Living a healthy and well-balanced life is a luxury that many of us wish they had. As simple as it sounds, putting down that unhealthy snack and going for something that is more nutritional may be more difficult than expected. To most, eating healthy and regular work out is a temporary necessity towards achieving a set weight goal. But this short term mindset is what hinders a healthy style of living. Breaking old habits and working towards a lifestyle that highlights nutritious and active well being is a challenge. Thus, having support such as a health coach can give them that push towards their new habits.

Health and wellness coaching is a supportive mentor that guides long-terms food and lifestyle changes to improve one’s health. A health coach promotes the idea that each person has unique dietary, physical and emotional needs. Thus, establishing simple ways of eating and working out rather than following set diets and fitness plans. Though weight management coaching is what comes to mind while thinking of a health coach, dealing with the mindset and behavioural aspects is a large part of the job. Therefore diving into areas of life that impact one’s health, such as stress factors, relationships, habits and way of thinking, is a starting point that many health coaches focus on. Meeting in group coaching is a popular choice, but one-on-one is also offered for those looking for more of a more custom experience.

Becoming a certified health coach can be a lengthy and challenging process, thus evaluating one’s goals and making sure that they are sincerely interested in helping others is very important. The first step into becoming a licensed professional is finding a reputable health coach certification program. Taking a look at factors such as credentials of the program, the duration, and alumni achievement is research that will help point out the best available courses. In most programs, once you have gained a solid nutritional foundation, to become credentialed health care professional, you must take an exam. When you do make sure you are prepared and meet all prerequisites such as a CPR certificate, high school diploma or equivalent, at least 18 years of age. Once you have passed the exam, you are now a certified health coach, practising from anywhere to one-on-one in a local office to online.

Coaching an individual towards training for an active lifestyle is an experience many looks for when reaching out to a health coach. What many that are new to body training do not realize is that the best exercises only require your body and a motivated mindset. Let’s take a look at some of these exercises. Starting with push-ups, pull-ups, and dips, these old-school exercises force the individual to lift about 60 per cent of their body weight, targeting the chest, triceps, and core. Next, are the squats, lunges, and step-ups. Benefiting the lower body, these workouts are directed towards the hips, hamstrings, and glutes. Another classic is the burpees and jumping jacks, and they are entirely body routines as they exercise your arms, legs and even cardio. The final exercises that too many training professionals are considered the best for burning belly fat are the plank and sit-ups. When aiming toward maximizing your body strength, daily workouts are recommended. Starting by stretching out and focusing on cardio, then working any muscle strengthening exercises as listed above is a great everyday work out routine.

In conclusion, even though living a good and healthy lifestyle can seem complicated at first. Having support from a health coach that guides you into your unique requirements towards a long-term sustainable way of living can be a life-changing push that many of us need.