Health Coaching and Personal Training

I understand that not everyone can afford a “live-in” or full time personal trainer, but the benefits of personal training don’t always have to cost an arm and leg!  The ideas, support and insights beyond the gym are real gems that may make you want to rethink your health and fitness plan. What if you could afford a part time personal trainer and health coach? You’d meet with your trainer twice a month for a workout and face time, twice a month you'd also have 30 min phone calls that focused on your personal development. Suddenly you feel better and more confident knowing you have a trainer and someone on your team, supporting, teaching and coaching you to your health and fitness goals.

The list below is just an example of some of the things addressed in health coaching that are often neglected in personal training. In personal training you have a short amount of time to workout, discuss food and lifestyle choices, it’s simply not enough time to squeeze everything in! Think about these things for just a couple of moments and ask yourself if you could benefit from Health coaching?

1. Your mental image of yourself defines what you’re working toward. What is your motivation for exercise in the first place? Is it to look better in you clothes (extrinsic motivation), or to be able to feel better everyday in your own skin (intrinsic motivation)? Try to develop a positive image of what you’re striving for, doing so will help stay on track and focused.

2. Eat good food. Everybody has different nutritional needs, but most everyone can benefit from eating “real” food. Vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fiber rich grains in moderation can go a long way in transforming your body and health. “Diet” foods like “Fat-Free” and “Low Fat” products are often worse for you than the real thing. Steer clear of processed food and eat lots of real veggies!

3. Your body adapts to….Everything! You need to eat a variety of foods and do a variety of exercise. If you start a “routine” and think you can just do that forever- wrong! If your workouts used to feel hard, but no longer challenge you, it’s time to mix it up and do something new! Make your workouts fun and enjoyable so you don’t burn out.

4. Stop the negative self talk. Don’t say bad things about yourself. This is infectious like a plague, my mom used to say things like, “look at my fat belly, it’s so gross!” Before I knew it was standing in front of the mirror saying “look at my fat thighs, they’re so gross!” I was eight! Inspire those around you (your kids included) to be confident about their bodies, even if that means you have to fake it until you find your inner confidence! ;)

5. Hold yourself accountable. Rather than just knowing your weight on a scale or your size of clothes, figure out your body fat percentage and your resting heart rate. That way you can take responsibility for where you are today and accomplishing your goals in the future. You must OWN your disposition before you can change it!

6. All or nothing exercise sets you up for failure. Having the mind set that you must do an extreme workout everyday sets you up for disappointment. Sometimes life gets in the way and you can’t complete a full workout because of scheduling conflicts or you’re feeling exhausted on a particular day. That’s ok! It’s ok to take a day off or shorten your workout every now and then. When you tell yourself “I must XYZ” and you don’t complete XYZ because the demands were too high for your body or life got in the way don’t get down on your self. It’s just one day and you’ll wake up tomorrow and start fresh and motivated. It’s easy to loose motivation when you force yourself to do something, make it something you look forward to, not something you dread.