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Finding the right Health Coach

In my practice, I work with many people who are achieving great success in their health. They are committed to exceeding the personal goals we’ve established together and have the trademark determination that so many of us admire. They’re highly motivated and they understand the importance of following their Results4Life roadmap through each milestone. But, sadly, I have observed an equally large number of people who do not go very far on their journey. No matter how much information I provide or how much motivation I try to instill in them, with the passage of time I watch them give up. The question that nagged me for so long was, ‘Why?’

I’ve since learned that some clients are just involved in their health journey, while others are truly committed. To best illustrate the not-so-subtle difference I’m reminded of an old fable. A pig and chicken who felt grateful to their farmer for his years of care and affection, decided they wanted to show him their appreciation. The chicken suggested they make him breakfast one morning, serving up a large plate of bacon and eggs. The pig was quickly concerned, “That’s fine for you. You will only be involved, I’ll be committed.”

“I’ve since learned that some clients are just involved in their health journey, while others are truly committed.”

Some clients leave too many ‘backdoors’ and ‘escape routes’ when involving themselves in their recovery and healthy living pathways, only to bail when it gets too tough. People really only commit when their life is on the line – and unfortunately not enough realise that’s exactly what’s at stake.

The Art of Giving Up Outlined below are some of my observations as to why people give up on long term health:

 Poor Understanding of the Goal Individuals are confused or shortsighted as to what they are trying to achieve. Some think they just want to reduce pain or prevent specific injuries, while others view Results4Life as an approach to simply lose weight or eat better. Many miss the big picture of holistic health benefits. If you can’t see the road ahead, you can’t follow it.

 Health is not a Priority Some take their health for granted. This is particularly true of those people who “feel fine” at the moment and therefore don’t have the motivation to change their habits.

 A lack of Health Coaches and Mentors Without health advocates who are aligned with the goals, personality and individual challenges of the client, people don’t receive the right type of support to advance them on their journey. Not all practitioners are created equal in this regard.

 Laziness This group is comprised of people who complain about their lives rather than attempt to change what is wrong. If you’re not willing to make an effort to improve your own life, most others around you are disempowered to help also.

 Lack of Discipline It’s not easy to change long-standing habits. Even with the right motivation you still need discipline to stick with the rules of the new game plan and not detour from your carefully designed health roadmap.

 Focused on a Quick Fix You can do quick things to feel better, but it’s only temporary. Your body requires time to heal and there is a limit to how fast anyone can accelerate this schedule. When results don’t happen quickly enough individuals can feel disillusioned and demotivated.

 Over-committed Brain Bandwidth People who are over-committed with their time find it difficult to integrate necessary lifestyle change. They explain they are simply too busy to give the appropriate time and focus that is required.

Working together It’s not easy to always eat right, balance appropriate amounts of recreation and work, limit your alcohol consumption and follow a discipline of proactive wellness – especially when you attempt it alone. If you don’t pull together a team of people who support you personally and your specific health and fitness goals, you run the risk of taking detours that could either delay your results or shift your focus entirely away from them.

Don’t design your health journey as a solo trip. Going it alone can leave you frustrated and disappointed. And, let’s face it, without creating a system of accountability, you can quickly lose your motivation. Stickability is essential to everyone’s success. If you don’t have anybody to share in what you are trying to achieve, no one will be there to hold you to your course and celebrate in your achievements.

People who attempt major solo challenges, like climbing Mount Everest or sailing around the world, build a team of people to help them achieve their goals — logistics managers, sponsors, trainers, publicists, physicians, nutritionists, equipment suppliers, maintenance staff, technical advisors and a crowd of often unnamed people who simply cheer them on. Individuals may climb or sail alone, but they don’t truly achieve their success on their own. This shouldn’t be misunderstood.

To get and keep you moving well, you need to assemble a team of people who will accompany you throughout the different stages toward lifelong health and wellness.

The same holds true for your personal health journey. To get and keep you moving well, you need to assemble a team of people who will accompany you throughout the different stages toward lifelong health and wellness. Amongst others your team should include an insightful practitioner, a compassionate family member, understanding peers and a co-operative workplace.

Is Anybody Watching? How many times have you sneaked a chocolate bar, biscuit or other treat when no one was looking? You didn’t want to hear the reprimands that reminded you of childhood days.

We’ve all done it. For some reason, if no one catches us doing the wrong thing, we kid ourselves into believing that it doesn’t count. If we skip a day of exercise, we think no one will notice. If we sit with a lazy posture in the evenings when we are on our own, we feel it won’t disadvantage us. If you miss an occasional health checkup, you rationalise that you’ll just make it up some other time.

This sort of ‘self-talk’ creates gaping holes in the fabric of your discipline and opens escape hatches that permit you to retreat from your health plan. As soon as you start excusing yourself, from the expectations that were originally set, you weaken your chance for success.

To succeed with Results4Life you eventually need to develop internal accountability. This means that ultimately you will become responsible for your own health and wellness decisions, rather than relying on others. You must be passionate about and committed to achieving your goals. You need to become well informed about the choices that will guide you there. Ultimately, you will take authority for your decisions by being disciplined, aware and responsible. This might sound unrealistic and overwhelming at the moment, but that’s alright – we all have to start somewhere.

To get you to this point, it’s much easier than you think. Firstly, you must introduce some external accountability into your life as a counter-measure for overcoming all the natural detractors. With time, this will help develop the necessary internal fortitude to be self-driven. Seek out teammates who will hold you responsible for your self-declared goals. These people can be family, peers or actual practitioners, as long as they all have one set of attributes in common – that of coaches and mentors. Coaches don’t do things for you, they teach you how to do things for yourself! Mentors are characterised by people who through a delicate mix of sensitivity and assertion will share your concerns, understand the fears and challenges, motivate your performance, call you on your commitment and provide the support you’ll need to endure to the end.

Your Personal Health Coach A carefully chosen physiotherapist can make for an essential mentor in helping you achieve better movement and health. I never properly understood this in my early years of practice and, regretfully, though with the best of intentions, assumed the role of a benevolent health dictator instead. I would make decisions for and give instructions to my clients rather than empower them through the process.

“Coaches don’t do things for you, they teach you how to do things for yourself!”

However, in more recent years, I have come to value my coaching and mentoring role as one of the greatest contributions I can make in someone else’s pursuit of wellness.

A trustworthy and effective healthcare practitioner is essential to your team. This is not just a professional, who can diagnose your problem and treat the sore parts, but is someone who will discover and teach you ways to become an active participant in the solution. Your preferred healthcare practitioner must be a strong advocate for your health goals…and not just interested in what they want to achieve for you.

“I have come to value my coaching and mentoring role as one of the greatest contributions I can make in someone else’s pursuit of wellness.”

Over the years, I have spent countless hours counseling my clients, not just in what they need to do to reduce pain, but also in how to be accountable for their wellness. I ring them to check on their progress, equip them to self-manage with detailed exercise diaries, and encourage them with a system of introspective reflection and feedback that keeps them focused and committed. My goal is not to control them, but to support. As they achieve increasingly positive outcomes, I can effectively transfer this accountability from myself to either one of their family members, close friends or training partners. Shortly after they can take control for their own decisions and actions and shore up positive results through their own reasoning. I am a more effective and fulfilled practitioner when I achieve this type of behavioural change in my clients. Succeeding with this is far more important than just getting them pain free, as it’s a sure sign the client is on a self-managed journey to better movement and health.

“Your preferred healthcare practitioner must be a strong advocate for your health goals…and not just interested in what they want to achieve for you.”

The Hub of Your Health Wheel A client once referred to me as the “hub of their health wheel”. I didn’t quite know what they meant at the time, but it wasn’t long before I understood their meaning. I was the central person in the management of all things related to health, fitness, injury and wellness for them. This didn’t mean I was able to solve all of their problems nor was even the most qualified practitioner for some of their concerns. But they came to me first, discussed the situation, and then we worked together to design the right pathway for them (including at times referring to a more suitable practitioner). Plenty of times I would involve a doctor, pharmacist, podiatrist or local sports shoe shop in the overall solution. I was their ‘hub’ and all of the other team players became the ‘spokes’ on their health wheel. What an incredible model for success as this person gradually, over time, became more empowered and energised into taking charge of their own health direction. Like all healthy relationships, this was mutually rewarding and become something I pursued with other clients. Before long, I had matured my ‘hub practitioner’ model to help transfer autonomy and independence to thousands of clients as they journeyed through their own challenges.

Do you have a hub practitioner in your health wheel? Do you know what attributes to look for in this person?

When choosing a ‘hub practitioner’ as your coach or mentor in wellness, put some thought into what you need, want and expect—and be determined not to compromise. There are few things in life more important than your health. You can afford to be selective. You must be willing to make an investment into this relationship over an extended period of time, so it is worth taking time to choose the right person to work with.

When considering a health coach or ‘hub practitioner’, think of some of the following attributes:

 First Impressions You can tell a lot about a practitioner by the way they try to get to know you. What questions do they ask when you first meet? Do they offer a complimentary first visit to introduce themselves, identify your needs and assess your health? Are they quick to acknowledge that other professionals may need to be involved in some of your management? Share your goals and expectations with the providers you’re considering, and ask them direct questions about their philosophy on health care, wellness and treatment strategies. Get a feel for the personality fit, style of accountability and long term perspective.

 Credentials and Education What training, education and qualifications does the therapist have? How invested are they in ongoing professional development and in remaining current with the latest techniques, advances and treatments? Are they registered practitioners of a professional board and members of a professional organisation or peak body that gives you some confidence in their code of conduct? Do they hold accreditation with a quality assurance assessor?

 Experience Regardless of age or years in the profession, does the therapist have experience with your particular condition? Do they have capable and trusted colleagues around them to call upon who can add to their experience?

 Results and Feedback What results does the practitioner get with your area of concern? What do other clients say about them? Ask for direct experiences and feedback from others in similar situations. Proof of the pudding is always in the eating. Who else do you know under the care of this practitioner?

 Fit and Feel Do you feel an instant rapport and connection? Does the practitioner have similar interests or at least demonstrate an empathy and understanding for what you want to achieve? Do you feel comfortable with them? Are they respectful and willing to discuss your health, rather than just give instructions?

 Philosophy of Care What does the practitioner believe with regards to health? What is their philosophy? Do they agree with the mutual partnership and active participation of clients in their own recovery? Do they get bothered when you ask questions? Do they invite you to ask about things you still don’t understand? Are they good educators, and not just ‘doers’? Are they characterised as a more traditional therapist or do they adopt something akin to the more effective Results4Life approach?

 Practise what they Preach Does the practitioner practise what they preach? You wouldn’t engage a bankrupt accountant or a lawyer embroiled in his own legal battles. The best person to help you is the one who has helped himself. Someone who can’t swim certainly can’t save anybody else from drowning. Those therapists who have not applied the same healthcare principles to their own lives—through good nutrition, exercise, and proactive wellness decisions—certainly don’t have the tools to properly mentor you.

 Part of a Team There is not just safety in numbers, but wisdom. The concept of having just one person oversee your healthcare is flawed. The perspective you receive is far too narrow. Look for a practice with multiple providers and strong team integration where they actively consult with one another about your situation. This model delivers real accountability, wisdom and assurances that nothing has been missed.

 Punctuality If you are going to commit to be on time for your appointments, will this practitioner do the same? Or are you more likely to be left sitting in a waiting room because the practice has overbooked? The way others treat your time is a strong indication of the value they place on you.

 Convenience & Accessibility How difficult is it to get an appointment? Does this practitioner keep several daily slots open for emergency visits? Will the therapist make themselves available via phone if necessary? When the therapist is sick or on scheduled leave are there other team members who can provide continuity to your treatment plan? Is it easy to get to their physical location? Are there extended hours of operation so that you can be accommodated early in the morning, late in the evening or even on weekends? Do they have an after-hours service or on-call feature? Back In Motion introduced a free 24 hour injury advice line in direct response to our clients’ demand for convenience. For convenience, it’s like our practices are never closed.

 Affordability Confidently ask about the fee schedules and be clear about what they include so you can determine the value you’ll be getting for the money invested. Effective health care is not necessarily cheap – but it should always be high value. The price of different treatments will vary from practice to practice, but be sure to diligently assess what service standard and results you can expect from your practitioner. Complimentary initial visits, treatment guarantees and the opportunity to package services into more affordable bundles are amongst some of the more progressive payment options provided by reputable practices. Be cautious if these things are not on offer. Rebates on private health insurance or through other government subsidy programs should be a standard offering. If affordability becomes your only reason for not being able to commit to treatment with your preferred practitioner, then I encourage you to raise these concerns.

Love and Trust My professional career has been centred on trying to build, in its simplest form, both love and trust with people. This is also the overarching vision of the Back In Motion Health Group. These attributes represent two essentials that should be sought in every team member, health coach, mentor and practitioner that you invite to accompany you on the health journey.

“Love and Trust … should be sought in every team member you invite to accompany you on the health journey.”

Love might seem like an unusual attribute to seek in a therapist. However, it speaks very directly to the experience you receive under someone’s care. I am convinced if you are not treated like a valued person, with exceptional customer service that exceeds your expectations, then you are unlikely to love visiting the practice. A lack of enjoyment is the top of the slippery slope that eventually causes people not to return. Practitioners cannot get clients better if they decide not to come to their next consultation. So I am convinced that people must love their experience in healthcare (to the extent this is practical) if it’s to achieve the lifelong benefits to which we are committed. As a result, my clients are made to feel like valued members of our broader family. We respect them, care deeply for their results and show them personal attention at every opportunity.

The second core attribute to discover in your therapist is trust. This is possibly more intuitive than the first. Trust speaks to your confidence and belief in the practitioner’s credibility, authority, qualifications and expertise in diagnosing your condition and developing the right health plan. It’s one thing to love visiting a practice, but if you don’t actually get the results you need then warm customer service and a welcoming environment become moot points. Without firm trust most clients find it difficult to follow the advice and direction of their practitioner, and naturally suffer a compromised result.

As a clinician I hold myself accountable to these two high standards of developing love and trust with my clients by reminding myself of what I call the ‘mother test’. I rate any advice, care or recommendations I give a client against the gold standard of how it might differ should I be treating my own mother (grandmother, wife, children). Naturally, immediate family members would be given the best I have to offer due to my intimate and vested personal interest. Why should a client receive anything less? This analogy helps me put time, money and personal bias into perspective and leaves me with a sharp focus to make deliberate decisions I believe are truly in the best interests of the client. Treat them like I would my own family.

Coach or Crutch? An effective health coach provides guidance but doesn’t control. They empower but don’t overpower. Although I want my clients to view me as a valuable resource and ‘hub’ in their health journey, I don’t want them to be dependent on me. I engage them in the decision-making process rather than issuing commands or dictatorial instructions. My belief is that the health coach you are looking for will equip you with their knowledge and tools to eventually help you become a self-guided, self-managed and self-educated health advocate for your own benefit. Build a team of like-minded people that encourage you to become an active force in your own recovery and ongoing wellness. The best advocate for your health will ultimately become you. Ask questions. Get answers.

“An effective health coach provides guidance but doesn’t control. They empower but don’t overpower.”

Don’t take health care lying down. With the right team, the right mindset and the right choices, you are better positioned than most to move well throughout life.

Health Secrets

1 If you are committed you will get better faster and remain healthy for longer. If you are only involved you will generally experience mixed results.

2 Don’t pursue lifelong health alone. It will be more enjoyable and effective when you build a trusted team to journey with you.

3 Invite external accountability around your health decisions until you can confidently rely on internal accountability.

4 The right practitioner will act more like a health coach or mentor rather than just doing things for you.

5 Take great care in selecting the right people to advise you on the wellness journey. Compatibility, love of the experience and trust in the person count for more than people realise.

Actions for Optimal Health

 Review the health secrets of this chapter.

 In the past, have you simply been ‘involved’ in your health program, rather than truly ‘committed’? How much contribution have you made in setting the goals and objectives you are working towards? If you are not excited and determined about succeeding…it’s likely you need to set new expectations about what you are doing. Write on your bathroom vanity mirror, in lipstick or marker pen, two health initiatives you are truly committed to. Every day you brush your teeth you will be reminded of their importance. Don’t wash the mirror for two weeks.

 Sketch out a quick hub and spoke diagram. Put the name of the person who most likely represents your ‘hub practitioner’ in the middle. Add other names or descriptions to the spokes. You may include in this diagram your physiotherapist, local doctor, dentist, personal trainer, best friend or even sports store sales assistant. Have you got the right team? Who might serve as a better ‘hub’ for the purposes of really coaching you to optimum wellness? Create a short list of possible candidates. Seek them out. Assess their compatibility. Make a decision. Move forward with clarity.

 Reflect on whether you have the right physiotherapist on your journey. How does your current practitioner rate against the attributes listed in this chapter? Discuss your new expectations with them. If need be, open yourself to visiting other practices to find the right ‘fit’. Alternative options may be found at the back of this book.