How to use fitness coaching to reach your exercise goals

If you’re struggling to determine which exercises will help you reach your wellness goals, you may benefit from fitness coaching. Fitness coaching is a type of coaching that works on your physical health as well as your overall well-being, including your mental health.

Fitness coaching works best for people looking to create lasting habits to improve their health. Working with a fitness coach can help balance your physical and mental health to increase the impact of your workouts.

What is fitness coaching?

A fitness coach helps you meet long-term health and fitness goals in a way that’s sustainable for your lifestyle. Unlike personal trainers, fitness coaches focus on more than just exercise to help you develop healthy habits.

Similar to a health coach, a fitness coach will consider the following factors to help you become healthier overall:

• Diet and nutrition programs
• Stress management techniques
• Medical history
• Physical fitness level
• Healthy habits for disease prevention
• Mental fitness

Benefits of working with a fitness coach 

Anyone can benefit from working with a fitness coach. Whether you want to lose weight, build strength, or improve your mobility, fitness coaching can help you develop long-term habits to meet and maintain your wellness goals.

Personalized guidance & expertise

Fitness coaching is both an art and a science. There is no one-size-fits-all regimen that will work for everyone. Your fitness coach will help you create a routine that takes the following into account: 

• Your individual short- and long-term goals
• Your motivation
• Any existing health conditions
• Your daily schedule
• The equipment you have access to

Because fitness coaching programs can be tailored to your unique needs, they can help you find realistic workarounds for your exercise or health barriers. Possible issues a coach can help you work on include an unpredictable work schedule, family caretaking responsibilities, or frequent traveling.

Increased impact from workouts

Fitness coaching can lead to better results from your personalized workouts because it’s meant to build sustainable habits. While personal trainers may help you with short-term goals like losing weight for an event, they give less consideration to maintaining healthy habits after you reach your goal.

However, regular physical activity and the benefits of exercise have long-term impacts like the following:

• Better bone health
• Reduced risk of falling during old age
• Lower risk of several types of cancers
• Reduced risk of dementia during old age
• Lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension
• The ability to age well

Improved motivation & accountability

When it comes to hitting the gym, it’s easy to put off the responsibility and skip workouts. A 2021 survey of 1,743 US adults revealed that Americans waste roughly $397 million annually on unused gym memberships. Working with a fitness coach adds accountability, knowing you’ll be reporting your progress. 

Fitness coaches are invested in your success. They take the time to understand your strengths and weaknesses at the beginning of your relationship. This way, they can provide tailored motivation that resonates with you and nudges you in weaker moments.

How physical fitness & mental health are linked

Physical activity improves all aspects of your health, including your mental health. Exercise has many well-established mental health benefits, including the following:

• Lower levels of anxiety 
• Lowers levels of depression
• Improved emotional regulation
• Better ability to cope with stress
• Improved sleep
• Improved self-esteem
• A more resilient mindset

The connection between exercise and happiness

Exercise lowers your risk of depression, but it also increases your happiness. Physical activity increases the production of chemicals in your brain, like endorphins, dopamine, and adrenaline. These chemicals are associated with positive feelings like the following:

• Happiness
• Confidence
• Stress management
• Feeling capable

Additionally, movement impacts your brain chemistry in a way that makes it easier to connect with others. This can decrease feelings of social isolation and loneliness while building a sense of belonging.

How to approach fitness with self-love

Whatever your goal, balancing your fitness journey with self-love is essential. This means maintaining a positive view of yourself and your abilities.

Prioritizing self-love is especially important when you want to lose weight or hit your fitness goals. Instead of focusing on your physical appearance as a goal, try cultivating an appreciation for your body and all it enables you to do. 

If you struggle with body image, consider exploring personal coaching. Personal coaches can help you talk through mental battles against negative body image and low self-esteem.

What to expect from fitness coaching

When you first enlist the help of a fitness coach, you may not have clearly defined goals or know how you want to achieve them. Throughout your fitness coaching sessions, your coach will guide you every step of the way using the following strategies:

• Reviewing your medical history and any health conditions
• Clarifying your goals and underlying motivation
• Helping you set long-term goals to improve your health and fitness
• Working with you to develop healthy habits outside of your workout plans, such as healthy eating and stress relief
• Evaluating your progress and adjusting benchmarks or methods as needed

Your fitness coach can also refer you to healthcare professionals for routine health checks, disease prevention, and other self-care needs.

How to maximize the impact of fitness coaching

While your fitness coach can help clarify your goals and work through obstacles, it’s important to remember coaching is a two-way street. You must be committed to embracing change to get the most out of your coaching sessions.

Here are a few ways you can get the most out of your fitness coaching sessions

• Self-reflection: Before each training session, reflect on your progress. What has been easy about following your customized plan? What has been challenging? Do you need to make any adjustments?
• Come prepared: Make it a goal to enter each session with a few specific ideas or concerns you want to cover. This will help you and your coach jump right into meaningful conversation, maximizing your time together.
• Choose a quiet environment: If you’re doing a virtual coaching session, find a quiet space to focus on your session and avoid distractions. This may mean doing the session away from your desk and turning off your phone to prevent interruptions.
• Be honest: Didn’t follow your fitness plan this week? Be honest. Coaching requires transparency to work. Plus, honesty allows you to address what prevented you from exercising to better set yourself up for success.
• Remain open-minded: Your coach may suggest new ideas or methods to help you reach your goals. Staying open to new approaches will help you find the best ones.
• Follow through on your action steps: Progress requires action. Consider how you can best prioritize your fitness goals and commit to them.
• Book regular sessions: Regular check-ins with your fitness coach enable you to maintain progress and overcome challenges. Plus, they add extra accountability to help keep you on track.

Do you need a fitness coach?

Just because anyone can benefit from fitness coaching doesn’t mean that everyone needs a fitness coach. Here are a few signs that hiring a fitness coach may be worth the investment:

• You don’t know which workout types will help you achieve your goals
• You’ve struggled to hit a healthy weight loss target
• You’re regularly skipping workouts that you want to prioritize
• You’re recovering from an injury or have a health condition
• You want to ensure you’re exercising properly and safely
• You want someone to consult about other aspects of your mental and physical health, such as nutrition guidance and sleep; fitness coaching, nutrition coaching, and sleep coaching can all be paired together to achieve better health

Working with a fitness coach can also help reduce your risk of workout-related injuries by ensuring your workouts aren’t overly exhausting or strained.

Is online fitness coaching as impactful as in-person training?

Because much of fitness coaching is based on conversation, online fitness coaching can be as effective as in-person coaching. Choosing online coaching vs. in-person training will depend on your preferences and schedule.

A few benefits of choosing virtual fitness coaching include:

• Flexibility and convenience in scheduling
• A more diverse pool of experienced coaches to choose from
• Being able to take your coaching session and workouts anywhere
• A wider variety of coaching rates to choose from to help meet your budget

What to look for in a fitness coach

When choosing a fitness coach, the most important thing to consider is your level of comfort and trust in them. Beyond making sure your personalities mesh well, you should also consider the following:

• Certifications: Look for a fitness coach with relevant certifications from reputable fitness industry organizations to ensure they have the necessary knowledge.
• Passion for fitness: If your coach isn’t excited about fitness and well-being, chances are you won’t be either. Find a fitness coach who makes you feel energized about positive lifestyle changes.
• Empathy: The better your fitness coach understands your perspective and feelings, the better they can help you.
• Availability: If you want to commit to regular coaching sessions, you’ll need a fitness coach with enough flexibility to accommodate your desired schedule.
• References: If you’re feeling uncertain about working with a particular fitness coach, ask them for references from past clients willing to share their thoughts.

How to get started with fitness coaching

Fitness coaching can improve holistic wellness and lead to sustainable change. To connect with a fitness coach, search your area online or ask your fitness center’s staff if they have any recommendations.

If you think you’d benefit from a personal coach to help with things like your mindset, negative self-talk, or motivation, consider working with a BetterUp coach. BetterUp coaches work with you 1:1 to help you achieve your goals faster. Find the best coach for your needs.