As we enter a new year – it is the season of resolutions, most of which have to do with health. Especially after the last two years – it has been abundantly clear how important it is!

There are a few options for how you may go about getting into a fitness routine: group fitness classes, going to the gym solo, training in your home gym (which lots of us have made!), or hiring a coach to help you. Neither option is superior, but if you choose to hire a coach – the fit needs to be optimal!

Hiring a coach is entering into a relationship. As with any relationship: family, friend, or partner it requires work from both parties to be optimal; which is also true for you and your coach.

In most cases, your coach will give you a program to complete for a set duration of time. It is your responsibility to follow it, but it is also the coach’s responsibility to create a program that is sustainable, feasible for you to accomplish given your capabilities (or restrictions if you have any), make sure to factor in your work/life schedule, and have some form of check-in system to see if any changes need to be made.

The right coach will set you up with the proper tools to succeed and adjust when needed. They will not fault you for missing sessions or make you feel guilty. They will help encourage you to follow the program, guide you through vacations/holidays, work parties, events, and other life events that may ‘derail’ your journey.

Finding the right coach can be an integral part of your fitness journey’s success rate. They can help you get excited and execute your plan or they can do the opposite. A coach should be encouraging not demanding, approachable, sympathetic, understanding, adaptive, and in some cases can even turn into friendships.

Before you hire a coach. I suggest the following:

• Look and read their reviews if they have any OR ask one of their clients if you’ve been referred for their opinion
• If they have a social presence – start following them and see if their values and beliefs align with yours
• See if you can set up a 15-minute call to discuss working with them; this should give you a better idea if this would be a good fit

It is a good reminder to note that you can always change coaches! You don’t need to stick with a coach if they are not serving you anymore or if you feel that you need another perspective/approach. If it is not a match, then continue to search for your optimal coach.

Finding a coach can be difficult, but luckily enough we now live in a virtual world, which means you, are not bound to just local coaches anymore! You can now train with anyone around the world – assuming they offer virtual training, but most do nowadays.

Your health and fitness is a lifelong journey, not a year or season. You may need to go through various programs, coaches, and gyms to get there but keep trying – you will eventually find one that fits.