Alexandra Williams's Articles

As a manager or director, you’re constantly keeping your ears and eyes open at your facility for potential new trainers and instructors. That’s smart. What’s...

Since 1980, global obesity has more than doubled. Sixty-five percent of the world’s people now live in countries where overweight and obesity cause more deaths than unde...

As a manager or director, you’re constantly keeping your ears and eyes open at your facility for potential new trainers and instructors. That’s smart. What’s...

What is sexual health? One definition includes the phrase “a capacity to enjoy and control sexual behavior without fear, shame or guilt” (Mosby’s Medical Dic...

There is much talk about certification, accreditation and licensure in the fitness industry today. As you start your career, it is important to have a grasp of this trio of to...

July 2013; $10 per class in July 2014; $12.50 per class in July 2015; and finally $15 per class beginning in July 2016 (Fitness Australia 2010). Until the outcome of an ...

Many people know where to go to find Thai food, yet are unsure where to find Thailand. The country is bordered to the north and west by Burma; to the north and east by Laos; a...

At the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles August 5, the glitz, glamour and glee were ubiquitous as IDEA honored five outstanding contributors to the world of fitness and health duri...

A landlocked Central Asian country, Kazakhstan is bordered by five countries, including Russia and China. The ninth-largest nation in the world, which makes it the size of Wes...

How often has a client or student approached you and asked, “What type of shoe would be best for this workout?” At the university where I teach, I am asked this qu...

Germans seem to embrace equipment wholeheartedly. According to Drums Alive® founder Carrie Ekins, MA, of Kutzenhausen, the most popular classes in Germany use training equ...

Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, if you were in the fitness industry you were probably an aerobics instructor, and you likely taught some kind of high-impact classes. S...

With a population of over 49 million people, who speak 11 official languages, South Africa is a country booming with growth and activity, especially as its weather and natural...

When people think of Russia, some picture the frozen steppes of Siberia, while others see the onion domes of Red Square. But what about this country’s long tradition of plac...

“We need to invest in prevention and wellness programs to help Americans live longer and healthier lives.” These words, spoken by President Obama in a town hall sp...

Fitness professionals are already leaders in promoting health for the body and mind. Now, with the increased worldwide emphasis on sustainability and “green” pract...

Even though 2009 has been a tough year economically, Canadians are still willing to invest in fitness, as these days it is viewed more and more as a necessity, not a luxury. S...

Even in these tough economic times there is still a lot of optimism and opportunity in the Japanese fitness industry. “2009 is very tough financially for commercial fitn...

Happy New Year! This year make it a resolution to bring about global fitness.

About 30 years ago, the first wave of group fitness instructors (known then as aerobics teachers) got their start in an industry yet to be defined. Many of those people ...

Maybe it’s the coffee bar employee who always has a smile and knows your favorite drink. Maybe it’s the hotel clerk who follows through to ensure you have all the ...

Maybe it’s the coffee bar employee who always has a smile and knows your favorite drink. Maybe it’s the hotel clerk who follows through to ensure you have all the am...

There doesn’t seem to be much dispute about healthcare costs being a burden on employers and employees. Chronic disease alone costs the United States more than $1 tril...

Many people might say that group fitness became part of our culture back in the early 1970s, when Judi Sheppard Missett introduced Jazzercise® and Jacki Sorensen launched ...

But now erase all that you know from your mind about how your club looks and what it offers. Replace the blank space that’s left with your new vision; that of the facili...

This year IDEA is thrilled to be celebrating its silver anniversary—its 25th year in existence. As part of the gala 25th celebration, the annual IDEA World Fitness Conve...

As you began this new year, you probably had a plethora of fitness choices. You could step, hop, jog, train, consciously inhale and exhale, pump, dance, kick and box, stretch,...

our fitness director at the club just called with a reminder that one of your primary fitness certifications is about to expire. Somewhere in a pile of papers, you have the re...

Group fitness instructor #1 picks out a favorite step CD, thinks of a few base choreography patterns on the way to the club, and then teaches a freestyle class that h....

Teaching group fitness is a labor of love for many instructors. A desire to share that feeling is what motivates them to tutor others. “I find it extremely rewar...

At the 2002 World Fitness IDEA® convention, held this past summer in San Diego, the hot topic among attendees was teaching older adults. As all of this year’s IDEA a...

Recent articles have focused on the benefits of teaching new, specialized classes, such as hybrids that combine several complementary elements into one group session. Perhaps ...

As the new millennium begins to take shape, philosophers and ethicists are again posing questions that have dogged humankind for centuries. What is right? What is good and...