corporate wellness coach (health coach)
A corporate wellness coach (health coach) is a professional who is brought into a corporate or office environment to help employees maintain and improve their health and wellness goals. Unlike a nutritionist or athletic coach, who would assign a specific eating and exercise plan, a wellness coach focuses on advising and helping a client make better choices based on the client’s lifestyle.
Employers may bring in a wellness coach for many reasons, but a primary motive is to improve the health of its employees. This can not only decrease health care costs and reduce absenteeism, but it can also contribute positively to performance, productivity and employee engagement.
A few goals for an employee working with a wellness coach might be:
- Lose and/or maintain a healthy weight
- Learn about disease prevention and curb unhealthy habits
- Reduce stress and anxiety in all areas of life
- Promote a better work-life balance
A corporate wellness coach is not a licensed healthcare professional but instead works one-on-one with employees to educate, guide and counsel using a variety of techniques from keeping a journal to mindfulness training to yoga. A change in employee health can have a positive effect on corporate culture.