Picture this: You have set yourself a goal of losing 10 kg in the next six months but that firm resolve to follow a healthy diet just melts when you see that juicy burger. What if there was some way to eat this burger and not do too much damage to your body? That’s where the role of a wellness coach comes in — this is a person who works closely monitoring your daily progress, changes diet habits, alters lifestyle in a manner that is comfortable with you and still allows you to meet your goal.
Simply put, a wellness coach is a doctor, fitness trainer and psychologist combined into one. Says Prashant Shah, a senior wellness coach with a popular chain of gyms, “The thing is that each person is different and what works for one need not work for the other. Wellness coaching is a very new concept but it is gaining popularity because the results are far more effective. A person like this doesn’t just suggest lifestyle changes but they also review a person’s routine and make alterations that will lead to a healthier life. For example, many working professionals get a sudden craving for junk food towards the end of their working day. Instead of asking them to ignore these cravings, we ask them to actually indulge but alter their workout a little bit to factor in this change.”
According to a recent survey by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which highlighted the fitness trends for 2011, the demand for wellness coaches was right on top. “It’s really no surprise because being fit and healthy is increasingly becoming something that can’t be compromised on and no matter how busy you are, exercise is an absolute must,” says Vineeta Thakar, a fitness coach. Experts also say that the demand for wellness coaches is rising because being fit and healthy are two different things. “There’s a lot of difference between being physically fit and healthy. The emphasis these days is on the latter. So apart from exercises one also needs to de-stress, meditate, eat well and think positive,” she adds.
Wellness trainers say that leading a healthy life is all about striking a balance and making the right choices. “People must understand that their well-being is in their own hands and depends on the decisions they take. For instance, if you’re over-stressed you will never be able to lose weight.
So to bring down the weight not only do you need to exercise, but you also need to manage a healthy work-life balance that’s conducive to weight-loss,” adds Prashant.