Life Coach vs. Health Coach: What's The Difference & Which One Is More Useful?

What’s in a name? Well, a lot when it comes to health professionals. If you need help finding your ideal eating habits, you'd seek advice from a nutritionist. For those who want to improve their muscle tone and mobility, that nutritionist won't be quite as helpful (aside from giving you some pre-workout snacks) but a personal trainer would be.

"I have a lot of clients who are perimenopause and are looking to lose weight as they go through all of these hormonal changes," she says as one example. Duffy adds that many people also seek out health coaches to help them find ways to get their inflammation in check.

For those who are feeling unmotivated, tired, or just off, she says consulting a health coach can be a logical first step in helping you set attainable goals that will help you feel better.

While they don't prescribe medication or run labs, health coaches use positive psychology principles to help clients make behavioral changes that will benefit their long-term well-being.

When you feel better, you're more motivated to take on other areas of your life that you may have previously neglected. That's exactly where a life coach comes in. Take the example of that woman going through perimenopause, says Duffy.

"Once they start to feel better and have a grasp on their changing hormones, a life coach can take their progress one step further," she says. "Now they have the self-confidence and more energy, so a life coach may work with them on the next phase of her life, one that transitions away from the constant demands of children by learning how to set boundaries and change their mindset."

There's a good chance you could benefit from both. "We are whole human beings, which means you're more than how much you exercise or what you eat," says Duffy. But what these actions can give you is the confidence to push forward in other areas of your life, be it settings boundaries or changing your perspective.

Some professionals, like Duffy, are health and life coaches who can work with clients to move from one set of goals to the next. No matter which type of coach you're looking for, health coaches should be certified by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (learn more about why here). Life coaching doesn't have the same regulations. Some individuals may be certified through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), but there are many certified integrated life coaching programs as well.