Health Coach versus Fitness Specialist

What is the difference? It is a matter of goals, time, and effort.

 

Health Coach versus Fitness Specialist


You can reach your health and fitness goals through a combination approach of working with a health coach and fitness specialist or use one or the other. 


What is the difference? Do I need both? 

It depends on your time commitment and your goals.


A health coach approach can get you healthier and somewhat fit with a 1 1/2 hour lifestyle program commitment per week. This is accomplished through following a healthy diet and extra physical activity like walking or standing more during the day with some additional stretches. 


A health and fitness specialist approach to coaching can get you to a high level of health & fitness and make you look better with a 2-4 hour fitness program commitment per week. This is accomplished through following a healthy diet, strength and toning exercises, stretches, and structured aerobic exercise.


Health Coach - Lifestyle Change

Use a health coach if you are looking to get healthier, but do not have the commitment (desire, time, and energy) to start a full fitness program. A health coach can direct you on a healthier track in terms of nutrition, lifestyle, weight loss, stress, posture, sleep, and daily activity as well as how to improve health markers such as blood pressure, waist circumference, A1C ( a measure of blood glucose) and blood lipids (cholesterol, LDLs, and HDLs) using simple strategies and recommendations. 



Health and Fitness Specialist - Lifestyle Change, Fitness Change, Body Change

Use an advanced health and fitness specialist if you want all the benefits of using a health coach, but also want to get more fit through increasing strength, endurance, balance, function, flexibility, and aerobic capacity, while improving body composition (the way you look) using a committed approach to fitness. 

SOMEWHAT FIT - HEALTH COACH APPROACH

What does it mean to be somewhat fit?

  1. •the ability to climb a flight of stairs without getting winded

  2. •the ability to squat down and touch the floor with no knee or low back pain

  3. •the ability to regain your balance when you slip or are misdirected

  4. •the ability to have sustained energy while doing common household chores or yard-work

  5. •having a body mass index that is not considered obese while also having a body fat percentage less than 24% for men and 32% for women

1 1/2 hour lifestyle program commitment per week.


HIGH LEVEL OF FITNESS - HEALTH AND FITNESS SPECIALIST APPROACH

What does it mean to be have a high level of fitness?

All of the above including he following.

  1. •the ability to walk a mile in less than 15 minutes

  2. •the ability to perform 25 or more push ups

  3. •the ability to perform 30 or more modified crunches

  4. •the ability to hold a plank for more than 60 seconds

  5. •the ability to hold a side-bridge for more than 30 seconds

  6. •the ability to perform a body weight lunge for more than 20 reps

  7. •the ability to move all your limbs freely and equally with fluid, pain free motion

  8. •the ability to squat down and touch the floor and come back up with no pain

  9. •the ability to do a short mountain hike like Watchusett with no issues

  10. •having a body fat percentage less than 17% for men and 24% for women

2-4 hour fitness program commitment per week.