October 27, 2021
In any journey, the first step is always the most difficult. For those who are seeking to get — and stay — on a path to increased wellness, a health coach can offer significant benefits. While most people may think of health coaches in a specialist context, such as a weight loss coach, research shows that a health coach can offer general improvements in health and well-being.
A health coach learns about your strengths, challenges, and goals, and works with you to build strategies to achieve them. If you’re thinking about whether a health coach is right for you, consider these four powerful benefits of having a coach:
There are a lot of different aspects that go into a healthy life and building the right strategies for achieving it. A health coach can spare you endless web searches by providing you with trusted and accurate information about your health and wellness. As you learn more about how your body works and the best ways to stay healthy, the coach can continue to provide you with new resources and knowledge that will keep your journey moving forward.
Speaking of moving forward, no health journey is a straight line. You may begin a health coaching relationship with specific goals and strategies, but over time those may evolve as you achieve certain goals, grow older, or your health situation changes. A good coach can offer guidance on how to adjust your strategies and keep you moving forward when obstacles inevitably arise.
When obstacles prevent you from achieving your goals or life hands you a setback, it can be easy to give up or re-evaluate your goals. In coaching sessions, your health coach can provide the motivation you need to keep going. This may include working with you to alleviate stress, encourage certain behaviors, or inspire you to be the best realization of yourself.
Last but certainly not least, your health coach offers you accountability. Regular sessions provide you with the opportunity to meet with someone invested in your success, and who can ensure that you follow through on your commitments and the plan you develop to remain healthy. When you do achieve a health goal — whether it’s related to weight loss, physical or mental fitness, or nutrition — it can be tempting to plateau for a bit. A health coach will challenge you to evolve and continue setting goals that keep you progressing toward the best version of yourself.
Working with a health coach can improve your quality of life (physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual), as well as reduce your stress and depressive symptoms. Health coaches are becoming an increasingly prevalent part of peoples’ wellness journey. If you’re a member of an Independence Blue Cross health plan, health coaching is offered as a benefit at no additional cost.
To reach a Health Coach at any time, call 1-800-ASK-BLUE (1-800-275-2583) (TTY/TDD: 711).
