Breaking the Stigma Around Coaching
When people hear “coaching,” they often picture something abstract — a nice idea, but hard to pin down. Some carry negative experiences from other programs: a coach who only offered pep talks, someone reading off a script, or a trainer who pushed without listening. At Clay, we’re intentional about breaking that stigma. Coaching isn’t fluff. It’s practical, measurable, and one of the most important drivers of long-term health change.
What Coaching Really Looks Like
In real conversations with clients, coaching is rarely about motivation alone. It’s about tackling the material, everyday factors that shape health:
- A parent trying to get consistent sleep while juggling young kids.
- An athlete training hard but spending most of their time in the wrong heart-rate zone.
- A professional who eats well at home but falls apart nutritionally during travel and social outings.
- Someone who’s tried multiple fad diets and lost trust in programs.
Coaching is about unpacking the details of your life and building systems that are realistic, actionable, and tied to measurable health goals.
Who is Coaching for?
If you’ve ever scrolled through endless health tips on social media, you know how overwhelming and contradictory the advice can be. That noise leaves most people stuck — unsure what actually works for their body, or how to apply it in real life.
I see a wide variety of clients, each with unique goals and challenges. Some want to regain energy while managing chronic conditions. Others focus on weight management, athletic performance, or mental resilience. Even older adults looking to maintain mobility and independence benefit from structured guidance.
What these clients have in common is often feeling stuck — unsure how to implement advice or hesitant to push themselves. Coaching breaks through that barrier with concrete strategies and support.
Anyone Seeking Personalized Support
One-on-one coaching means plans that flex with you, not against you. When your needs shift, so does the plan.
Individuals with Chronic Conditions
Managing diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, or heart disease is overwhelming alone. A coach, in conjunction with the provider, helps you manage symptoms, stick to treatment, and reclaim energy so you can get back to living—not just managing.
Lifestyle Improvement Seekers
Maybe you want to eat better, move more, or reduce stress. A coach breaks these down into realistic goals, helps track progress, and gives you the accountability you need to actually see change.
Weight & Hormone Management
Whether your goal is weight loss, muscle gain, or stability, your coach helps design a personalized plan that feels doable and delivers results you can sustain long-term.
Corporate Employees
More companies are offering coaching as part of wellness programs because it improves focus, reduces absenteeism, and builds healthier, more energized teams.
Recovery from Illness or Surgery
When you’re rebuilding strength and mobility, support matters. Coaching gives you structure, encouragement, and progress tracking so you return to independence with confidence.
Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
For those chasing peak performance, a coach helps with nutrition, recovery, and injury prevention. Small adjustments can make a huge difference in results.
Mental and Emotional Well-Being
Stress, transitions, and burnout are as real as physical illness. And while coaching is not a replacement for mental health care, it can equip you with strategies for resilience and emotional clarity.
Older Adults
Coaching helps you stay mobile, safe, and independent, with routines that build strength and preserve the lifestyle you want for years ahead.
Turning insights into action: Andrew guides a client through a personalized nutrition plan to support realistic, sustainable results.
How to Make Coaching Work for You
The best coaching is a two-way street. It’s push-and-pull, not passive. Here’s how to get the most out of your sessions:
- Bring 1–2 clear goals: Focus makes sessions actionable.
- Ask specific questions: “How do I know if I’m recovering well?” or “Why am I stalling on strength gains?”
- Hold your coach accountable: Feedback and adaptation keep your plan working. There’s nothing I appreciate more than feedback and accountability!
- Track progress together: Use tools, notes, or apps to measure real change.
Coaching isn’t showing up to be told what to do — it’s a partnership. Done right, it builds structure, accountability, and systems that support tangible improvements.
Poor Coaching vs. Great Coaching
Many hesitate because of bad experiences:
- Generic advice you could find online.
- Motivation-heavy sessions without measurable progress.
- One-size-fits-all plans that don’t adapt when life changes.
At Clay, we do things differently. Coaching is guided by data from wearables, biomarker testing, and structured goal-setting. Every recommendation ties back to measurable outcomes — heart-rate training, metabolic fitness, or recovery metrics. Coaching is never guesswork.
Behavioral Change in Action
One of the most impactful parts of coaching is guiding clients through meaningful behavior change. Here are examples of material improvements I’ve helped clients achieve:
| Past Behavior | New Behavior | How It Happened (Key Actions) |
|---|---|---|
| Skipping breakfast and relying on caffeine | Eating a protein-rich breakfast daily | • Identified barriers & triggers • Set small, achievable goals • Added accountability w/ coaching check-ins |
| Inconsistent workout routine | 4–5 scheduled workouts per week | • Personalized plan aligned w/ lifestyle • Monitored wearable data • Adjusted intensity for sustainable consistency |
| Snacking late at night | Total cessation | • Tracked patterns & triggers • Introduced alternative behaviors • Reinforced w/ progress tracking |
| Ignoring recovery and sleep | Prioritizing 7–8 hours of sleep, incorporating recovery strategies | • Education on recovery importance • Built bedtime routine • Used wearable data to monitor impact |
| Overeating during social events | Practicing portion control and mindful eating | • Role-played scenarios • Set concrete strategies for events • Follow-up & reflection w/ coach |
| Stress-driven sedentary behavior | Short walks or movement breaks during workday | • Identified stress triggers • Incorporated micro-habits • Reinforced success through incremental progress |
Why Clay Coaching Is Different
At Clay, coaching isn’t an isolated service — it’s part of a coordinated care team that includes your provider, coach, Clay Guide, and specialists. We work as a pod to map your health journey from assessment to long-term optimization. Every recommendation is made with context: your biomarker data, fitness assessments, lifestyle factors, and personal goals.
Coaching is introduced when we, as a team, agree it’s the right intervention — whether it’s to establish new habits, reinforce recent gains, or push toward the next level of performance or wellness. Timing matters. Early in your plan, coaching might focus on building foundational behaviors like sleep, nutrition, and consistent activity. As you progress, sessions evolve to tackle more advanced challenges: optimizing metabolic health, refining training strategies, or adjusting recovery protocols.
This integrated approach ensures coaching is precise, actionable, and aligned with everything else happening in your care. Your coach isn’t working in isolation — they’re connected to your provider and specialists, adjusting guidance as your body and behaviors change. This creates a feedback loop where progress is tracked, next steps are clear, and your team can pivot quickly to help you achieve sustainable improvements.
At Clay, coaching becomes more than guidance; it’s a structured, measurable, and fully integrated part of your health path — designed to move you forward with clarity, confidence, and accountability.
Coaching Fills the “How” Gap in Healthcare.
Traditional healthcare often focuses on diagnosing and prescribing, but rarely on how to make sustainable changes in daily life. That’s where health coaching comes in. At Clay, coaching is a pivotal part of our service — providing actionable, material guidance that helps clients translate intentions into real results.
Ready to Put Coaching Into Action?
If you’re a Clay member, connect with your coach today or add a coaching session to your plan. Don’t wait to bridge the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it.
Author
Written by Andrew Browning, Coaching Director @ Clay Health & Care
Andrew Browning is a performance coach and educator with nearly two decades of experience in training, teaching, and behavior change. As Clay’s Coaching Director, he combines deep knowledge in exercise physiology, metabolic health, and recovery with a passion for helping people build sustainable habits that fuel performance at every level.
Reviewed by Dr. Allen Gorman, Medical Director @ Clay Health & Care
Dr. Allen Gorman is a physician-scientist with a focus on metabolism, aging, and cellular repair. His clinical and research work spans two decades, with a passion for translating complex science into actionable health strategies.