What Are the Different Health Coach Jobs?

Health coach jobs are available for individuals who wish to help others lead healthier lifestyles. There are many types of health coach jobs available, as certain coaches focus on specific areas of health such as weight loss, nutrition, or stress management, while others focus on a more integrated, whole-body approach to health. Some health coaches work independently, providing counseling through a private clinic or online, while others work at hospitals, spas, and gyms.

Many health coaches specify on one certain area of health, including changing diets or managing stress better. In this type of health coach job, individuals set up appointments with coaches to evaluate their current lifestyle approaches. This can include such tasks as reading through medical histories and diet journals to find out more about the way that an individual client leads his or her life. Suggestions are then made that are specific to the client's goals, such as organizing a healthy eating plan, or teaching the client about different types of foods and portion management.

Some health coach jobs focus on certain techniques that can be helpful to clients, such as massage, acupuncture, or hypnosis. All of these areas require specific training in the field, which can often be found at an institute specializing in complementary medicine. Health coaches can provide more counseling if they are trained specifically in the field of health counseling. It is possible to become a health coach through many different paths, including nutrition, health sciences, or health psychology.

Holistic health coaches generally look at a person's entire lifestyle and suggest many different routes for treatment or improvement. The coach might perform tests in an individual, refer him or her to other practitioners in health areas, or observe diet and exercise changes. Many of these could be happening at the same time, and the health coach is responsible for overseeing the entire process and making sure that the individual is on a plan that can lead him or her to a successful outcome, meaning that he or she becomes healthier over time.

There are many different locations where health coach jobs can be found. Gyms often provide health coaching for their members, as do spas or resorts that focus on healthy lifestyles. If an individual is having medical problems, he or she might be referred to a health coach at a hospital to help support the person in making healthier lifestyle choices.