Is coaching needed? Is there evidence that it works? There are many reasons why coaching is needed, but we’ll just highlight one. A study conducted by the University of Scranton states “just 8 percent of people achieve their New Year’s goals,” says US clinical psychologist Joseph Luciani. New Year’s Resolutions are the pinnacle of widespread motivation for change. If we are unsuccessful during the height of universal motivation, where does that leave the attempts made during the rest of the year? Yet, there is hope for the future of making lifestyle changes. What people need is love, support, structure, and accountability.

The American Medical Association says health coaches have “help improve outcomes for patients with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Coaching has been shown effective in helping people reduce the burden of various health conditions. A recent study showed, coaching “results in clinically relevant improvements in multiple biomarker risk factors (including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness) in diverse populations.” So the short answer to this extremely vital and relevant question is yes. There is a movement of health coaches helping people making lasting changes, who were powerless to make it on their own. The lingering question is, will you become a part of the MOVEMENT?