Health Coaching. It’s Time to Change Your Game!

If you’re like so many of us, this month is the time to get wrapped up in March Madness. 68 teams. Hundreds of aspiring young players. Some really good games. A lot of betting, we’re told.

Here’s something else to think about when you’re watching the games – the power of coaching. Sure, each of these players is keen, even driven, but it takes collaboration with team mates and with coaches to bring out their best. The players don’t do it on their own.

We offer Health Coaching at Crossover Health, and while you may not think of me or any of our team like you do the college coaches who are helping these young athletes, we actually do much the same thing. We help people who have ambitions to be healthy, to change lifestyles – to change their games – make these ambitions a reality.

Peak Health

Maybe you set out on a mission to improve your health and well-being. You started out strong on a diet or exercise program but…you’ve found yourself just bouncing right back into your old behavior patterns.

You are not alone. Contrary to popular belief and the captivating messages of the media, changing ingrained behaviors is a slow, incremental, and let’s face it, oftentimes disheartening process. In the words of Mark Twain: “Habit is habit. It is not to be flung out of the window by anyone, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”

So, if you’re finding it a challenge to change your game on your own, a great next step is Health Coaching at Crossover Health. Just like the athletes, coaching can help you focus on your strengths, identify where you need to change and keep you on the right track to your peak health. On this path to better health, you’ll see that the goals you set for yourself don’t have to be done by just yourself.

Health Coaching: One on One

So, what is Health Coaching? Health Coaching is a one-on-one collaborative approach between you and your coach, to tackle any health endeavour. Together we’ll discover your core values and vision, set goals, define actions, revisit and adapt. Coaching will empower you to achieve these goals by connecting you with your inner strengths, wisdom and past successes.

Ask yourself:

• If I could learn anything about living healthier, what would it be?
• What am I like at my best?
• What do I value most about being at my best?
• If I could change one behavior to make life better, what would it be?

All of Crossover’s Health Coaches are health experts, trained and experienced in addressing a wide range of health concerns such as diabetes and heart disease, nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, and overall self care. And a big part of being a Crossover Health member is that we also suggest and refer you to other members of the health care team right at our health center, and collaborate jointly with them to support your progress.

What does that mean, specifically? Well, you might come to Health Coaching through your primary care physician’s recommendation, or because of your annual physical’s results. You might draw on the skills of our physio or chiropractor providers to address pain issues that get in the way of success. You can even use the expertise of our Behavioral Therapists if things like smoking or workplace stress present some roadblocks. And you and your coach can bring in the needed expertise seamlessly, often during one of your visits. It’s unlike anything you’ll find at a regular doctor’s office.

Staying in the Game

Now you feel ready for change, you have your game plan and are ready to go. What’s next? Regular check-ins. Ongoing sessions set health coaching apart from consulting, since only repeated actions can lead to lasting change.

You need a bit of patience to hardwire new habits into your daily routine. Your coach will offer genuine support to help you stay connected to your vision and goal, encourage you to stay in the game, and keep you accountable. You and your coach will address the friction points along the way and adjust your goals to be in alignment with your life’s circumstances throughout the process.

Be a Game Changer

Ready for the tip off for your own game? It’s always better with a coach Everybody can get something out of health coaching:

• Do you have a pressing health concern?
• Don’t know where or how to start?
• Repeatedly struggle with changing a habit?
• Want regular check ins to stay on track and be accountable?

Come in to Crossover Health to see how we can make help you change your own game.