Here we are, technology is becoming more and more accessible each day and just the other day I was talking with my business manager about the future of health coaches.
I don't have a concrete answer or at least I don't think there's only one answer to this question but to be straight forward I believe that if we don't start understanding and incorporating the technologies that are emerging, we will become obsolete in the near future.
Online courses are popping left and right because coaches want to reach as many people as possible and creating passive income is becoming more and more appealing.
But if we take a closer look at some of the technologies out there we'll soon realize that Artificial intelligence learns faster about people and their needs and its reach is far greater than what a human can achieve. Not to mention that is becoming cheaper.
a few weeks ago I received an email from 23andme explaining that they were partnering with Lark a 24/7 health coach, an app that uses artificial intelligence and connects with your genetic test to better assess your health and wellness goals.
The service for having a 24/7 coach bot is only 14.99 a month.
Just as I was downloading the app I said to myself- here we go, it's slowly happening- but in a very exciting way, this means that people across the globe will soon have access to a coach that will cater to their individual needs.
You might say Oh Anja but a machine like this can't be as empathetic as humans are and that's why health coaches are needed. While I somewhat agree, we are still at early stages of these new emerging technologies but take for example this other app called Replika
Replika learns about you in real time and you get to actually have a conversation with this bot, you can honestly open your heart and be vulnerable while Replika will become your companion. And if you find yourself in a very dark space and having suicidal thoughts, Replika can connect you with the suicide hotline immediately. Another amazing thing, if you accept that it's still early stages, is that you can talk with Replika over the phone. There's some delay in the conversation but it's pretty impressive.
And guess what? it's available for free.
While genetic and food intolerance testing at home is becoming super popular and to be honest with you, I’m not 100% sold on this subject just because we need more research. There's a home test that's really interesting, Viome- created by Naveen Jain- testes your microbiome to better understand what food should you be eating to prevent disease and dramatically reduce inflammation.
It's a pricey test and Viome suggests to be repeated every 6 months because our microbiome keeps changing. It's an annual subscription for $399 (Sometimes they offer deals, so keep your eyes peeled) and you get:
In-home Gut Intelligence test kit
Your personalized nutrition recommendations to follow for 90 days
Updates to your recommendations as we learn more
Access to the latest features and scores about your gut's health
Retests at $199 to track your progress and keep your gut in check
Moving on to Virtual Reality, yes I'm going there! The VR industry is still being portrayed as a gaming one but companies like cubicle ninjas and people like Sourabh Jain have created experiences to empower and improve people's health.
Meditation in Virtual Reality is slowly becoming available to the public and it's being tested in hospitals, nursing homes, and soldiers with PTSD.
Some users- including myself -are using virtual reality for exercise purposes because what's better than to exercise while having fun?
At Mindfully Augmented we created a 7-day guide that combines easy recipes and the use of Virtual reality to reduce stress, this is not a quick fix but rather a jumpstart to a more conscious and healthy lifestyle.
So what can we do with all this information? Get curious and research! because it's not going anywhere and more people will be adopting these methods and to slowly start upgrading your practice to better serve your clients.
I believe that we as health coaches are on a prime spot to really help people improve their lives so they can commit to their goals in an organic way and truly find health.