Health And Wellness Plan » Health and Wellness Coaching
Regular exercise is good for all ages and even better when you can find quality free exercise plans. Throughout life exercise is important for preventing disease, maintaining proper body weight, relieving stress, and continuing or enhancing ones life activities. We are also human, and can be forcefully driven by our sexual needs and aroused at the sight of another’s physical state. The appearance of another’s body that is utilizing a well developed exercise program can not only be very pleasing to the eye, but also extremely advantageous to the overall health and wellness of the exercising individual.
As we age, the effects of gravity, diet, parties, disease, sport injuries, etc. weigh in (no pun intended) on our physical appearance and health. The American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine (AHA & ACSM) have addressed this aging issue directly by issuing guidelines for those over 65 and those over 50 with disease or function impairment.
Free Exercise Plan Guidelines:
Aerobic Activities
Suggested activity levels include equal or greater than 30 minutes, 5 days per week of moderate exercise OR 20 minutes of vigorous activity 3 days each week. On a scale of 1-10 a 5/6 is considered moderate exercise and a rating of 7/8 is considered vigorous. Your exercise plan may start with less than this, but you will be working toward reaching these minimums.
You may be surprised at the discussions you’d have with a wellness coach. You are more likely to talk about what inspires you, your wellness vision, your personal goals and your dreams and aspirations than you are to talk about the breakfast you had last week. Now, be clear that this is not psychoanalysis. A coach acknowledges the varied background, successes, setbacks and triumphs you’ve had in the past, but that is water under the bridge. Be prepared to talk action, to develop a plan, to build accountability structures and to think through real life ways you can be successful with your goals
With the varied background you’ll find with coaches, you’ll notice that each has a unique methodology, philosophy and personality. We all express ourselves differently. If you are considering a coach, make sure to interview your prospective colleague to see if you believe you can reach your goals working with this person. If not, perhaps the coach is not right for you, or perhaps you’d be better off hiring a consultant that guide you and point you in the right direction.
You may or may not have heard of wellness coaching – its a field of health and wellness that is new, exciting, and rapidly evolving. While not everyone knows what a wellness coach is today (similar to the what I suspect people knew of personal trainers 30 years ago), I envision that in another 10 years the term and understanding of the profession will be widespread.
While the term itself may be common in a decade, I suspect that the background and knowledge of wellness coaches will be every bit as varied as those we currently see in any industry that requires a certification rather than a four year degree. I say that not to knock the background and qualifications of most wellness coaches (many are RN’s, personal trainers, registered dietitians, competitive athletes, or other medical professionals), its just to say that the your coach may have a very unique and particular background which may make him or her a good fit or not to work with you.
Why would I hire a coach and not another industry professional?
Are you interested in a career in integrative health and wellness? Integrative health and wellness training and educational programs that are offered at holistic, traditional, and alternative medicine schools to practicing healthcare professionals may include but are not limited to a comprehensive curriculum including courses in acupuncture; chiropractic care; Chinese medicine; conventional medicine; nutritional counseling; and stress management classes.
Part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM); integrative health and wellness educational courses offer learning platforms based on the whole person. Teaching mind-body medicine and disease prevention coursework, integrative health and wellness programs provide diverse treatment classes and training that combine alternative, complementary and conventional medicine that promote natural healing.
Integrative health and wellness training institutions may offer certification in graduate-level courses to health care professionals who wish to expand their medicine expertise. While integrative health and wellness courses vary in curriculum, length and cost, it is always best to check with specific educational institutions to find the learning program that best fits your particular needs.
Several years ago, I had heard of coaching and even used a coach or two, but it was more for getting myself organized and getting my life pointed in the right direction. Like a counselor or a good friend (with expertise!), my coaches helped me to find perspective in my life and helped me get a clear view on where I was struggling. Once I could see the trouble spots, we were able to formulate a specific plan that I had to work and follow until our next meeting. At each meeting we’d review the previous one, discuss how I was coming along with my goals, troubles I might be having attaining those goals or completing tasks, and then coach on those or move on to new goals.
What I didn’t realize is that the coaching I was receiving was helping to change me on the inside and my practice was then changing, too! I was becoming a Health and Wellness Coach. Today, I’m able to consult with patients and clients, to help them realize their health challenges, coach them to set goals for improving their health and well-being, and then chart a course with them to get them to where they want to be.
Here is how I explain coaching:
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