The need for a holistic, personalized, and outcome-driven approach has been overtaking the corporate world.
The traditional “one-size-fits-all” healthcare lacks the individual approach to empower employees to make healthy lifestyle choices. Health coaching integrates conventional medical care and makes it easily accessible to individuals that want to live a healthy lifestyle.
What is a Health Coach?
Health coaches are health care professionals trained to provide guidance and support on areas of wellness.
With their mentorship, they help the members achieve lifestyle changes, such as physical activity, nutrition, stress management, and more. A health coach can work together with a doctor to help set trackable goals, like lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar.
As coaches are trained in the science of driving behavior changes, their goal is to help individuals make lasting and sustainable lifestyle changes, stay motivated, and navigate challenges.
How does it Work?
There are several ways health coaches provide their services, with varying degrees of intensity and based on the vendor and the employer’s desires. Vendors have multiple options so that the employers may choose what approach would work best for their budget and employees.
The most commonly offered are the following three styles of health coaching:
1) Telephonic Health Coaching
There are several ways health coaches provide their services, with varying degrees of intensity and based on the vendor and the employer’s desires. Vendors have multiple options so that the employers may choose what approach would work best for their budget and employees.
The most commonly offered are the following three styles of health coaching:
2) Software Health Coach
A platform that supports lasting behavior change and measures quantifiable objectives. Some examples are counting steps every day, keeping track of healthy habits, having a rewards system that is personalized, flexible, and easily accessible.
3) On-Site Health Coaching
Many vendors offer one-on-one private sessions health coaching services conducted on-site at the employer’s convenience. It is time-saving, efficient, and increases employee participation and motivation.
What Areas can Someone be Coached On?
- Physical activity.
- Weight management.
- Stress management.
- Sleep.
- Nutrition.
- Mindfulness.
- Tobacco cessation.
- Lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar.
An example of goals for an employee working with a health coach might be:
- Reach or maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce stress and anxiety in all areas of life.
- Achieve a better work-life balance.
Why should Employers implement Health Coaching?
By offering several coaching methods, these programs are tailored to fit the needs of various industries, professions, and work environments. They are flexible enough to meet any client’s goals, needs, and budget.
The primary reason employers may work with a health coach is to improve the health of their employees. These wellness models create a culture of health and wellbeing, and by achieving that, some direct benefits that employers will enjoy are:
- Lower healthcare costs.
- Reduce absenteeism.
- Lower workers’ compensation premiums.
- Increase employee engagement.
- Increase productivity.
The future of healthcare is where we use innovative and evidence-based methodologies to empower clients to practice self-care and wellness. Health coaches play a significant role in helping employees stay healthy and productive.
