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Are you finding it hard to come up with creative new classes? Use these bright ideas as a springboard:

Ageless Energy is a specialty program offered for people 55 years and older by Julie Luther at PurEnergy Health & Wellness Services in Greensboro, North Carolina. Luther developed the program with the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. The 50-minute class provides information on balance, nutrition and osteoporosis; explains the components of an exercise program; and teaches at-home exercises for strength and flexibility. “This program has expanded, and [its participants are] becoming our largest growing membership sector,” says Luther.

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From the Ground Up

We have all heard the expression, “Hindsight is 20-20.” Today, looking back 16 years at the start of my personal training career, I can see clearly how everything worked out for me—though things might not have seemed so clear at the time! By sharing the wisdom I have gained, I may be able to spare…

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Reward Carries Risk: A Liability Update

According to the 2003 IDEA Trendwatch Survey, three different kinds of personal training topped the list of general fitness trends: one-to-one training, partner training (two clients sharing one trainer), and small-group training (three to five clients sharing one trainer). Client categories that seem to be growing include people who are interested in postrehab or “prehab”…

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Exercise Safety

Clients who read about the occasional
athlete who suffers from a fatal incident on the basketball court or football field, or the marathon runner who “blows out his knees,” may ask, is exercise really safe? The best answer to that question is, Exercising is safer than remaining sedentary.

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Seniors Healthy, Need More Exercise

Here’s yet another reason to encourage children to play sports: A new survey found that the odds of being physically active during free time are significantly higher for adults who participated in organized sports as a child.

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Seniors Choose Food Amounts- and Lose Weight

If your older clients ate as much healthy food as they wanted, would they still lose weight? Possibly, according to a study in the January 26, 2004, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine that examined 34 older men and women with impaired glucose tolerance.

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Are You on the Ball Yet?

Four-year data trends revealed in the 2003 IDEA Fitness Programs & Equipment Survey show that stability ball-based training is on the upswing. Have you incorporated this type of work for your clients?MORE WHAT’S NEW, P.11 IDEA PERSONAL Trainer APRIL | 2004 IDEA PERSONAL Trainer APRIL | 20044 what’s newbusiness

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Who is to Blame for the Obesity Problem?

The only person responsible for obesity is the one lifting the fork to her mouth. In the case of children, however, parents should be teaching and enforcing good eating habits at home.

My clients’ lives are so packed with obligations at home and work that eating becomes a necessary inconvenience or “stress reliever.” Trying to eat right causes them more stress!

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Sample Class: H2O Bootcamp

Every now and then, participants need
to be reminded that training in the swimming pool offers numerous benefits for all fitness levels. Based on speed, power and strength rather than rhythm and choreography, H2O Bootcamp incorporates pyramid training, kickboxing drills, interval training, power drills, speed bursts and strength exercises. While this class requires no coordination, it does demand a lot of stamina and is great for students who need a new challenge and prefer hard, athletic workouts.

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Keli Roberts shares the secret to her success.

A career professional who has risen from fitness model to 2003 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, Keli Roberts sees opportunities in the industry and takes advantage of them. She enjoys talking to the masses about the benefits of exercise and, as group fitness manager for Equinox Fitness Clubs in Pasadena, California, teaches a variety of classes each week. What are her secrets? Education, hard work and practice, practice, practice.

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The Best of Both Worlds

How many times have you
heard students say, “I just don’t have
time to do strength training and yoga” or
“I’d like to try yoga, but I don’t think I can be still for that long”? Take away their excuses with an inspired combination. By adding resistance exercises to yoga,
you create a more active and results-oriented class. This time-efficient format appeals to participants who want both strength and flexibility benefits in one stop.

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Concentrate and Connect, Ebb

ebb
Concentrate and Connect
Use this mind-body cool-down in your class.
You don’t have to teach a full mindbody class to pass along the benefits to your participants. The cool-down portion of class–in which you bring down heart rates and core body temperatures–is a perfect time to introduce elements of t’ai chi and yoga. Participants sometimes have a difficult time making the transition from the…

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The Best of Both Worlds: Combine the Benefits of Strength Training and Yoga in One Class

The Best of Both Worlds
Combine the benefits of strength training and yoga in one class.
By Linda L. Freeman

How many times have you heard students say, “I just don’t have time to do strength training and yoga” or “I’d like to try yoga, but I don’t think I can be still for that long”? Take away their excuses with an inspired combination. By adding resistance exercises to yoga, you create a more a…

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Master Class With Keli Roberts

K

master class
participants. I often keep demonstrating the easiest variation so that the newer people in my class feel comfortable.
What was the smartest thing you did to grow your career?

Keli Roberts shares the secret to her success.
exercise habit, then add on more time and activities. It’s better to do a little bit often than to do a whole lot every now and then. Be patient and persistent …

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Working With Clients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

How many times have you heard clients complain about chronic pain in their wrists or hands when performing a certain exercise? Chances are, a majority of these complaints are coming from people diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health, 3 out of every 10,000 workers lost time from work in 1998 because of CTS (NINDS 2004). Half of these workers missed more than 10 days of work due to the condition.

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