What is health coaching?
In health coaching, instead of doctors or therapists, people are advised and informed by a health coach with regard to a healthy lifestyle. This is often preceded by a visit to the doctor, who recommends a visit to the health coach. In the coaching process, the person is viewed holistically – with the goal of achieving the greatest possible vitality and performance.
This can be cognitive, i.e. perception and thinking, as well as physical. The goals of the client are always in the foreground. Amongst other things, we look at sport/exercise, nutrition, stress management, addictive drug consumption and personal motivation.
What does a health coach do?
The health coach works with his client on areas of life that can promote or damage health. The client is only advised on factors that can be influenced, which he can promote or change himself. These include: Nutrition, exercise (sport), relaxation, environmental factors and psychological factors.
- When it comes to nutrition, the coach looks at existing eating habits and advises the client on how they can be improved or supplemented. This often involves a calorie-adapted diet that is intended to lead to a normal weight. In addition, the client is also trained in how to follow a balanced diet.
- In the field of exercise, the coach’s task is to introduce the client to a suitable sport in an appropriate degree and to ensure that it is implemented correctly and regularly.
- During relaxation, the client is trained by the coach in the area of stress management through relaxation techniques and he learns all aspects of healthy sleep.
- In the topic area of environmental factors, the coach explains to the client all relevant information about stimulants and other harmful substances that are part of the client’s lifestyle.
- The psychological factors include the client’s motivation and attitude towards himself and life.
In all these areas, the health coach is at the client’s side, accompanies and advises them by offering help for self-help.
The profession of health coach is a health care profession, but the job title “health coach” is not protected by law. This means that many schools in Germany offer training to become a health coach, but the content, duration and quality can vary greatly. In addition, it is also possible that anyone can use the title of health coach even though they have not received any training whatsoever.
The training of a health coach can therefore be very different. Often training centers for therapeutic professions or schools for alternative practitioners offer training as a health coach. Furthermore, further education institutes, for example at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, offer this training, which usually costs the trainees money.
The content of the training varies from provider to provider and their focus. At some institutes, the training can be done on a part-time basis, while others only offer it full-time. Our next article may also be of interest to you: Healthy nutrition
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