December 1, 2012

By Lisa English

What comes to mind when you hear the words wellness coaching? If youre like many, it is an abstract concept that you just cant quite wrap your head around. You might ask, What exactly does a wellness coach do? Wellness coaches are basically behavior change experts. Thats right. We help people change behaviors.

So, how is wellness coaching different than what other health professionals (like personal trainers, doctors, nurses, nutritionists, etc.) do? Wellness coaches dont tell you what to do. We guide you in identifying your personal wellness vision and work with you to create your own unique plan for achieving it. Its a partnership. This often involves a process full of self-discovery. I know, I know youre wondering what self discovery has to do with eating better, exercising, and losing weight. The answer is A LOT, actually.

How many times have you promised yourself that this would be the time you would start eating healthier, exercising regularly and lose weight for good? Lets all raise our hands weve all been there. So, were we lying to ourselves when we made those promises? I dont think so. Why, then, is adopting these seemingly simple habits so darn hard?

I often have people tell me, I know what I need to do; I just need to DO it! So whats stopping you? What is getting in your way? THIS is what self-discovery has to do with getting healthy and making permanent lifestyle change. Until you figure out what is getting in your way, true change will remain elusive. You will likely keep going in circles, stopping and starting over and over again, hoping for a different result. If you want to move forward, then sometimes you have to take a step back and address some of the root causes for the behaviors you are trying to change.

Just like in sports, we have to get the basics down first before we can improve our game. And if we want to make it to the next level, we need a good coach to push us beyond our comfort zone and help us realize our full potential. Thats what a wellness coach can do for you when it comes to improving your health, fitness, and quality of life.