Aren’t health, wellness, and fitness the same thing? Most people believe this to be true. In fact, you can be really fit, and not very healthy, and you can be very healthy and not well.

Yes, there is a certain amount of overlap—and the trio can work together, but these 3 types of physical well-being are quite different. Offering programs that focus on one or all of these approaches can help provide your clients with exactly what they need and can be beneficial for your client’s personal goals and your business.

Let’s break these sectors down and discover which would work for your training business.

1. What Is a Health-Based Program?

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, “healthy” refers to being physically disease free and having a good mental status. Some of the ways to be healthy include exercising, stretching and eating nutritious food. Health is more of a goal or an end that should be achieved.

Health-based programs are perfect for a client who is looking to manage a disease of the body (such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, etc.) and can often work in tandem with a medical regimen the client is already following. These programs usually range from 3-6 months and require an in-depth knowledge of pathology, client medication(s) and medical terminology. You could be possibly working with your client’s doctor in regards to medication and/or nutrition.

The success of the program is dependent on the reversal of medical conditions (e.g., lowered blood pressure/cholesterol and manageable diabetes).

2. What are Wellness Programs?

Wellness programs are long-term and the goal is to obtain an overall balance of your physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, environmental, and occupational well-being. Wellness truly is a lifestyle that strives for balance throughout its whole life.

Wellness programs focus largely on the idea of preventative care and can often be facilitated by employers as part of their employee care services. Many employers, unfortunately, sink a ton of time and money into wellness programs without any strategy whatsoever, but with the oversight and advice of a professional personal trainer these programs can have a real impact.

The general idea is that if people are learning techniques to manage their overall well-being and have the support they need, they can maintain a balance that lets them enjoy life to its fullest. This can also encourage clients to have healthy attitudes towards getting regular checkups, adhering to their prescribed medication regimen, and getting recommended vaccines. By doing so, health problems can either be completely prevented or at least managed before they become extraordinarily expensive.

As you see, wellness programs are executed for long-term health. Meaning you can possibly have a client for years to come!

3. What is a Fitness Program?

A fitness program is like the type of program most personal trainers are most familiar with and prescribe most often. They focus on guiding individuals to put in physical efforts like exercise, running or any kind of physical activity that helps them stay in shape—whether that’s building muscle, losing weight, maintaining shape, improving cardiovascular function, etc.

Fitness programs can either be short-term or long-term. They can be anywhere from your typical 30-day boot camp to an ongoing program that continues and evolves with a client throughout their life. These programs support individuals in achieving the marked standards of a physically fit body like weight, fat content, BMI, etc.

How to Deliver These Programs

Many Trainers are used to the being face-to-face with their clients while running programs, but with the popularity of mobile apps, why not reach your clients and support their goals for health, wellness, and fitness through an online training platform?

You can deliver all three types of programs online using software like Trainerize that let you create workouts, programs, social communities, and open lines of communication with your clients. When building programs focused on health and wellness, get creative in how you use the software, like scheduling auto-messages in the programs to remind clients to do daily meditation, take their medications, test their blood, etc.

If you’d like to add some in-person time to your program, a hybrid method of training is a great option. With hybrid training, your clients will like the affordability while you’ll enjoy the flexibility, plus it works amazingly for accountability, keeping clients engaged and giving that “tech-savvy” feeling most of your clients will enjoy.

Whatever types of programs you choose to build and deliver, as a trainer, identifying the difference in these programs and which area (fitness, health, and wellness) you are most knowledgeable in can help you to solidify your own personal training services and assist you in creating health-enhancing programs for your clients and more profits for your business. Take a look at your own services and knowledge-base and ask if there are more ways you can be serving your clients.