Every once in a while we all need a kick in the bum
I’m a huge fan of health coaches and personal trainers. That should be no surprise since I am a health coach and spent some amazing years as a Poliquin Strength coach. What exactly do they do and how do you know if you need one? Well, I’m a big believer that everyone can benefit from having a coach, even a coach. They help you reach your goals and can look at where you are with an unbiased eye and help lead you to where you want to go. If you’re having a hard time getting to where you want to be then it’s time to look at your options.
First you have to think about what your goals are. Obviously we all want to feel and look the best we can but usually there is something else that we’re seeking, even if it’s subconscious and we haven’t quite figured it out yet. That’s also the job of a health coach, to help you figure out exactly where you want to be and what that looks like, and get you there. Wether it’s hormonal imbalance, endometriosis, infertility, weight loss,learning how to eat a cleaner diet, eating the best possible diet through pregnancy and breastfeeding or even getting stronger.
Having been diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 18 and after years and years of ovarian cysts and listening to doctors tell me that my chances of getting pregnant were slim I now focus on working with moms. That includes moms-to-be that are having a hard time getting pregnant or keeping a pregnancy and all the way through lactation and then learning how to nourish (not just feed) a growing family. That’s my specialty, it’s what I spend all my time researching, learning about and bettering myself at even though right now I personally may have a different goal.
That’s why I will always be a firm believer that even coaches need coaches. Sometimes our goals are different than the goals of the clients we have become experts in working with. Having an unbiased eye checking on us can keep us honest and having someone push you past your comfort zone can help you go places you never thought you’d go. Being held accountable for the steps we take in an attempt to reach our goals can makes us work harder. Thats also the beauty of personal trainers and strength coaches and thats probably why group exercise and CrossFit has become so popular, having other people around that are pushing themselves will encourage you to push yourself. That’s also why the buddy system works so well. Just imagine having a buddy system with someone who makes it their business to get you to where you want to be; that’s what a good coach does.
Sometimes the trick is finding a good coach. You want to find someone that absolutley loves what they do, someone who loves it so much that you can feel it. Chosing a coach that became a personal trainer because they love spending time in the gym and could use a little extra cash probably isn’t the best choice. You want the trainer who researches, who takes workshops, who is constantly trying to learn more and is up to date on changes and is constantly trying to better him/herself. Nerds tend to make great coaches, because we love to keep learning about things even after we’ve researched so much we think we’ve covered it all, because we know that you can never know too much. We’re the ones that given the opportunity will probably talk your ear off about our area of passion but may not want to get into it with someone who’s obviously not interested. We like to debate about which way is better and then learn from each other and grow and aren’t intimidated by other great coaches but take opportunities with them as incredible learning experiences.
Hopefully now you’ve come to the realization that you can benefit from a coach. I know a lot of amazing ones so when in doubt let me know what kind of goals you’re trying to reach and I’ll do my best to point you in the direction of an amazing coach, or I’ll find someone who can. Remember that success doesn’t happen overnight, it takes lots of hard work that goes unseen, never stop pushing yourself towards your goals.