How and Why Coaches Need to Track Client Activity for Optimal Results

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What’s the Best Way to Track Physical Activity?

An important metric coaches and trainers will want to capture is how active your client is throughout their day. Nearly every smartphone available today has a pedometer built into it; for those without a smartphone, the traditional type of pedometer can also be used, including those built into heart rate monitors.

Using Technology to Track Activity

As you can guess, we want to find out how many steps are recorded each day. This will give you a glimpse into whether your client is sedentary, moderately active, or more. Smartphone apps will calculate how many steps are taken throughout the day and will give guidance on what daily metrics are to be factored into any calorie intake advice you provide a client. This is typically represented as mileage total. Some apps will also indicate the number of calories burned by the user. Most of the present-day apps in use tend to set a common goal of 10,000 steps per day for optimal health; this is difficult for many to accomplish, especially professionals who work in office environments.

Even the technology used in these apps is adapting to user preferences, as many of them now will use colored zones and graphics to inform the user of their status toward a goal of 10,000 steps. This, alone, can have a tremendous motivational effect on the user to continue activity levels that will also support many health, wellness, and fitness goals they may have. It is not uncommon for a client to have no clue about how many steps they are/are not taking each day. One of the best benefits is the mindfulness built into the use of these apps.

As noted previously in other articles, meditation is an important practice, serving to move energy or life force throughout the body, as well as calming the nervous system. But meditation also hones our powers of concentration and creates a space of peace and tranquility in our lives. Fortunately, there is an app for training meditation.

These helpful apps are beneficial in several ways. First and foremost, they bring forward a way to take an unknown concept for some (meditation, in this case) and make it a bit more fun for the user. Some versions of this technology have a way to track and compare your metrics over time. And while the novelty of these experiences is great, one important feature of this technology is that it captures how many minutes of meditation is done weekly. For some, this results in a drive to complete a certain number of sessions per week. An app that can track behavior milestones helps support the work of a coach when you cannot be with your client in person.

Other Metrics to Consider

Without crossing over limitations related to the scope of practice, it is strongly recommended that each client you begin working with gets baseline blood work done. If your client has a primary care physician, encourage this lab work be done annually. While evaluating the results of lab work like this goes beyond the scope of this course, a physician can help support your coaching strategies with their knowledge and expertise. Blood work can reveal metrics that are not in an optimal range and a physician may be vital in the process of getting a client back on track. Some clients may find that there is an underlying metabolic immune or hormonal issue, requiring the expertise of a physician or functional medicine practitioner to diagnose and treat.

Where Can You Learn More About Tracking Clients’ Activity Levels?

A key aspect of the Integrative Health Coach Certification is focused on measuring, tracking, and documenting client activities and progress. It is also focused on using these tools for motivation and program adherence.

The health and wellness of our world are changing, there is no disputing this fact.  Coaches, trainers and healthcare professionals working to enhance lives are on the front lines and right now, Certified Integrative Health Coaches are positioned to help shape a future of shifting healthcare responsibilities.

Check out what it takes to start a career in personal fitness training. This is your most affordable and fastest way to become a highly qualified personal trainer.

Is your recertification coming up? Learn more about earning your CEU credits. You can find the full list of CEU courses here.

There is always something exciting about earning a new training or coaching certification and applying that new knowledge of how you train your clients. This also helps you hit the reset button.

NESTA and Spencer Institute coaching programs are open to anyone with a desire to learn and help others. There are no prerequisites.

That’s it for now.

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NESTA | Spencer Institute

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