Health is broadly defined as a complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of health (World Health Organisation, WHO). Wellbeing is concerned with people’s quality of life, resilience, and their ability to meet the stresses and demands of daily living without being overwhelmed.

Health and wellbeing are clearly interconnected concepts that cannot exist independent of each other. When we focus on improving health and wellbeing, we’re looking to improve people’s quality of life and give them the necessary tools to thrive—not just survive.

Wellness is a state of being healthy and active, and is often associated with physical health activities like diet and exercise. Wellness is a component of the larger state of wellbeing.

Wellbeing is a broader, more holistic concept which relates to a person’s overall quality of life. It includes physical, emotional, social, economic and environmental health.

In recent years, employers have started to invest in the health and wellbeing of their workforce because they recognise that the more they take care of their teams, the more loyalty, productivity and team spirit this fosters in the workforce. Employers also report a reduction in absenteeism and sickness levels.

Supporting staff to lead healthier lifestyles, whether that’s through diet, exercise, or health education programmes, can lead to positive outcomes for staff and businesses. And this is backed by evidence.

Corporate wellbeing is where a trained wellbeing practitioner works alongside an employer to deliver individual and team coaching sessions to employees. The sessions help employees with different aspects of their health through exercise, nutrition, or other lifestyle interventions. It may be something as simple as providing posture workshops to staff showing them how to take care of their workstation ergonomics, or delivering stretching sessions to energise the team and to help them take better care of their musculoskeletal health.

Companies that invest in their workforce and provide space and time for them to flourish realise that the short-term cost of providing these benefits pays for itself in the medium-long term.

Accreditations vary from one course to the next, so please be sure to check each course page before you enrol. Feel free to get in touch with one of our Health and Wellbeing Career Coaches who will be more than happy to answer any questions that you have.

Some of our health and wellbeing courses are accredited by awarding organisations like YMCA Awards, Active IQ, and Transcend Awards for example. Some are regulated qualifications, whereas others are classified as CPD training. Many of our courses are also endorsed by CIMSPA, the professional body for the exercise and physical activity sector.

Organisations like the NHS, charities, and local authorities will advertise health and wellbeing jobs. There are also fitness, leisure and wellbeing job sites that frequently advertise health and wellbeing practitioner roles.

The NHS and their trusts located around the UK are the biggest employer of health and wellbeing practitioners. Often, services are determined based on local need. This means that one region may need to focus on weight management, obesity and diabetes, whereas another region may need to focus on mental health and addiction.

On completion of your studies with HFE, you will have access to CV Connect, a HFE exclusive platform designed to connect your CV with leading fitness, leisure and wellbeing processionals. 

Earning potential varies between employers and the health and wellbeing services provided.

Basic exercise referral instructors will typically start on a salary of £26,000-28,000 per annum. This will increase when skills are developed and additional qualifications are completed.

In the NHS, Health Coaches can earn up to £40,000 per annum. It can sometimes be more, depending on the location and the duties being performed. There are also opportunities for promotion and progression into managerial and executive roles for those who are ambitious.

Those providing corporate wellbeing services to businesses can earn the most in the health and wellbeing sector. To a certain extent, practitioners can charge what they want for their services. Most employers will want to measure the impact of any wellbeing services delivered. So, if the quality isn’t there, it’s unlikely these services will be renewed.

Not all health and wellbeing practitioners are motivated by salary—it’s a role that often attracts people who are keen to make a difference. It’s a role that provides immense job satisfaction, and there aren’t many jobs where people can say that they make a significant difference to the lives of others.

Accreditations do vary from one programme to the next, so please be sure to check before you enrol if this is important to you. Alternatively, feel free to get in touch with one of our Health and Wellbeing Career Coaches who will be more than happy to answer any questions that you have.