Hinge Health
Image of a woman with short gray hair seated at a table in her home with a living room behind her. She's smiling at the phone she holds in her left hand.
Image of a woman with short gray hair seated at a table in her home with a living room behind her. She's smiling at the phone she holds in her left hand.

Hinge Health coaching: real support, real results

Work with a certified health coach to build habits, stay motivated, and make exercise therapy stick — with personalized guidance and check‑ins in the Hinge Health app.

Published Date: Apr 5, 2021
Image of a woman with short gray hair seated at a table in her home with a living room behind her. She's smiling at the phone she holds in her left hand.
  1. Hinge Health Learning Center
  2. Articles
  3. Introduction to Coaching

Welcome to Hinge Health! We’re excited to partner with you on your journey toward better health. Most of your participation will happen right in the app, but you’ll also have live, personal support from a real, certified health coach — not a bot or an algorithm.

That’s right: your Hinge Health coach is 100% human. And as many of our members say, coaching is one of the most effective — and inspiring — parts of the program.

What does a health coach actually do?

Your coach is an expert in health, wellness, behavior change, and habit formation. More than that, they’re your caring guide, ally, and sounding board. Here’s how your coach will help:

  • Turn goals into action: Your coach helps you break big ambitions into small, doable steps — especially helping you build exercise therapy into your routine.

  • Keep you motivated: They encourage you through rough patches, help you stay accountable, and celebrate your progress.

  • Support total well-being: Your coach helps with more than exercise — think healthy eating, better sleep, stress management, and emotional health.

  • Personalize your journey: Expect regular check-ins (via app or video), feedback, and tailored support based on your input.

Coordinate your care: Your coach works with your entire care team to ensure your support is seamless and connected.

Why work with a coach?

Coaching with Hinge Health is a partnership centered around your goals, progress, and challenges. It’s a safe, judgment-free space where you can be honest and get real support. 

Most importantly, it works. Science shows health coaching helps people build new, long-lasting habits and see real results. In fact, a study with 10,000 Hinge Health members found that when you pair exercise therapy with health coaching, you’re more likely to see improvements in pain and other symptoms.

Why is coaching so effective? Because information alone isn’t enough. Even if you know what needs to change, turning that knowledge into action — and sticking with it — can be hard. That’s where your coach comes in.

What your coach isn’t

Coaches are experts in many areas, but there are some things they don’t do:

  • Not a physical therapist: Your coach doesn't create or adjust your exercise therapy plan — your physical therapist handles that.

  • Not a mental health professional: Your coach isn’t a mental health provider or authorized to make mental health diagnoses.

  • Not a personal trainer or dietitian: They don’t write workout or meal plans, but can share resources and help you build healthy habits that last.

  • Not a mind reader: Coaches depend on your updates and questions to best support you.

Making the most of coaching: your role

Great coaching is a two-way street. The more you communicate with your coach about your goals, hopes, and challenges, the more personalized and effective their support will be. Your growth depends on your active participation — the real progress happens with the choices and actions you take after your coaching sessions. You’ll get out of this process what you put in. 

Here are some ways to make the most of coaching:

  • Get clear on your goals: What are you hoping to get out of Hinge Health? Why does it matter to you?

  • Reflect before each session: Spend a few minutes thinking about your progress or what you want to discuss.

  • Stay in touch: Message your coach through the app or schedule a video visit anytime.

  • Share your wins and obstacles: Your coach wants to hear it all — big or small.

  • Speak up about your needs: If you need more or less support, just let your coach know.

Hear from Hinge Health members

Here’s what members have said about coaching:

“My coach has been awesome. Each time I feel like skipping my exercise therapy, I imagine their gentle reminders. Thanks for your support along the way.”

“Your coaching has given me the confidence to believe I can do things I thought I could never do again. Please know that what you do makes an incredibly positive difference in lives like mine.”

"Loved the suggestion to stack my Hinge Health exercises with other workouts. It’s made it so much easier to get them in."

Next steps

  1. Reflect: Think about what you’d like to focus on for your first coaching visit. Even five minutes helps.

  2. Reach out: Message or schedule a video visit with your coach in the app.

References

  1. Bailey, J. F., Agarwal, V., Zheng, P., Smuck, M., Fredericson, M., Kennedy, D. J., & Krauss, J. (2020). Digital Care for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: 10,000 Participant Longitudinal Cohort Study. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(5), e18250. doi:10.2196/18250

  2. Budzowski, A. R., Parkinson, M. D., & Silfee, V. J. (2019). An Evaluation of Lifestyle Health Coaching Programs Using Trained Health Coaches and Evidence-Based Curricula at 6 Months Over 6 Years. American journal of health promotion : AJHP, 33(6), 912–915.doi:10.1177/0890117118824252

  3. Kwok, Z. C., Tao, A., & Chan, H. Y. (2023). Effects of Health Coaching on Cardiometabolic Health in Middle-Aged Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. American journal of health promotion : AJHP, 37(4), 555–565. doi:10.1177/08901171221137332 Health coaching has significant effects on increasing physical activity among middle-aged adults

  4. Nijs, J., Malfliet, A., Roose, E., Lahousse, A., Van Bogaert, W., Johansson, E., … & Huysmans, E. (2024). Personalized Multimodal Lifestyle Intervention as the Best-Evidenced Treatment for Chronic Pain: State-of-the-Art Clinical Perspective. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(3), 644. doi:10.3390/jcm13030644

  5. Palmer, Blaire. (2017). How to Be Coached. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/@BlairePalmer/how-to-be-coached-38c2103e444f

  6. Shroyer, B. (2023, December 19). Health Coaching: The science and art of behavior change. American College of Lifestyle Medicine. https://lifestylemedicine.org/articles/science-and-art-of-behavior-change/

  7. Singh, H. K., Kennedy, G. A., & Stupans, I. (2022). Competencies and training of health professionals engaged in health coaching: A systematic review. Chronic illness, 18(1), 58–85. doi:10.1177/1742395319899466 

  8. Willard-Grace, R., Chen, E. H., Hessler, D., DeVore, D., Prado, C., Bodenheimer, T., & Thom, D. H. (2015). Health Coaching by Medical Assistants to Improve Control of Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia in Low-Income Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Annals of Family Medicine, 13(2), 130–138. doi:10.1370/afm.1768