The Future of the Wellness Movement

By dougnau on Dec 1, 2009 in Career Coaching, Wellness Coaching

Earlier this week I was asked to share my thoughts on the question “Are you optimistic/hopeful for the progression of the wellness movement/wellness coaching?” by a graduate student working on his thesis. As I began crafting a response, I thought more and more about how rich of a question this is.

Firstly, I love that there is recognition of a ‘wellness movement’. Similar to the environmental movement we are all well aware of now, we are at a time where an industry of wellness (not fitness, but wellness) professionals is beginning to evolve. I am of the opinion that we are in the infancy stages of this movement, and as a whole the efforts that have been made to date have been fragmented and disjointed. For example, we’ve got life coaches, personal trainers, yoga instructors, nutritionists, career counselors, psychologists, and financial advisors in this industry to name a few. Each of these people play a role in your whole person wellness, though each tends to work in a non-integrated silo so to speak that ignores what the other may be doing. The future wellness professional is an expert that recognizes the interrelationship of all of these aspects of one’s life and see’s how the proper balance produces not only the longest life span, but also the highest possible quality of life.

Are you optimistic/hopeful for the progression of the wellness movement?

Now to answer the question. The reality is that there is no other option than to be optimistic about the progression of the wellness movement. As a country and globally, the health of humanity is at risk. The next generation of Americans is the first with a lifespan anticipated to be shorter than the previous generation. Its not just our physical health, but we’re seeing a deterioration in our mental health. We far too often pop pills to deal with depression rather than facing the event head on (ie: the loss of a parent), and we numb our senses to what it is like to be human. In the meantime, we drag out the process of healing, we expend a financial burden on society, and we deal with side effects of an over medicated population. Can we really continue like this? I’ve believe that our government (even with all its bureaucracy), has the right incentives now to start legislation to support this movement.

But it cant start there, it needs to start with the individual. No one else’s money will change someone else’s lifestyle, but appropriate leadership and mentoring can support them in making the right decisions for themselves.

With certainty, there will be populations that embrace the concepts of whole person wellness with greater enthusiasm than others. And at this time I am optimistic because of the sheer volume of emails I receive every week by those reading this blog. These are all promising indicators of a budding industry.

Are you optimistic/hopeful for the progression of the wellness coaching?

Here’s the second part of the question. Where does wellness coaching fit in with this all? This is more challenging to answer. I believe that wellness coaching is one of many opportunities out there to support the wellness movement. We’ve absolutely seen a growth in the awareness of this field and the number of jobs available, and I do expect this to continue. Will it hit the mainstream such as psychotherapy/counseling? I have doubts here, but I do believe the industry will continue to grow and that those committed to this line of work will have an impact on society and shape what wellness looks like in the 21st century.

My hesitation in this response is related to the framework under which I place wellness coaching. I see wellness coaching as one on one interactions with clients supporting them in establishing the wellness vision, the creation of goals, developing action plans, and finding inner motivation to take action. While I believe this field will continue to grow, I see that happening mostly in a business setting where employers are looking to reduce healthcare costs. Unfortunately, its expensive to start (and reports are coming out all the time now demonstrating ROI). Some individuals may opt to hire a personal wellness coach, and while I’d like to believe many would choose to pay for this, I have a tough time seeing this fit in the mainstream and really proliferate (and I truly hope that my vision is limited).

What jobs in wellness will grow?

I do believe the wellness movement has much room to grow in the following areas:

seminar & workshop leaders
keynote speakers
health educators/teachers (perhaps even at the elementary school level)
corporate wellness consultants
wellness program managers

If I were to outline the plan to revamp our nation’s health status it would look like the following

Bring wellness education into our schooling systems at a young age. The concepts discussed in the six components of whole person wellness should be understood by second graders. The principles are quite simple and very powerful.
Incentives for corporations to have health promotion programs. Insurers, the government etc, should incentivize corporations to have effective wellness programs in place. Healthy companies will also get the HR exposure and goodwill that such programs create
Strong leadership to instill personal ownership. Everyone is ultimately responsible for their own decisions and more regulation/legislation is not the answer. A commitment, a media presence and a demonstration of what whole person wellness is, needs to come from our leaders within the household, the community, our businesses and government. While leaders do not change an individual, they do provide inspiration. Our society is searching for ‘good news’ and this is just the news that needs to be socially present and available to everyone.
Healthy lifestyle incentives for individuals. Need insurance, if you are healthy get it cheaper. This is powerful because it integrates financial and physical wellness. The more aspects of wellness we can connect to the more likely it is to work.

As a whole, I am excited and inspired about the changes we’re seeing in the wellness industry. Its a field that is rich with opportunity that has unfortunately become inundated by miracle diets, drinks that cure every disease, and 5 minute per day exercise programs that give you a six pack. For those looking to make a legitimate career in this field now is the time to take action and become a leader in an industry still finding its direction.

Be Well