FDA Recruits Restaurants to Help Fight Obesity >>
By Cathy Leman, RD, LD
Americans consume one-third of their daily caloric intake outside of the home and consume 300 more calories a day than in 1985. All of this dining out, to-go and delivered food is padding waistlines and thinning wallets: 64% of Americans are overweight, and 46% of the average American food budget is spent on “away-from-home” foods... >>

By Kimberly Spreen
We want every class we teach to be well-rounded and efficient, and yet we often shortchange participants by neglecting the much-needed cool-down/flexibility segment. Let your students know how important it is to gradually cool the body. Keep them focused all the way to the end with creative variety. The following cool-down keeps things interesting by combining rhythmic movement, balance and flexibility... >>

By Catherine Logan, MSPT
Golfers range from every-so-often players to seasoned professionals. Unfortunately, many golfers do not adequately prepare their bodies for golf’s stresses. Golf is more physically demanding than many people imagine. It requires not only flexibility and strength but also good muscle balance and postural stability. A typical day on the golf course can include swinging more than 100 times, leaning over 30-40 putts and bending 40-50 times to pick up balls.

As a fitness professional, you are in a position to provide both physical preparation and, perhaps more important, education to promote a lifetime of injury-free golfing. Knowing which muscles are primarily involved in different aspects of the swing can help you develop a very effective, golf-specific injury prevention program that will increase your clients’ strength and endurance and enhance motor control in the particularly vulnerable areas of their bodies... >>

By Scott McLain, MA
Keeping members happy should be our number-one concern if we want to retain them, explains Scott McLain, MA, owner of Five Star Fitness Training in Columbus, Ohio. Create happy members and happy trainers through education opportunities for both. Implementing an annual seminar series is an easy and economical way to educate your members while allowing personal trainers to indirectly sell themselves. Consider these five points when starting your club’s series:

1. Develop a Series Calendar. Divide your annual calendar into four seasonal series to break the work involved into manageable pieces.

2. Create a Topic List. Be sure to pick one topic each season that is facilitated by an outside professional to develop a referral base and to build credibility... >>

Return to the underlying principles of Pilates to create a safe environment for your clients.

Centering requires holding specific muscles in order to maintain a static position while performing an exercise. Cue correct alignment; accuracy is vital.

Breathing is part of every Pilates exercise. Encourage both inhalation and exhalation.

Precision means following instructions exactly, which is vital for core alignment and injury prevention... >>