When Margaret Moore, founder and CEO of Wellcoaches Corp., explains what wellness coaching is, she says to visualize yourself on your life path. Above you is your goal.

“Now, draw the building blocks to get you there,'” she says.

In the visualization, a wellness coach metaphorically holds a client's ladder and is armed with a safety net in case the client falls while climbing that ladder.

Much like a personal trainer, a wellness coach supports an individual through behavior change, but unlike a personal trainer, the client is treated as the expert regarding his or her life, not the wellness coach. By asking the client probing questions and helping them set smaller goals to reach their overall goal, a coach helps set the path for the client to achieve that goal whether or not it is related to fitness. Coaching can help members reach a myriad of goals, from losing weight to competing in a triathlon to smoking cessation.

Because coaching is less about the gym and more about relationships and building self efficacy, many fitness professionals say wellness coaching — sometimes also called lifestyle or fitness coaching — is the wave of the future, especially when it comes to attracting and keeping deconditioned members. Twenty-seven percent of IDEA Health and Fitness members surveyed for the 2007 IDEA Fitness Programs and Equipment Survey offer lifestyle coaching. Seventy-two percent of those surveyed said that lifestyle coaching was a growing trend, and not one survey respondent thought that it was a program that was declining in popularity.

“People in our industry have a real passion for helping people, and coaching just takes it one step forward,” says Kathie Davis, IDEA Health and Fitness Association executive director.

Davis adds that when group exercise instructors and personal trainers work with members, they only work on exercise, but other factors, such as psychology and time management, also play a part in keeping members on track with their fitness goals. Not only can wellness coaching help in that area, but many times, coaching also can serve as a bridge to other areas of the facility. Coaches often refer their clients to personal trainers for workouts or dietitians for nutrition advice, club operators say. Coaches may also refer clients to a yoga or Pilates class for stress reduction.

“This is definitely a trend for the future,” Davis says. “Lifestyle coaching will continue to grow, and it would be smart for health club owners to try to offer this in their facilities.”

Some people in the industry are even calling wellness coaching “the next personal training” for the industry. Laura Klein, wellness director of The Thoreau Club, Concord, MA, equates the industry's current view of coaching to that of personal training 20 years ago.

“It's definitely a concept whose time has come, but a lot of clubs are waiting to see what other clubs are doing,” she says. “Personal training is just now accepted. Coaching hasn't quite gone over that tipping point yet.”

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