August 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 81

healthy and regularly engaging
in physical activity, the health
coach serves the unique role of
empowering people to take ownership of their own health and to
discover their own motivation for
lasting behavior change. These
professionals can help recreation
and park agencies continue to
grow their health and wellness
programming and increase opportunities for community members to have easy access to behavior-change expertise around
developing healthy lifestyles.
In the face of increasing lifestyle-related diseases, health coaching has the potential to have a great
impact. Research shows that adopting sustainable healthy behavior
patterns, including regular physical
activity and sound nutrition, is key
to addressing the obesity epidemic
and other lifestyle-related medical
conditions. Health coaches are
uniquely poised to serve as guides
for that sustainable change, because of their knowledge and skills
in helping individuals to preserve
and/or restore their health and enhance their overall wellness.
With expertise in delivering individualized treatment based on
a non-judgmental, personal relationship, coupled with expertise in
behavior change, fitness and nutrition, health coaches can serve as invaluable members of a healthcare
team, supporting both physicians
and patients in increasing quality of care while decreasing costs.
" People don't just need an exercise
program or a diet plan. They need
an expert who can guide and empower them. They need someone
who can connect with them in a
way that makes them believe they
have the ability to make meaning-

ful and lasting changes, " says Cedric Bryant, president and chief
science officer at the American
Council on Exercise.

Professional Credibility
for an Evolving Field
One of the most important decisions a park and recreation agency
must make when offering health
coaching services is what credentials they will require for their
coaches. Currently, there is no regulation for health coaches, but several
certifications are available, ranging
in title from health coach to wellness coach. The reality, though, is
that not all offer the same level of
professional credibility that is imperative in this evolving field.
Professional certifications should
obtain third-party validation from
an independent organization that
explicitly accredits certification
programs. The American Council on Exercise (ACE), along with
other leaders in the health and fitness industry (including other fitness certification organizations),
believes that individuals who are
compensated in their role as a

coach should attain a nationally accredited professional certification.
This can include a health or wellness certification accredited by the
National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or the International Coach Federation (ICF).
The NCCA has reviewed and
accredited certifications for most
allied healthcare professions, including credentials for registered
dietitians, athletic trainers, nurse
practitioners, and pharmacists,
among many others.
Hiring health coaches whose certifications demonstrate the highest standard of competence for a
coaching professional can help the
park and recreation agency ensure
coaches have mastered the foundational principles necessary to
empower people for positive, longterm, healthy change.
Detailed references for this article are
available at www.parksandrecreation.
org/2018/August/health-coachingthe-new-kid-on-the-block.
Sheila Franklin is the Director of Government Relations for the
American Council on Exercise (sheila.franklin@acefitness.org).

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August 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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