The word "coach" refers to the English word for carriage. A coach sees himself as a companion and helps his clients to achieve their goals like a carriage. These goals are as varied as the coaching services on offer:
There is coaching for business, for personal development or for the implementation of professional or private projects. Coaching is based on scientific findings and methods, but is not therapy.
Coaching focuses on the individual needs of the client. Movement coaching is designed to help people find their motivation and enjoyment of movement. The aim is not to achieve performance targets, but to rediscover individual strengths. This is the only way people can enjoy the health-promoting effect of exercise.
In exercise coaching, the coach adapts to the abilities and possibilities of their clients so that everyone can participate.
Exercise helps to prevent chronic illnesses, which are particularly common in old age. @ Studio Romantic / AdobeStock
Exercise coaching is particularly helpful for people who have not had any exercise in their daily lives for a long time. Be it because of physical impairments or illnesses. There are many reasons for this.
Lack of exercise in everyday life is a major problem for many people. Germans' everyday lives are mostly divided between the office, car journeys and leisure time. We hardly do any active exercise.
It becomes even more difficult when people are restricted in their movement due to illness or injury. This is because we humans are naturally designed for movement. We need physical activity to stay healthy, fit and productive.
A lack of exercise leads to a variety of health problems:
- We need to regularly challenge our cardiovascular system to keep it efficient. If you don't exercise, you become short of breath and weak and lose stamina.
- The human metabolism is dependent on movement in order to utilize food effectively.
- Exercise helps to maintain or even reduce body weight.
An active life has many positive effects on the musculoskeletal system:
- Bone density and muscle strength are improved through regular exercise.
- The sense of balance is trained.
- Joints are more resilient and the entire musculoskeletal system becomes more stable.
- Exercise has a very healthy effect on blood sugar levels. Even light, regular exercise lowers these levels and normalizes insulin levels. This information is not only interesting for diabetics, as high insulin levels also cause food cravings in healthy people, making weight loss more difficult.
- Exercise also has a very positive effect on the brain and the psyche: exercise improves blood flow to the brain and supports the formation of new nerve cells.
- Exercise has a healing effect on people with depression. Especially if they can exercise in the fresh air and enjoy the daylight and good company.
Lack of exercise often has a long history. Many people are born with a completely natural urge to move. As children, we love to run across meadows or ride our bikes. Simply because it's fun, and not because the ride serves a purpose. The older we get, the more we lose the joy of movement: Partly because we learn to sit still at school. In sports lessons, the focus is on performance (rather than enjoyment).
Many people find this competition stressful. They want to have carefree fun with natural movement. But they lose this through the pressure to perform.
Many have to force themselves to do sport. They give up in frustration because they don't enjoy it. If they are also overweight or ill, it becomes increasingly difficult to motivate themselves.
This is where an exercise coach can be invaluable. As a companion, the coach provides valuable tips and motivating feedback. Body and soul come back into harmony when people discover their abilities in movement coaching without any pressure to perform. A coach provides support and helps to overcome obstacles and find an individual fitness plan.
Sports that are easy on the joints are suitable for overweight people @ Vadym / AdobeStock
Coaching is about solution-oriented ways to help people help themselves. A coach shows their clients how they can implement their wishes and goals in everyday life.
They also impart specialist knowledge and provide practical assistance. Exercise coaching is all about movement, but also about supporting topics:
- What does my diet have to do with my performance?
- How can I develop a positive relationship with my body again?
- Which training is suitable for me if I suffer from physical limitations?
- Can I regain my old form even after being bedridden for a long time? How can exercise help to reduce stress in everyday life?
- Why is exercise an effective preventative measure against illness?
- How can sport and exercise support my rehabilitation?
- How can I gently improve my fitness with an underlying illness?
Exercise coaching leaves room for individual problems. The right exercises can be found in a personal discussion between exercise coach and client.
Each client receives a tailor-made program to improve their own fitness and prevent illness.
Exercise coaches also provide advice for teams and companies in occupational health management. They show them how they can incorporate exercise into their everyday working life.
The first port of call when looking for a suitable exercise coach is the internet. Many coaches have their own website with a detailed description of their services.
Customer opinions and online reviews also help with the selection process. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Coaching e.V. offers a search function on its website with many filters that allow you to search for specific offers.
You will also find selected specialists on this page who you can contact directly.
