to achieve their wellness goals and improve their health and well being through the assistance of their health and wellness coach.

Advantages of Wellness Coaching for the Company

The overall benefits of health coaching for a business are remarkable.  Employee high risk behaviors such as tobacco use and obesity cost businesses millions of dollars every year.  These high risk behaviors often cause preventable illness and keep employees from coming to work. Health and health coaches guide, support, hold clients accountable, and ensure that they receive continued motivation to help them achieve their wellness goals and eliminate unhealthy behaviors in their lives.  By implementing Corporate Health Promotion Programs and using health and health coaching in their organizations, businesses reduce the risk of preventable illness in their organizations.  This improves the overall health of employees , reduces healthcare and insurance costs, decreases absenteeism, and ultimately enhances performance and productivity.  When employees experience the benefits of higher levels health and wellness in their lives it causes an improvement in job attitude, energy, and morale.  Corporations that utilize health and health coaching for their employees experience the benefits of higher productivity.

Hiring a health coach will affect your life in more ways than you can imagine. The advantages of hiring a health coach are so great that even the biggest corporations in the world are getting in on the action. But before you get started , you owe it to yourself to consider the ways that your life will change. After all, anytime that you’re faced with a major life change you should really consider everything that is going to be brought to the forefront.

There are three primary ways that a wellness coach will affect your life. Of course, everybody is different, but in most cases these details will come into play. And the good thing is that they are all beneficial to your life in one way or the next. In other words, hiring a wellness coach is not something that will have a negative impact on your lifestyle.

A wellness coach will help you to take the way that you look and feel to the next level. Not only will this help with the way that people  perceive you, but it’ll also do a lot for your inner emotions as well. When you look better and feel good about what you are doing, this is going to show in the way that you act as well as the way that you see yourself. All in all, a wellness coach will allow you to gain more self esteem than you ever thought possible.

You only have one life, so making the most of it is important. A wellness coach will be certain that you are doing what’s best to help you live a long and healthy life. This may be the largest impact that a wellness coach has on the way that you live. After all, if minor changes in your lifestyle can help you to live healthier and longer you would be a fool to pass this by.

In most cases, working with a wellness coach will change the way that you see the world around you. Remember , not only do they take great pride in shaping your body but the same thing holds true when it comes to your mental state. Not everyone can be a model, but everyone can feel good about themselves. With a wellness coach, you’ll realize the good that is within as well as the good in others.  

A wellness coach can and will affect your life from day one. If you are looking for a positive influence to shape your mind and body and also help you to live healthy, a wellness coach is right for you.

How can a wellness coach help me? This is a question that many people  ask themselves time and time again. After all, the thought of having somebody to help reach your goals has to be somewhat appealing, right? But with that in mind, until you know what a wellness coach can do for you, you’ll probably never move forward with hiring one. Luckily, with a bit of research and soul searching you’ll be able to determine the advantages of working with a wellness coach.

Typically speaking, the most basic way that a wellness coach can help is by assisting you in reaching your health and exercise related objectives . While it is easy for people  to set objectives , when it comes to actually carrying out the work to reach them things can get a bit more difficult . This is where a wellness coach can come into play. They will be able to assess your objectives , let you know if they are feasible, and then work with you every step of the way. This way, you will not be on your own when times get tough and you feel like throwing in the towel.

Now that you know the general details, the next thing is to consider the more in depth areas in which a health coach can assist you. As you can imagine, a health coach devotes most of their time to coaching others as far as their physical and sometimes mental health is concerned.

Many individuals  decide to hire a wellness coach because they need simple help in getting their body back in shape. After all, as you begin to get older and time gets tight, keeping in shape is not always the easiest thing to do. This is specifically true if you spend the majority of your time at work and/or with your family. But luckily, a wellness coach can work with you either in person , on the phone, or even online. This makes it easy to get the assistance that you need without really changing your lifestyle.

One thing that you need to know about hiring a wellness coach is that they will work with any type of client. If you think that your problem is too simple, you’re wrong. And in the same thought, there’s no issue that is too large either. The fact of the matter is that a wellness coach takes great pride in helping anyone who needs it. So before you pass this opportunity by, keep in mind that whatever you’re up against you’ll qualify for help.

To find out exactly what a wellness coach can do for you, touch base with one of them to discuss your situation. From there, you will have a much better feel for how to move forward.

Individual Benefits of Fitness

Do you want to get fit, lose excess fat, or have more energy?  Most people  would answer “yes” to this question.  It is hard to imagine why anybody would not want to achieve fitness in order to become a healthier individuals .  When you are overweight or obese, have a family history of heart illness or diabetes, have high cholesterol or blood pressure, or simply feel that you might be a healthier you, then you can benefit  from a fitness program.  Regular exercise is an easy way to help prevent many illnesses by eliminating the major risk factors such as obesity and lack of movement.  A combination of aerobic exercise and weight training is the best way to achieve your fitness goals while improving your health.  

When selecting  a fitness program, the most challenging aspect may be locating an activity or exercise that is fun as opposed to one that does not motivate you.  Person are aroused in different ways which is why there are so many fitness programs out there.  If you try something that you do not like, you can always move on and try something different until you discover a certain activity that appeals to you.  Many times, people create their own plans for exercise but lose interest in the program and therefore find themselves steering away from their good intentions.  This is why a health coach may be exactly what an individual needs in order to keep them on the right track to achieve fitness for life.

How a Wellness Coach Can make it Possible

Health coaches are trained specialists that assist clients in achieving fitness for life in a variety of ways.  a personal can hire a personal trainer to work with them at the gym and help them with their fitness goals; however , a wellness coach does a great deal more to help their clients reach success.  A wellness coach uses a health risk assessment to determine the individual needs of the client and uses this information to develop a course of action for their fitness plan.  Because everybody has unique fitness objectives , each fitness program is personalized to fit the needs of the client.  A wellness coach not only excites you to achieve your fitness goals but also teaches you to motivate yourself.  

Health coaches understand that individuals  have busy lives and require convenient ways to exercise.  That is why a health coach develops customized programs that’ll work with an individual’s busy schedule.   They are also available 24 hours a day through online communication and hold sessions as often or as little as the client needs.  Health coaches may assist their clients by telephone, e-mail and instant messaging, or face-to-face meetings.  Although health coaches focus on other aspects of a person’s wellness such as nutrition, stress management, and sleep management, it’s important to understand that each of these aspects of a Employee Wellness Program intertwine to assist a individuals in becoming the healthiest individuals they can be.

Prior to you call it quits and decide to give up on having a healthier lifestyle, you might want to consider what a health coach can do for you. A lot of people  get so frustrated working out on their own that they give up before they really have a chance to succeed. Luckily, by hiring a health coach you can avoid this issue, and end up with the body that you have been dreaming of. But before you jump forward too far, you need to know what a health coach is as well as what one can do for you.

Usually speaking, a health coach is a personal trainer, dietitian, and much more all rolled into one. While this might sound like an impossible job on the surface, the fact of the matter is that health coaches are very good at what they do. These specialists have many years of experience in the health industry, and have a knack for communicating what they know to others on a very personal level.

The main goal of any health coach is to work with you so that you can reach the goals that you have set forth for yourself. And guess what? If you don’t know what you want to accomplish your health coach can help in that area as well. Simply put, they are there to make sure that you’re on the right path to success.

Health coaches come from a variety of different backgrounds. Although most people  don’t go through schooling thinking that they want to be a health coach, over time they begin to transform into this career. For example, many health coaches have backgrounds in personal training, bodybuilding, health and nutrition, exercise science, and much more.

Once you hire a wellness coach, he or she will be at your disposal day in and day out. A lot of individuals  rely on coaches to help them on a personal basis. And although this is a good idea for some, online wellness coaches are becoming more and more popular due to busy schedules. So before you think that you don’t have time to work with a wellness coach, you should really reconsider. They’ll be willing to work with you in the capacity that best suits your lifestyle.

While working with a wellness coach you’ll be able to get specialist advice on reaching your objectives . If you want to lose weight, you’ll be supplied with an exercise program that will get you moving in the right direction. The same thing holds true for those individuals  who want to eat healthier, get in better shape, etc.

As you can see, a wellness coach is more than just your typical Joe. They’re trained in multiple disciplines, and work with clients in order to help them reach their goals .

Wellness incorporates many facets of our daily lives. From the amount of sleep to the water we drink, to the food that we eat and the activity that we maintain, our health is dependent upon many factors of our lifestyle. Working to improve our wellness can be difficult to achieve on our own. That is why we can utilize the assistance of a wellness coach.

What is a wellness coach?

A wellness coach is a highly educated specialist who’s trained in behavioral change. They hold degrees in Exercise Science, Health Education, Exercise Physiology, Counseling and Education. A wellness coach helps people in recognizing current health concerns as well as preventing future health related issues. These specialists work with clients in a variety of ways including; face-to-face, telephone, instant messaging and / or via email. The latter of those is also referred to as electronic coaching and is the most efficient and cost effective method of working with a wellness coach. Whatever method is used for communication a wellness coach provides a customized program specifically created to address the needs and concerns of each individual client.

How can a health coach help me?

A lot of individuals maintain several healthy habits in their lives. One individuals may be a fitness enthusiast; another may abstain from alcohol and tobacco; while another may maintain a healthy daily diet. However, overall wellness is much like a puzzle, and a high level of health is only achieved when each piece of this puzzle is in place. A wellness coach will assist a personal in correcting his or her missing piece of the puzzle. An online wellness coach may address the needs of sleep deprivation, stress management, diet, or any number of health related issues. The wellness coach will motivate, guide, and provide valuable resources to provide clients with the necessary tools to make life changes.

How is a wellness coach unique?

A health coach serves a distinctly different purpose than a personal trainer, a counselor, or a supportive family member or friend. First, a health coach is an expert in his or her specific field. When a client determines the need for a health coach he or she will complete a health risk assessment. Based on this assessment the client will be assigned a health coach specifically selected to address his or her individual needs. Next, a health coach is available electronically 24 hours per day. Through online communication clients have the opportunity to contact a health coach as much or as little as he may like. Communication with a health coach may range from daily to weekly, and can occur by e-mail, journal or a combination of both. Finally, a health coach is trained to assist in changing the way that the client thinks and the way that they view themselves. A health coach maintains the purpose of assisting the client to work towards achieving a higher quality in life. This happens by addressing the cause of a certain problem rather than simply addressing the effects of a problem. A health coach will help individuals recognize their needs, determine goals, and take the necessary steps towards achieving these goals.

While wellness are growing concerns in our daily lives, it could seem challenging to make the time to educate oneself and address the needs or our well being. Working with the assistance of a health coach enables us to focus on our specific needs and make progress towards changing.

Do you find it difficult to stay motivated when attempting to make changes to your health? Are you aware that changes must be made in your daily life but you do not know where to begin? If so then health coaching might just be the solution you’ve been seeking.

Health coaching is a service provided by trained specialists who work with you individually to help you reach your wellness objectives . Health coaching motivates, guides, and supports individual’s in order to reach sustainable behavioral changes by offering creative solutions to their problems.

Wellness coaching provides individually developed Employee Wellness Programs to meet your unique needs by focusing on physical, mental, and emotional health. They help you become proactive in your life by eliminating unhealthy behaviors and making wellness a priority.

Benefits of Wellness Coaching for Your Employees

Employees could benefit  from health coaching in a variety of ways. Wellness coaching can help people decrease major health risks in their lives by changing high risk behaviors. Some of the many reasons why employees work with health coaches are to get in shape, lose weight, reduce stress, quit smoking, and create balance in their lives. Wellness coaches assist people with current health problems as well as preventing future health issues.

Because each program that a wellness coach creates is unique to suit the needs of the client, they can make certain that it will be a program that is right for them. A lot of busy workers mistakenly believe that they don’t have the time for wellness coaching. Fortunately wellness coaching specialists are able to provide their services in a variety of convenient ways. While electronic coaching through the use of e-mails and instant messaging has become a well-liked method due to its convenience, telephone and face-to-face interactions may also be used. Employees have the ability to achieve their goals and improve their lives through the assistance of wellness coaching.

Benefits of Health Coaching for the Company

The overall advantages of health coaching for a corporation are remarkable. Staff Member high risk behaviors such as tobacco use and obesity cost businesses millions of dollars every year. These high risk behaviors often cause preventable illness and keep workers from coming to work. Health coaching guides, supports, hold clients accountable, and ensures that they receive continued motivation to help them achieve their wellness goals and eliminate unhealthy behaviors in their lives.

By implementing Corporate Health Promotion Programs and using wellness coaching in their organizations, organizations reduce the risk of preventable disease in their organizations. This improves the overall health of staff members , lowers healthcare and insurance costs, decreases absenteeism, and ultimately enhances performance and productivity. When staff members experience the advantages of higher levels wellness in their lives it causes an improvement in job attitude, energy, and morale. Companies that utilize wellness coaching for their staff members experience the advantages of higher productivity.