The current COVID19 pandemic has shed a light on our collective state of health. In the absence of a vaccine or an effective treatment, looking after ourselves and our well-being has become imperative. Our lifestyle choices and nutrition do influence our health, yet many people still struggle to make those healthy habits a reality. Which is why a new professional figure is emerging: the health coach. 

Still a relatively new profession in the UK, health coaches are very popular in the US, where they also work in synergy with GPs to support their patients in making those lifestyle changes a reality. If you’re curious to know how a health coach could help realise your wellness goals, Hip List-er and Health Coach, Claudia Armani, shares the top 5 benefits below.

Help you form healthy habits
We all know that we should eat more vegetables, lower our sugar intake and go to the gym, but the reality is that most people struggle to make these healthy resolutions a habit and often resort to the old unhealthy ones. The role of a health coach is mainly to support clients in this often frustrating process and to help them figure out the best way to do it. They will help you find methods that work for your lifestyle and provide you with helpful tools to make these changes stick for the long term.

Support you through setbacks
If you’re making some serious lifestyle changes, it’s inevitable that a couple of slip-ups could send you back to your comfort zone. Many think that the transformation process is a smooth upward line, but actually it’s full of ups and downs until you slowly start realising what works best for you.

Most people, quite understandably, feel disappointed with themselves when they slip back to the old unhealthy habits, and start having negative thoughts and feel demotivated.

The reality is that while we all go through these phases, the successful people are simply the ones that pick themselves up after a fall (or a slip in their habits) and keep on sticking to those changes.

A health coach is precisely the person that can make that difference, supporting you through those setbacks to guide you to success.

Giving you practical tips to make changes easier, saving you time and reducing the overwhelm
Getting into healthier habits can be perceived as frustrating, boring or simply difficult to fit in especially if you have a busy and often stressful life. A health coach can give you practical tips on how to make things easier and simpler, saving you time and reducing the overwhelm.

Educate you on the amazing interconnections of the mind and body.
The mind and body are interconnected in ways that it is difficult to imagine unless you have specific knowledge. For example, did you know the wake/sleep cycle can have repercussions down the chain that can lead to fatigue, hormonal imbalance and weight gain? Or did you know that research has found that in some women low carbs diets can lead to thyroid issues? A health coach is a professional figure that can help you close the dots between various aspects of your well-being. 

Provide expert referral to other health professionals.
A health coach is not a panacea for any health problems but can refer clients to other health professionals if needed. For example, coaching is very much focused on the present and the future, but sometimes people need to deal with things that have happened in the past in order to be ready to change. In this case, a health coach can refer a client to a counsellor or psychologist for example.

words by Claudia Armani
For more information on Claudia’s services, visit The Hip List, the ultimate wellness directory.

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