Coaching

n Coaching helps people transform themselves and their lives.

n It impacts people’s visions and values.

n It empowers people to reshape their way of being, thinking, doing, acting and reacting.

n Coaching challenges and supports people in achieving higher levels of performance.

n It equips people to recognize how to bring out the best in themselves.

n It guides people through a deep learning process that results in new skills, capabilities and more confidence.

n Lifestyle coaching involves expanding people’s capacity to take effective action.

IDEA PERSONAL Trainer February 2002

s personal trainers, we tend to respond directly to questions our clients pose. We offer the answers. We motivate our clients with encouraging words and by setting a good example.

Unlike personal training, the client chooses the focus of each lifestyle coaching conversation, while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions.

The following illustrates the Five-Step Coaching Conversation
and provides sample questions you can ask clients to keep them moving toward their goals. This coaching conversation model is a basic coaching process. Keep in mind that individuals gain many other skills and competencies while learning to become a professional coach. Also included in each step are sample questions
to ask during the personal training session.

Step 1: Focus the Conversation

Lifestyle Coaching Session

During training or coaching, clients may bring up challenges or problems that have caused them to revert to prior unhealthy habits and then continue to talk about other things. You might ask the following questions:

Personal Training Session

Step 2: Discover the Possibilities

Lifestyle Coaching Session

During personal training sessions, conversations are more challenging. Try to keep questions brief.

Personal Training Session

Step 3: Plan the Action

Lifestyle Coaching Session

This conversation can flow in between or during training, depending on the level or intensity of the program.

Personal Training Session

Step 4: Removing Barriers

Lifestyle Coaching Session

It’s possible to add value to your personal training sessions by allowing clients to resolve their own problems.

Personal Training Session

Step 5: Review and Next Steps

Lifestyle Coaching Session

Clients are sometimes unaware that during the session they are solving a problem that has impeded their progress. Afterward they feel a renewed sense of motivation.

Personal Training Session

Usually this five-step process takes place during a 30-minute lifestyle coaching session and administering it is a learned skill. Some clients many jump from Step1: Focus the Conversation,
right into Step 3: Planning the Action, without looking at all the possibilities. In that case, a coach brings them back to Step 2: Discover the Possibilities, with a powerful question.

Certainly, lifestyle coaching is more of a challenge to practice during a personal training session. Privacy is compromised,
the environment might be noisy and the client may be distracted. Coaching works best when the client and the coach are fully
engaged in the process without distractions.

A

(Adapted with permission from Coach U.)

IDEA PERSONAL Trainer February 2002 Lifestyle