If you’re like most people, you know what you need to do to “get healthy”, to “look and feel better”. And you may even want to do the things you know you need to do. Yet, you don’t. At least not consistently.
Not yet, anyway. Which is why you and so many this time of year (January 2nd at the time of writing) have resolved to make this year, the year you actually start doing...You’ve set the resolution, despite the media’s frequent reminders that 80% of resolutions fail, and most fail by Valentine’s Day.
You’re exited, motivated, ready...How can you stay that way? Or at least continue to plod forward on days you don’t feel so excited, motivated, or ready?
How can you be like Agel, who lost 120 pounds in a year, rid himself of ailments like acid reflux and improved his self-confidence?
I’ll give you a biased answer, and some general tips. The biased answer is the role a health coach can play in your success. I do back it up with data, though. The general tips are to give you tactics you can implement, so the article doesn’t come off completely self-serving ☺️.
Health Coaching Improves Health, Lowers Costs
Health coaching has been shown to improve health outcomes and lower copayment and other healthcare expenses. (1)
A 2008 study found that individuals who received health coaching compared to a traditional model of care were more likely to:
A 2011 study assessing the effectiveness of a worksite wellness program found clinically significant improvements in those who were: underweight; had high systolic or diastolic blood pressure; high total cholesterol; high low-density lipoprotein; low high-density lipoprotein, high triglycerides; and high glucose.
Among obese employee participants in the study, “significant improvements occurred in selected mental health and dietary variables.” Those who lowered their BMI experienced: reduced fat intake; increased weekly aerobic exercise; increased feelings of calmness, peace, happiness, stress management; and increased physical energy. (3)
In a 2013 study, interactive health coaching significantly lowered BMI among participating employees through 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. (4)
Further, “the relevant literature suggests that health coaching may effectively contribute to improving healthy lifestyle behaviors, with significant results reported in the areas of improved nutrition, increased levels of physical activity, weight management, or medication adherence. (5)
Full disclosure, research on the effectiveness of health coaching points out that the differences in health coaching practices and training create a challenge for researching its effectiveness.
However, the number of organizations in both the public and private sector, the number of insurance providers, and the number of individuals turning to health coaching to support their preventive health or recovery attests to its increasingly accepted role in holistic health care.
Health Coaching and You
So, what is health coaching? And how can it support you?
There are several definitions from literature I could quote for you, but let’s wrap it all together. Basically, a health coach worth their salt is going to use motivational interviewing, and other evidence-based skills and interventions to help you realize your health/wellness goals in a sustainable way, such as: improved nutrition, increased exercise, improved stress management, improved quality and quantity sleep, and medication adherence. So that you realize your full potential and improve your overall wellbeing.
So basically, health coaching can benefit anyone who is looking to make a lasting change to their lifestyle, particularly those who have tried to go it alone before and “failed”. Health coaches can provide a safe place for individuals to ask questions, filter the noise and misinformation, identify their true motivations, create plans for success, overcome obstacles, and feel supported through the difficult task of changing their behavior.
Personally, I’d say that health coaching isn’t for people looking for quick fixes, fads, or to simply be told what to do. Coaching is a collaborative effort. It’s a conversation. It’s not a consultation or dictatorship.
You will want to look for certifications, and certainly want to have a preliminary conversation to make sure you choose the coach who is right for you. The coach should offer this session for free, because doing so serves you both.
Keep it Simple, Specific, Sustainable
What if you’re not ready for coaching? What if you want to try again to do “it” yourself?
Go for it! Try and see how things go. Here are a few tips.
Write out your goal. You’ve likely written down a vague outcome goal.
So, think about what you might need to do to achieve that outcome. Then think about the skills you’ll need to successfully “do”. Then, ask yourself what actions you can take to develop the skills that will help you “do”. Those action are your new goals.
Break them down as small as you can so they are achievable on even your hardest of days.
Stay tuned for Friday’s post with more tips!
End Notes:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/216507991005800604
Ibid.
https://journals.lww.com/joem/Abstract/2011/07000/Effectiveness_of_a_Workplace_Wellness_Program_for.15.aspx
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03325280
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4278/ajhp.090313-LIT-101
