If you have set a few health goals this year and have already started to achieve them, the Swasthya community appreciates your efforts and wishes you the best of health. It can be challenging for you to change certain habits and adopting a new healthy lifestyle on your own. We want you to know that you are not alone. Swasthya is a community of fitness enthusiasts and coaches who can help you in your endeavors to get healthy.

What is health coaching?

You can achieve any health goal with proper guidance daily. We have total belief in you that you can do it. There are millions of people starting their weight loss journey today along with you. Do you think following a blog on the internet will work for all of them? Do you think taking advice from someone who does not have any experience in the health domain will work for you?

No, it is unlikely that an app or virtual coach will work for everyone. You are unique and you need something that will work for you. You cannot be experimenting with your health. You cannot follow a random article or half-baked advice from a blogger. It would help if you had someone to monitor and guide you through your unique journey, someone who will work with you and help you achieve your goals in a reasonable amount of time. Health coaching is all about proper guidance. Your own personal health coach can provide motivation and a host of benefits to you.

Who is a health coach?

A health coach helps you to move forward if you get stuck in your health journey. He or she will figure out the reasons that are keeping you from reaching your goals and push you to pursue the plan. Your health coach will guide you by analysing your specific circumstances, challenges and problems to provide specific solutions tailor made for you. On Google, you will find generalised, hardcoded guidelines that may or may not work for you.

A health coach can help you design your health goal by considering your current progress and body type. Remember, you are unique. There is no one like you and one plan doesn’t work for all.

Your health coach is your compass that allows you to navigate and determine your position and course through the choppy waters of a weight loss journey.

Why do you need a health coach?

"If I need some medicine, I will take the advice of a doctor or medical professionals. I will not go to the local Kirana store and seek solutions. In the same way, if I have important health goals, I must find a health coach who will assist and advise me."

If you have decided to work on your health, have a strong desire and a clear goal for the next four months, then this the time when your health coach comes into the picture. More so if you are unclear where or how to start, your coach will set your plan in motion.

In this age of technology, there is no dearth of information, statistics, and methods on how to be healthy. There are websites, articles, videos, podcasts, lectures, webinars, books etc. at our fingertips. Most of these assets remind us that we should consume well, keep up blood circulation, sleep adequately and reduce stress. Some assets endorse specific exercises to comply with whilst others provide a "manner of life" approach. These statistics may be confusing and overwhelming, even paralysing you from taking action or making lifestyle changes.

They can also appear too complicated, create doubts and misconceptions around certain ways of weight reduction which may not be healthy. Moreover, many, well-known sources of information provide specific commands of WHAT to do but the guidelines on HOW to do it are insufficient to achieve the results you may be seeking. This is precisely the area in which a health coach can play an essential role. A health coach is your go-to person, guide, advocate, and partner who will clear the way to your desired goals.

We have always had a coach since we were born but we often overlook that coaching. Our parents were our first coaches who taught us to eat, walk, speak and play. When we were sent to school, our teachers were our coaches.

They taught us literacy, maths, science, craftsmanship, vocational training, civic and life skills. Our friends taught us how to enjoy parties and have fun responsibly. At work, we may be lucky to learn under an inspiring manager who helps us through our professional journey.

So why hesitate to seek help of a coach when you start working on your health plan? A health coach can listen to you, understand you, focus on your needs and make your journey smoother.

The psychology of having a health coach

When you read some blogs on losing weight for a month, you will gain knowledge. However, when a coach guides you to lose weight over a month, you will get the benefit of his or her experiences. You will feel the vibes and connect first hand with the genuine wisdom of your coach. You will get their "तपा हुआ ज्ञान". "तपा हुआ ज्ञान" means your health coach will share the practical applications and results from actual plans - what was learnt and applied, not just what was read on the internet or through books.

Where can you find your health coach?

Finally, let me tell you a secret that nobody will tell you.

A health coach should be healthy, energetic and willing to help. Your health coach will give you consistent support. A health coach is someone who motivates and is passionate about empowering people to achieve their health goals. Your health coach is engaged in continuous education to keep up with new learnings, trends and effective means to healthy goals.

Swasthya is a community of like-minded fitness and health enthusiasts who believe that prevention is better than cure. They are actively engaged in the cause of Obesity Free Nation by following time-tested well-being principles.

Setting and attaining fitness goals may be challenging. However, health coaches assist you to push beyond barriers, to switch from a cluttered lifestyle to a more healthy way of life. With expanded power and motivation, you will be capable of doing more, being there for others and enjoying life to the fullest in the best of health.

We at Swasthya are here to help you.

- Shubham

Why Do You Need A Coach

National Triglycerides Day