9 Places You Can Work as a Health Coach

To help you find the best places to work as a health coach, we asked CEOs and founders this question for their recommendations. From staying close to home with the fitness industry to helping insurance agents stay healthy, there are several sectors that may need the expertise of a coach.

Here are nine industries that would hire you as a health coach:

• Fitness Industry 

• Finance Industry 

• Grocery Retailers and Online Food Delivery Businesses

• Healthcare Industry

• Senior Living Industry

• Software as a Service (SaaS) Startup Industry

• Travel Industry

• Universities and Colleges

• Insurance Companies 

Fitness Industry 

Healthy mind + healthy body = a healthy lifestyle! There are health coaches in almost every industry you can think of. However, the fitness industry is the number one industry to find a life coach. 

This is because fitness coaches help their clients to improve not only their physical health but also their mental and emotional well-being. A health coach in the fitness industry will help their clients set goals, create a plan to achieve them, and then hold them accountable to follow through with the project. In addition, a health coach in the fitness industry will also help their clients overcome any obstacles they may encounter.

Ryan Rottman, Co-Founder & CEO, OSDB Sports

Finance Industry 

The finance industry often uses health coaches to make sure its employees are doing what they can to stay on top of their game. In a stressful industry, it's easy to let your health get away from you. You might rely on takeout or become more sedentary during long working hours. 

Finance and insurance experts know just how important it is to stay healthy and adopt continuous healthy habits, and health coaches can really help make a difference. The best part about using health coaches in these industries is that they can provide tailor-made wellness strategies that fit even the tightest schedules, so you don't have to struggle with a fitness routine that doesn't work for you. 

Adopting a common-health-sense approach that you can maintain is essential, and why industries like finance rely on health coaches to ensure their team members stay well.

Shawn Plummer, CEO, The Annuity Expert

Grocery Retailers and Online Food Delivery Businesses  

One industry that hires health coaches is an on and offline food chain where the role of a health coach is to re-teach clients how to shop for food based on their individual needs by accompanying them to a grocery store.

Many modern grocery chains and online food delivery businesses now recognize the value of assisting their consumers in making informed purchasing decisions by employing health coaches. 

Some companies will even go further and hold nutrition lectures and cooking demonstrations within their stores. Purchasing wholesome products and cupboard staples is one thing; knowing how to use them in a way that makes you feel full and fulfilled is quite another.

Retailers are trying to build customer trust and give customers the education they want as they become more aware of how important health, wellness, and well-being are to their customers; therefore, they are actively hiring health coaches.

Shaun Connell, Founder, Writing Tips Institute

Healthcare Industry

Health coaches are an integral part of the medical team. They help patients create a healthier lifestyle by changing their habits and encouraging them to do things like eat better and exercise more. 

They also provide support for clients who are struggling with their health. They can help them deal with stress and manage their illness (within their scope of practice). Health coaches work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practice. Some specialize in helping people with specific conditions, such as diabetes or cancer. Others work with people who are just looking to improve their general health and well-being. Health coaches can also work online, helping people around the world to lead healthier lives.

Michaela Ramirez, MD, Founder, O My Gulay

Senior Living Industry

Health coaches can contribute greatly to the senior living industry in businesses like nursing homes, retirement and memory care communities, and intermediate care facilities. 

They can collaborate with community managers and staff to address and elevate many key areas of positive aging, such as activity, lifestyle, social life, nutrition, and more. They can organize exercise programs and suggest positive lifestyle changes for older people with negative habits like smoking. Their contribution to this industry will change lives and promote positive and healthy aging.

Daniel Apke, CEO, Land Investing Online

Software as a Service (SaaS) Startup Industry

SAAS (Software As A Service) startups may sound like an industry for people who sit behind their computers all day.

And while this is true to some extent, you need to keep in mind that these types of businesses are very scalable and have recurring revenue. This makes them very competitive, and in a competitive industry, just being passionate about what you do is often not enough.

You also need the brainpower, productivity, and energy that come from optimal health to keep up with and surpass your competitors. This is where founders and employees in the SAAS industry benefit a lot and turn to health coaches.

Matt Claes, Head Coach & Founder, Weight Loss Made Practical

Travel Industry

The pandemic brought about this change in a swifter motion. Health coaches work quite closely with travel coaches, who are on a rise. Both of them try to plan the trip according to the customer's needs and comfort. 

These factors are one of the most important ones that travelers sought. It could be an adventurous trip or a simple, peaceful one. In any case, their mental and physical health is of priority. 

We, as travel industry advocates, try to accommodate and help their trip reach the best experience. This is through health and travel coaches. The former makes sure we account for all their health conditions and safety measures needed. The latter assigns a trip that won't be detrimental to their health. This is a combo that has been quite effective this year, and probably will be in the future, as well.

Sean Harris, Managing Editor, Family Destinations Guide

Universities and Colleges

Fitness firms and training facilities are not the only places where health coaches work. Many colleges and universities now employ health coaches who can advise staff members and students on how to manage stress and anxiety. 

Health coaches are more important than ever, given the rise in stress and anxiety among young people. By employing them, you may provide those students and even faculty with the leeway to handle these issues and improve their mental health.

Samuel Charmetant, Founder, Artmajeur

Insurance Companies 

Businesses have been exploring ways to bring down their healthcare cost through wellness programs for some time, but now insurance companies are also hiring health coaches to implement these programs. It is no surprise that a physically fit workforce is one that will have fewer health problems, and therefore, fewer expenses associated with preventable health issues.

Some insurance companies are now offering services through programs that utilize health coaches that can help advise businesses on how to implement wellness programs for their teams. 

This has the dual benefit of a more productive workforce and one that will be less likely to have expensive health issues, which in turn, saves businesses money. As healthcare costs rise, insurance companies will continue to hire health coaches to help their clients provide this service.

Justin Olson, Chief Marketing Officer, Fast Pace Health

Health Coaching as a Career

Health Coaches address obstacles bigger than what can be solved in the gym. They provide the guidance needed to help clients with health conditions and develop programs that empower these individuals—providing insight, accountability, and motivation to make lasting positive change. 

Do you want to help clients make create meaningful lifestyle changes and advance the future of fitness through health and wellness? Get started with ISSA’s Health Coach certification course!