The Role of Health Coaches in the Fitness Industry

The health coaching space continues to grow as more and more people become focused on improving their happiness and achieving their health goals. The wellness industry is erupting with health professionals helping others change their habits to live overall better lives. It’s not uncommon for Integrative Nutrition students to come in with previous experience in the wellness field (such as personal trainers, yoga instructors, nurses, or natural food chefs), looking to gain further knowledge about holistic health and wellness! The Health Coach Training Program offers additional education that expands their current understanding to continue influencing healthy change for themselves and their clients, friends, family, and community.

Specifically within the fitness industry, there are a variety of specializations –personal training, yoga, physical therapy, strength coaching, sports performance, and Pilates, for example – that can benefit from a health coaching certificate to diversify the wellness professional’s services and offerings. It allows clients to feel more trust and confidence with what is shared and expands the coach’s existing role to tackle additional ventures and achieve more!

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and personal trainer Jenny Lam recently shared with us: “I graduated from IIN in 2017, and fast forward to today, I have a full schedule of personal training and health coaching clients. I work as an ambassador with brands like GNC Canada, Fré Skincare, Four Sigmatic, and a local meditation center called The Quiet Company. I’ve been working on a very exciting project with a company that will be launching a fitness app with me as the coach in April and collaborated with a local healthy restaurant called Simple Kitchen Toronto to launch a new menu item called the “SOUL BOWL” inspired by me!” As a Health Coach in the fitness industry, Jenny shows the endless possibilities to provide others with the support and resources they need to achieve health goals!

Just like Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches, fitness professionals share a passion for encouraging others to get well, especially in the form of movement and physical fitness – whether it’s cardio, weight lifting, yoga, running, or something in between. They help others set up healthy routines that can transform not only their bodies but also their overall life satisfaction. By blending this unique set of skills with additional information provided through the Health Coach Training Program, they gain a better understanding of wellness and broaden their clientele and capabilities.

While physical activity is an important aspect of attaining health – and one area of primary food taught in the Health Coach Training Program – fitness professionals can gain value in earning a health coaching certificate and diving even further into it and other areas of primary food. Understanding the things that affect health “off the plate” can help strengthen their confidence and build stronger relationships with themselves and their clients. “The most important lesson that I learned from IIN is the importance of self-love and self-care. I didn’t attract the love of my life until I learned this. The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. Deep love comes from within,” Jenny adds.

One of the incredible things that make Integrative Nutrition so unique is that we dive into all aspects of life that can impact one’s health!