Archive for May 2004
does stretching reduce injury risk?
Thacker, S.B., et al. 2004. The impact of stretching on sports injury risk: A systematic review of the literature. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36 (3): 371–8.
Purpose. Researchers at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion systematically reviewed the research literature in order to assess whether stretching effectively prevents sports injuries and to make recommendations for research and prevention.
Read Moreoven-roasted fish, mediterranean-style
All types of fish suggested for this recipe from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) are rich in healthful omega-3 fatty acids.
4 portions (4 ounces each) salmon,
halibut, cod or other fish fillets
(skinless)
2 medium (4-ounce) zucchini,
trimmed and sliced thin
1/2 red onion, cut into thin slivers
1 strip orange zest (1/2 inch wide)
cut into 4 long, narrow strips
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon (tsp) lemon juice
Gains May Be Erased for Elderly
Older Americans have enjoyed health improvements in recent decades thanks to numerous medical advances. However, if obesity continues rising at its current rate—without other changes in health behaviors or medical technology—those gains could be negated by 2020, a study predicts.
Read MoreSample Class: Cycle Circuit
Indoor cycling integrates motivating music, mind-body synergy and unparalleled training benefits. The devotee accepts no substitutes. For others, however, indoor cycling feels more like an hour of pain and suffering than an hour of cardiovascular bliss. Instructors have done a wonderful job of putting this format at the forefront of fitness. Now it’s time to introduce cross-training to the die-hards, craft inviting classes for beginners and create a total-body workout that is inclusive and fun.
Read Morepedometer power
Pedometers are the new fitness toys; people everywhere are clipping them on to measure their steps. They can be very useful for motivating you to work out and to track your exercise success. Understanding how they work will help you program them to be more accurate.
Read MoreWhy did you decide to pursue a master’s degree? How did you manage both going to school and working?
Should I get a master’s degree? I strongly debated this question at the time with friends, colleagues and members of my advisory board. I had already developed a good personal training client base and was happy with how other areas of the business were going. Through my conversations with my board members and others, I looked at my long-term goals of writing textbooks, lecturing, teaching and making the occupation of personal training more professional.
I realized that to be recognized as a professional I would need to get a master’s degree.
planning your ideal vacation
As a fitness professional, you dedicate your career to helping other people take care of their health and wellness needs. Are you taking care of your own needs? Are you getting the vacation time you need?
Vacations can reinvigorate and renew you so that you feel better in your professional and personal life. They work best, however, when they answer a specific need. This article will help you pinpoint the kind of vacation that will best feed your mind, body and spirit.
Relocation Strategies
If your spouse was offered a dream job in another city or if you moved simply to freshen up your life and career, do you think you could surmount the challenges of “starting over” as a personal fitness trainer (PFT) in a new environment?
Read MoreEducating People Through TV, Training
Subject: Chad Marschik, CSCS, IDEA member since 1992
Business: Body Symmetry in Springfield, Illinois
Are You Looking for New Ideas to Motivate Your Participants?
Fitness Caching is an outdoor training program wherein participants use a hand-held GPS (global positioning system) receiver to hike, locate and find a “hidden” treasure called a cache. Creator Leigh Crews will lead this class during the IDEA World Fitness Convention® in San Diego, July 8–11.
Read MoreDo You Know Your Scope of Practice?
As the U.S. and other countries search for new ways to reduce healthcare costs, the need to improve disease prevention and management strategies grows stronger.
Read Moreshake it, ladies!
The fitness industry has come such a long way since this photo was shot circa 1960. Ironically, even with the technology advancements since then, today’s challenges of reversing sedentary living and the obesity trend are the most serious that fitness professionals have ever faced. But don’t despair, for you are the catalysts for change! All your efforts to Inspire the World to Fitness™ make a profound daily difference in the lives of others.
Read Morenetworking for introverts
Envision the following scenario: You’re in a crowded room full of fitness professionals. Business cards are flying out of pockets as if possessed. Handshakes occur at a rate that makes a NASCAR race look like a slow crawl. There is a constant hum from the sound of voices weaving together in a cheerful harmony.
Read MoreTrends in Corporate Fitness
In the
mid-1990s, corporate
fitness was on a roll. With a strong economy, companies were competing to hire and keep
the best
employees. Corporate fitness programs were considered
a valuable perk to
retain these employees.> Fastforward to 2004. Has the once sunny forecast for corporate fitness held steady? Or have economic storms brought it crashing down? Is it currently a viable career option for fitness professionals? Here’s a look at the status of this niche, including top trends in group fitness, personal training and wellness programs.
Something for Everyone
Twenty years ago, if a friend said she was going to “aerobics,” you had a pretty good idea what that entailed. Today, however, that same person might attend any number and style of group exercise classes, including high-low, step, kickboxing, funk, hip-hop, cardio dance and circuit training, to name only a few. These diverse choices only scratch the surface. All of them can be mixed and matched to create fantastic format blends. While not a new concept, combination classes offer myriad benefits to instructors, program directors and participants.
Read Morerealizing your dreams
For an editor, being charged with launching a brand-new publication is alternately a dream and a nightmare.
Read MoreAn Interview with Petra Kolber
Petra Kolber, the 2001 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, is best known for her creativity and commonsense approach to teaching. As a cancer survivor, she knows firsthand how therapeutic exercise can be, and she strives to share her passion with as many people as possible. “Every day is a gift,” Kolber says. “Life is an unexpected road of miracles and surprises. Let’s be in the best health we can be in, so we are ready for whatever life decides to throw at us.”
What is your favorite
music mix? Why?
Activate and Stabilize
Many group fitness instructors use traditional Pilates
exercises in the core-conditioning sections of their classes. However, some of these exercises are too difficult technically and can set the average participant up for frustration. If an individual doesn’t have the strength or the biomechanics to perform the traditional roll-up, for example, then she might use incorrect muscles and injure herself. Yet the roll-up is taught in most classes.
what is mind-body exercise?
Now, more than ever, mind-body exercise programs are hot.
From 1998 through 2002, yoga and tai chi participation increased by 95 percent in the United States, according to American Sports Data (ASD) Inc. (ASD 2003a). By 2002, an estimated 11.1 million Americans were practicing tai chi or yoga and 4.7 million were doing Pilates (ASD 2003b). New participants are attracted partly by savvy marketing but also by the lure of programs that might offer them peace of mind as well as fitness gains.
vegetarian diets & exercise performance
According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the Dietitians of Canada, in the year 2000, 4 percent (%) of Canadian adults and 2.5% of the U.S. adult population consumed a vegetarian diet, defined as one that did not include meat, fish or fowl (ADA 2003). Slightly fewer than 1% said they followed an even stricter vegan diet, meaning they consumed no animal products at all (ADA 2003).
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