What is a Health Coach?

/ WellcomeMD/

A health coach is a trained professional who serves as a partner and guide in your journey toward a healthier lifestyle.1 Unlike a doctor who diagnoses illnesses or a nutritionist who might prescribe a specific meal plan, a health coach focuses on behavior change and sustainable habits.

Think of them as the bridge between a doctor’s recommendation (e.g., "You need to lower your blood pressure") and your daily reality (e.g., "How do I actually cook healthy meals while working a 50-hour week?").

What They Do

Health coaches use techniques like motivational interviewing and positive psychology to help you uncover your own reasons for wanting to change.3 Their work generally covers these areas:

  • Goal Setting: Breaking down big health ambitions into "SMART" (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals.

  • Accountability: Regular check-ins to see what’s working and what’s not.4

  • Problem Solving: Identifying barriers—like stress, poor sleep, or a busy schedule—and finding creative ways to bypass them.5

  • Holistic Support: Addressing lifestyle factors beyond just food, including stress management, sleep hygiene, and physical activity.6

Additional Tests Available with a WellcomeMD Wellness Session

  • Grip strength test measures your hand's squeezing power, using a handheld dynamometer, you’ll squeeze it as hard as possible with your elbow bent at 90 degrees. You will do this test three times per hand, to take an average of the results. It's a simple way to gauge overall muscle strength, with scores compared to norms for age and sex.

  • The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), is a simple assessment where a person walks as far as possible in six minutes on a flat surface to measure their exercise capacity and functional fitness, helping the doctor evaluate heart/lung conditions, monitor treatment effectiveness, and gauge daily activity ability.

  • A Precision Nutrition Diet Guide is a personalized approach to eating that moves away from "one-size-fits-all" dietary advice. Instead of following a generic food pyramid, it uses your unique biological data—such as genetics, gut microbiome, and metabolism—to determine exactly which foods will help your body thrive. 

  • The Stride Health DNA test uncovers valuable information about optimizing how you train, eat, and feel your best. Get 40+ personalized reports covering methylation profile, nutrition, fitness, sleep, stress, and skin genetic insights.

Why People Hire Them

Many people know what they should do to be healthy, but struggle with the how. A health coach is helpful if you:

  • Feel overwhelmed by conflicting health advice online.

  • Have been diagnosed with a chronic condition (like Type 2 diabetes) and need help managing it.

  • Keep starting and stopping health "kicks" and want something that actually sticks.

  • Want a non-judgmental partner to help you navigate lifestyle changes.9

Credentials to Look For

Because "health coach" is not a legally protected title in many places, anyone can technically use it. To ensure you’re working with a qualified professional, look for:

  • NBC-HWC: National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (the "gold standard").

  • Certifications from accredited bodies like NSHC, NASM, or ACE

  • Backgrounds in nursing, psychology, or exercise science.

This holiday season, WellcomeMD has created not one but TWO wellness programs to purchase as a gift for family and friends. Our wellness packages are available for non-members and include four one-on-one in person sessions with our certified health coach, Gregory Anthony.

If you have a friend or family member you feel could benefit from our new program, give them the gift of health this holiday season! If you have any questions about this program, please contact our membership director, Kayla Bowery. Call her at (804) 409-8559, or email her at kayla.bowery@wellcomemd.com.