Coaching Skills for Deep Empathy
Psychologist Carl Rogers believed that every person is naturally inclined to grow in a positive direction, not only for themselves but for society and their community. Rogers therefore suggested that it’s unhelpful and unnecessary to center a coaching or therapeutic relationship on telling, directing, and prescribing. When such relationships are grounded instead in authenticity, warmth, […]
Natural Health: Access to Nature Improves Mental Health, Physical Activity and Chronic Diseases
Have you ever wandered to a local park after a long day or a long week, taken a deep breath, and felt stress and tension leave your body? You are not alone. Just 20 minutes per day of exposure to natural environments decreases stress and improves cognitive function, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity and sleep. Chronic […]
First, You: Self-Care Strategies for Caregivers
Fitness professionals and medical professionals provide care to clients and patients everyday, as do the thousands of others caring for family members, friends and their communities. When you’re so focused on providing care for others, you may lose sight of caring for yourself.
First, You: Strategies for Self-Care in Health Care
“Painful feelings are, by their very nature, temporary. They will weaken over time as long as we don’t prolong or amplify them through resistance or avoidance. The only way to eventually free ourselves from debilitating pain, therefore, is to be with it as it is. The only way out is through.” ― Kristin Neff, Self-Compassion: The […]
Supporting Your Clients’ Emotional Needs
Exercise professionals help clients with more than just physical health. How can we support their mental health while looking after our own emotions too? Check out these tips.
How to Create Fitness Resolutions that will Actually Stick
A staggering number of highly-inspired people will choose to set lofty goals come January 1, despite the universal knowledge that resolutions aren’t easy to stick to. We need all the help we can get. One trick? Framing and stating goals a particular way. Here are six examples of resolutions that can lead to real athletic […]
Assisting the Apprehensive Exerciser
When meeting with new clients looking to lose weight or get in better shape, you may find that many are dealing with internal negativity and self-doubt. It’s important to know how to help them through these emotional barriers, improving their chances of a successful fitness journey.
Five Practices for Staying Calm, Focused and Productive during the Holidays
Life is busy, stressful and unpredictable — particularly during the holiday season. Practice all five of these suggestions and you’ll find you have more focused and intentional time than you thought to tackle work tasks, home life and more.
Three Cheers for Ambivalence!
One element of the many skills developed as part of a coaching approach is the use of motivational interviewing (MI)(1). MI first emerged as a means of supporting people to manage significant and enduring addictions; however, its efficacy generally in supporting behavioral change is well documented. MI is a collaborative and conversational engagement with the […]
Associations between Physical Health and Brain Health: Uncovering the Brain-Fitness-Adiposity Relationship in Children
Childhood obesity is an epidemic affecting over 340 million youth worldwide, with rates continuing to increase each year. Importantly, childhood obesity does not occur in isolation, as rates of physical inactivity are also increasing, with children and teens being less physically active now than in the past. These areas of public health are incredibly interrelated, […]