How Long Should You Work with a Health Coach?
I hear this question often: how long should someone work with a health coach? What happens if I want more/less support then what’s offered? Like many things in the health and wellness space, the answer is: it depends! There are many factors that go into deciding how long to work with a health coach, to include: where you’re at in your health journey, your goals, your personality, and the type of support you’re looking for. I’m sure there are many other factors, but let’s jump into a few of these and go from there!
Where you are at in your health journey: Some people are brand new to the health and fitness world, some have been involved for many years. If you were well versed in health principles, then you probably don’t want someone to start/teach you at a basic, 101 level. On the other hand, if you have never touched a dumbbell and don’t know what keto is, then working with a coach to learn the basics is exactly what you need!
Another thing to consider is if you are starting your health journey from ground zero, as in you’ve been eating a SAD diet, not exercising, getting lots of toxic blue light and not enough sleep, then you might need a bit more time then a couple sessions to get on track. You probably need at least 1-2 months (maybe even more) if you’re starting from scratch. There’s a lot of information to learn, new habits to form, and goals to achieve…and a coach can shorten your timeline to get up and running.
Now, if you’ve been on your health journey for a while and just need a boost to break through a plateau or explore more ways to improve, then maybe just a couple sessions is exactly what you need.
Depends on your goals: There sky is the limit on the variety of health goals that people may want to pursue, and the timelines to to get after them are just as varied! If you have difficult, extended goals that will take a lot of hard work and time investment to achieve, then choosing a long-term coaching relationship makes sense. Some goals are more basic and short-term (lose 20 pounds, be able to hike whenever you want to, look good naked, etc), but may require some extra support via a health coach. Either way, having someone support you and your goals can make a big difference in achieving them or not realizing them at all.
Your personality: I know I keep bringing up personality in coaching, but it can make a big difference if you get along with your coach or not! Personally, I wouldn’t select a health coach unless I liked them, and knew they were competent at what they did. Hell, I would sacrifice a bit of the “like” before the competency, but that is my personality. Maybe someone would enjoy having a coach that’s more laid back and buddy-buddy, or someone else would prefer to keep it totally professional and straight to the point. Neither way is wrong, it’s just what you’d prefer with your coach. Bottom line is to choose someone you can at least get along with, feel comfortable sharing your info with and can learn from, even if your personalities aren’t perfectly synced.
The type of support you want: Based on what I’ve seen from other coaches and my own experience, people need various type of support or accountability, which can be tailored to your goals and personality. Certain types of coaching packages could entail more support/accountability, or less, depending on how you the client want to proceed. Sometimes the longer relationships (2+ months) might have weekly or biweekly accountability, but at least a couple times per month is standard. This is something you can discuss with your new coach from the beginning: some people need contact everyday, some only need it a couple times per month. As stated before, neither way is wrong, it all depends on you! Quite a few clients prefer a weekly or biweekly phone call or zoom chat, with the option to text or email in between sessions to ask questions (this is the type of coaching relationship I offer!). Trying to strike a balance between getting the right support while still living in the real world and making your own decisions is what we’re going for here!
Getting the right amount of support for your health goals that mesh well with your personality shouldn’t be hard to achieve with the right coach. This is why it’s very important for you as a client to know exactly what type of support you are receiving with your package, and to talk to your prospective coach during the discovery call to see what types of support they offer, and if you can tailor their offerings to fit your needs. Some coaches will have pre-made packages ready to go, and others may allow you to add other services as you see fit. Again, it all depends! 😊
If you ever decide to work with a health coach, hopefully the info above will help you understand how long you would want to work with a health coach to hit your goals. Thanks for stopping by my blog, and if you already know you want health coaching to help you achieve your goals, then apply to work with me! Click the Apply Now button at the top of the page, answer the questions, then I will get back to you within 48 hours to see if we’re a good fit!
