If you have a passion for health and helping others, and you’re wondering how you can break into the amazing field of Health Coaching, this blog post will help you get clear on the next steps to turn your dream into a full-fledged reality!

Globally, the health coach market is expected to grow to more than $29 billion by the year 2032 according to Precedence Research. North America is projected to be home to a majority of health coaches, due in large part to the ability to train via online learning. 

Health Coaching is an incredibly rewarding field that offers unparalleled career freedom and makes a real difference in the world. We’ll explain how to know if Health Coaching is right for you and how you can launch a lucrative, fulfilling career helping others live their best lives.

If you’re interested in becoming a certified health coach, it can be helpful to learn more about this role. This begins with clearly identifying what this type of coach does.

What Is a Health Coach?

A health coach first helps clients identify their health-related obstacles. These obstacles may involve unhealthy nutrition and exercise habits. Others may involve high stress levels, smoking, and other negative health habits. It’s then up to the health coach to devise a plan that helps clients conquer these challenges. 

A health coach also serves as an accountability partner. They check in with the client regularly to ensure that they’re continuing to make progress. A health coach is a cheerleader. They help keep clients motivated so they don’t give up on their health goals.

Health coaches are also educators. They provide health education by helping clients understand what actions can add to or detract from their health. These coaches also provide the knowledge clients need to make better health decisions. Some even promote public health, such as by providing community workshops and seminars.

Health Coach vs. Wellness Coach

Is a health coach the same as a wellness coach? Not exactly. But they are similar. Both use the same types of strategies when working with clients. Both also help clients set and meet clearly defined goals. But they’re also different.

One difference between a health versus wellness coach is that a wellness coach can help clients with non-health goals. Maybe the client wants to improve their spirituality, for instance. A wellness coach can assist with this. 

Meanwhile, a health coach would be a better choice for helping someone quit smoking. This habit negatively impacts one’s health. So, a health coach could help a client stop smoking and develop healthier ways to deal with their stressors.

Some coaches are both. This professional is referred to as a health wellness coach. They can provide health and/or wellness coaching based on a client’s needs. 

5 Reasons You Should Become a Health Coach

We at Health Coach Institute think Health Coaching is just about the best career out there for many reasons.

Here are 5 of our favorite reasons to say yes to becoming a Health Coach: 

#1: You can make a meaningful difference in the world. 

As a Health Coach, you can play a very important role in changing the way we do healthcare around the world, helping people go from stuck, stressed, and unhealthy to thriving and alive. What’s more fulfilling than that?

#2: You can empower others to change their health (and their lives) for the better. 

As a Health Coach, you can help clients harness their power within to create the desired change they seek. In partnership with your clients, you’ll help them clarify goals, create a plan to achieve said goals, identify any potential roadblocks to success (like unhealthy behavior patterns or limiting beliefs), and adopt new habits in support of their goals. You’ll help clients move from passive to active participants in their own health and well-being.

#3: You can improve your health and the health of family members. 

This is one might be our favorite. One of the greatest things about training to become a Health Coach is that YOU also reap incredible personal benefits. You get an opportunity to become your healthiest while learning how to help others do the same…and you develop your own personal practices so you can maintain your health while making a fantastic living.

#4: You can turn your passion into a lucrative career. 

Average Health Coach salaries can range from $50,000 to $80,000. Ziprecruiter.com notes the average health coach salary as $56,712. Glassdoor lists the average as $80,224 per year. There’s tremendous earning potential in coaching, depending on the type of coaching you wish to offer, whether you offer group or individual coaching, how you price your services, the clientele you work with, and other services you choose to offer. Whether you’re looking to coach outside your full-time job or turn Health Coaching into your full-time job, you can make great money doing it.

#5: You can design your ideal work life. 

As a Health Coach , you can enjoy unparalleled freedom and flexibility to create a career that works for you, your life, and your values. Want to be able to travel at the drop of a hat? Want to wear yoga pants to work? Only want to work a few days a week? Want to create a schedule that allows you to have lunch with your significant other on a whim, attend your children’s school functions, or take that 10 am spin class? It’s all possible with a health coaching career .

Is Health Coaching the Right Fit for You?

Like any career choice, being a health coach isn’t right for everyone. How do you know if it might be a good fit for you?

First, health coaches benefit from having certain skills. Among them are empathy and compassion. Coaches must also have patience and be good at communicating (both speaking and listening). If you have these skills, you may enjoy a health coaching role. 

Other individuals who may benefit from becoming a health coach include:

  • Those who want to spend their days helping others improve their physical and mental health.
  • Those currently working in a fitness role, such as a personal trainer, and want to expand their service offerings.
  • Those currently working in a health care role (physical therapy, massage therapy, etc.) and want to offer health coaching too.
  • Those who want to earn extra income with coaching as a side gig.
  • Those who want a career that’s not only rewarding but would allow them to work with clients from anywhere.
  • Those who are interested in starting or building a coaching business.

How to Become a Health Coach

If you’re excited to become a health coach, you may be wondering what steps to take. The first is to enroll in a health coach course. This type of training course provides the tools and skills needed to effectively help clients while in a coaching role.

You need to know what strategies work for creating lasting change, for instance. You have to be able to motivate clients when they can’t motivate themselves. You must also know what exercise and nutrition habits can help that client live a healthier life. You gain all of these coaching skills in a training program. 

You also learn how to create a successful business in health coaching. Learning basic business skills helps you build and grow a stronger coaching practice. These skills can even be beneficial if you aren’t self-employed. With the right strategies, you can help your employer develop a stronger, more resilient business. This helps add security to your health coaching position with them.

After completing a training program, the next step is to earn your certification. Why pursue a health coach certificate? There are many reasons.

Importance of Health Coaching Certification

Completing a certification program tells potential employers that you know how to develop and deliver a safe, effective health coaching program. Some may even require that you be a certified health coach to apply. Earning your certification in advance provides the qualifications needed for this role.

Completing a certification program also increases your credibility with clients. Having health coach training provides them some level of assurance that you’ll be able to help them achieve their health goals. It also sets you apart from someone who isn’t a certified health coach. 

Another reason to take a certification program is that it provides a solid foundation of coaching principles and practices. You learn what to do and not do in a coaching session. You also develop a deeper understanding of health science, nutrition, exercise, and other factors that impact a person’s health. 

Essentially, earning your health coaching certification helps better prepare you for this role. It also provides peace of mind for employers and clients that you have a level of competency in this field.

What About Continuing Education to Keep Your Certification Current?

Continuing education courses are sometimes required to keep a coaching certification current. Continuing education classes help you stay updated on the latest in health and wellness. This ensures that you’re using the most up-to-date information and strategies when working with clients.

You can also take continuing education classes to learn more about different coaching approaches. Maybe you want to be an integrative health coach, for example. Taking a course that covers integrative medicine or integrative health coaching practices is a good first step. 

Think of continuing education classes as a type of graduate study. These courses are designed to dive more deeply into certain topic areas. They also enable you to learn more about your specific areas of interest. 

What to Look for In a Health Coach Training Program

The best way to earn your health coaching certification is to choose a training program that offers this credential. What are some other things to look for?

  • It’s a recognized health coaching program. This is especially important if you want to secure a health coaching job. An employer may require a health coaching certification from a recognized entity. To determine this, look to see whether the health coach certification program is accredited by the International Coach Federation. Also, consider whether it is recognized by other reputable training providers such as the Federation of Holistic Therapists or the Health Coach Alliance.
  • It’s taught by supportive and knowledgeable instructors. Check out the training program’s instructors. What is their level of experience in the health coaching field? The more expertise the instructors have, the better their ability to share the ins and outs of working in this role. If you plan to start your own health coaching business, you also want to learn from others who’ve had success in this area. Learning from their mistakes means that you don’t have to make the same ones yourself.
  • It teaches you how to build a health coaching business. Does the program discuss how to create a health coaching business plan? What about offering marketing strategies for increasing your client base? A successful health coaching business doesn’t just happen on its own. It is created. The health coaching training program should teach you how to create it.

Enroll in Health Coaching Courses with Health Coach Institute

Coaching is a great career in which you can help others while also learning how to help your own personal growth. Health Coach Institute offers a Become a Health & Life Coach program. This program is CCE-accredited by the International Coach Federation. It provides the education and guidance needed to launch and build a successful coaching career and business.

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Health Coach Institute provides aspiring Health and Life Coaches with the tools, training, and support to make a great living transforming lives.