Erika Schlick Shares Why Having a Health Coach Can Be Beneficial 

Have you ever heard the saying about how, if we all ate the same food and exercised the same amount, everyone’s bodies would still look different? It’s not only a reminder that diet and exercise varies widely for everyone — nor is it something that should be completely motivated by external appearances — but it emphasizes that maintaining health is never a one-size-fits all approach.

Committing to good health and wellbeing is a complex, multi-faceted, and ever-changing process. It’s also something that requires a great deal of experimentation throughout our lives as we try to figure out what works for us, and also what we enjoy. That’s why people might turn to dieticians and personal trainers to help them tailor a health regimen specific to them. 

But what about when it’s more than just what to eat and how to keep active? What about when you are searching for the core motivation to improve your health — both physically and mentally? Have you ever asked if what you actually need is a health coach?

What is a Health Coach?

“Think of a health coach as a partner through your health journey,” says certified coach Erika Schlick. “A health coach isn’t someone who draws up a plan for you to follow and leaves you alone to follow it.” In essence, a health coach is the person who helps you find your core “why” and motivation. Schlick is in a unique position to help other people find their “why”, having been through a life-changing health experience with Lyme Disease. 

“In 2012, I went on my third camping trip to Yosemite, and little did I know that trip would change my life forever,” she explains. “After the trip, I came down with a weird flu that would come and go. It was not uncommon for me to get colds or flus often, but what was different with this flu was that it never really went away. I just kept getting sicker, more exhausted, and felt really out of it.” 

For two years, Schlick went from doctor to doctor before she was diagnosed with lyme disease. In 2017, she finally went into remission, and since then she has transformed her attitude and approach to health and wellness.

Find That Motivation

“If you’re sick, you go to the doctor, right?” Schlick asks. “If you are having personal issues, you may seek guidance from a counselor or therapist. If you want to enhance your value within a certain field, you might go back to school.” The common factor in these examples, she says, is the motivation to grow and/or heal. “But what about improving your health?” she adds. 

This is where there is a gap. While many of us have good intentions for our health, actually accounting for this in our daily lives is challenging. The purpose of a health coach is to set goals and then lay the path to help you get there. “When you work one on one with a health coach, you don’t just set goals together, you create an actionable plan that helps you achieve your goals realistically,” Schlick says.

Accountability to Make That Change 

Usually, it’s not a lack of desire to make a change that prevents people from meeting their health goals, but rather lack of accountability. The primary benefit of a health coach is that they can keep you accountable. “If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, get healthy, or implement integral lifestyle shifts, meeting with a health coach bolsters your ability to change,” Schlick says. “You’ve got someone right there with you cheering you on and challenging you to commit to the lifestyle changes that you most value, or will best serve your overall health and wellbeing.” Not only this, but there’s someone to “check in with you” when motivation might normally dwindle.

Become the Healthiest Version of Yourself

Having experienced chronic illness herself, Schlick knows well that your health is your wealth. She also knows that being healthy goes beyond standard exercise and diet. “Especially for those suffering from illness, it’s absolutely crucial to have a health advocate, particularly when it comes to exploring alternative healing modalities outside of conventional western medicine,” she says. “Generalized diagnoses can be extremely disheartening when you’re in pain or suffering. A health coach advocates for you and helps you embark on the trail to health.”

Working with a health coach means getting health conscious, and actively taking the steps to grow into, and sustain a better version of you. Like anything in life, there’s no shame in seeking out a little help — it might just be the best investment in yourself you could make

— Erika Schlick is a personal health coach. Find out more on her blog, thetrailtohealth.com.