Archive for February 2007
Hypertension and Exercise
Hypertension is a widespread health problem that affects nearly 25% of the adult population in the United States (Fang, Wylie-Rosett & Alderman 2005). Hypertension increases the risk of cardiovascular disease—the number-one cause of death in the U.S.—and other maladies, including renal disease, stroke, heart failure and peripheral artery disease. Although hypertension is d…
Read MoreQuick & Zesty Italian Chicken Feast
This tasty but simple meal can be churned out in less than 30 minutes. Top it over a serving of whole-wheat pasta for a complete dinner that’s ready in no time!
Ingredients for Chicken:
4 tablespoons (tbs)
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (tsp) dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black peppe…
The Buzz About Branding
Branding. It’s one of today’s hot business buzzwords and often attached to wonder companies like Starbucks, Apple and Nike. But branding isn’t just for the megacompanies. In an increasingly competitive world, branding is equally important to small companies and even individuals in business. In fact, creating and carrying out a great brand is often easier for a small comp…
Read MoreFood Allergies Challenge Kids & Families
Anyone who has a child who suffers from a food allergy knows just how difficult it can be to dine out or attend a birthday party. Even cookies-and-milk time
at school can become a minefield for kids who are sensitive to foods like peanuts or walnuts. Parents can quickly become overwhelmed when they must be constantly vigilant about what their kids eat both at home and at school.
p…
Maximize Productivity During Off-Peak Hours
Many fitness facility managers share a dilemma: what to do with staff during slow times. We want to keep our people motivated and therefore feeling effective and important to the business; we certainly don’t want them to be bored and just passing time; and we absolutely need to maximize staff contributions for efficiency in our facilities.
Unfortunately, traffic at every fitne…
Read MoreTake Two a Day?
Do you have a client who’s having trouble fitting exercise into her daily routine? Does she claim she doesn’t have enough time to work out continuously for 30 minutes or more at a time? According to
a study published in the February 2006 issue of the National Strength & Conditioning Association’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2006; 20 [1], 130&nda…
Supermarket Self-Checkout Survey
A growing number of shoppers are apparently making use of the new self-checkout
option at their local grocery stores. Do-it-yourself cash registers are becoming so
popular that they racked up an estimated $110.9 billion in sales in 2005, a 35%
increase from the year before, according to a study conducted by an industry
consulting group. That same study found that women who used the s…
Even Modest Weight Loss Helps Knee Pain
Do you have an overweight client who also has knee osteoarthritis? Here’s a bit of encouraging news that might bolster your efforts to help him lose weight and keep it off. According to research presented in November at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC, “very attainable” weight loss goals are enough to reduce pain.
…
Neuromuscular Control in Female Athletes May Help Prevent ACL Injuries
Valgus knee movement in women is considered a major contributor to the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, according to an article published last fall in the Strength and Conditioning Journal (2006; 28 [5], 44–54). The article also states that women are four to six times more likely to suffer ACL injury than men and that, upon load, a 5-degree valgus angle at th…
Read MoreLifestyle Coaching
One-third (34%) of those who responded
to the 2006 IDEA Fitness Programs & Equipment Survey offer lifestyle coaching, and of those, 48% are personal fitness
trainers. This is reasonable considering how trainers are well positioned to understand their clients’ lifestyle issues. Twenty-five
percent of trainers and 21% of health club managers feel lifestyle coaching will grow.
…
Fittest U.S. Colleges
p>Do you live near any of the following schools, ranked the fittest colleges in the United States by Men’s Fitness magazine?
1. Dickinson College (Pennsylvania)
2. Colgate University (New York)
3. Boston College
4. Wheaton College (Illinois)
5. University of Vermont
6. G…
“What would you do if you had a conflict with a fellow trainer at your workplace?”
I am very fortunate to work with an awesome staff. We work as a team, a fact that has reduced conflicts to almost zero. I think that the key to resolving conflicts with other trainers is to remember that we are a team committed to delivering quality training to our clients. My integrity as a trainer depends on this team concept.
In the past, I worked at a gym where trainers…
A Global Outlook
It’s comforting to walk into a convention session room and see Fred Hoffman standing on stage, ready to teach. His no-nonsense style has always been rooted in the highest education standards, and his delivery is warm and inviting. A 20-year-plus fitness industry veteran, Hoffman is also a registered respiratory therapist and holds a master’s degree in health education from Bos…
Read MoreGet a Wealth of Minerals
Most clients are aware that they should be getting enough vitamins in the food they select each day. Minerals, the bastard child of vitamins, tend to get
less attention.
Yet studies have shown that most people get less than the recommended daily amounts of vital minerals, especially calcium, magnesium and potassium. The recommended daily intake for calcium is 1,000 milligrams (m…
“Stranger Danger” Deters Kids From Walking
Fear of strangers and lack of green areas discourage children from walking more, suggests research published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood (2007; 92, 29–33).
Researchers focused on six primary schools in England that were located in a cross section of areas in and around Birmingham. Researchers gathered responses from 473 children ages 9–11, based on evidence t…
Add Water to the Mix
With the number of Americans who are inactive and/or overweight steadily increasing, personal fitness trainers (PFTs) face many challenges. Meeting these challenges requires the ability to cater to a broad client base, as well as a determination to keep up-to-date with current industry trends and research.
Successful PFTs, like successful businesspeople in any industry, continuall…
Diet & Gastrointestinal Ailments
Did you know that more than 41 million people visit the doctor each year with their chief complaint being some kind of gastrointestinal (GI) symptom (National Center for Health Statistics 2004)? Symptoms can range from the occasional, pesky stomach upset for some people to a life-threatening case of chronic diarrhea for those who suffer from a disorder like inflammatory bowel disease. …
Read MoreBuilding a Club Within Your Club
Retention, retention, retention. The fitness industry breathes and sleeps retention, continually pondering bigger and better strategies for holding on to members. Yet many facilities still focus on getting new members in the door, providing a basic orientation and setting them free—free to slowly lose interest in attaining their fitness goals and coming to the gym. This pattern occu…
Read MoreCurtis the Entertainer
Subject: Curtis Jackson
Company: Curtis Jackson’s
Fitness Studios
The First Time. Curtis Jackson once aspired to join the ranks of such celebrities as Tom Hanks or Denzel Washington. He had begun following his aspirations but became sidetracked after he first stepped inside a gym. “I was interested in acting and was also…
Read MoreResearchers Encourage Exercise Prescriptions for Older Adults
Many older adults are already used to getting at least one prescription when they visit the doctor. Two scientists have been asking what if,
in addition to prescribing medications, physicians also prescribed
exercise? Ann Yelmokas McDermott, PhD, a researcher in the Lipid Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University, and Heather Mernitz,
PhD, of the Nutrition and Cancer Biology Laboratory at…