Archive for December 2007
A Formula for Fitness & Fun
Millions of people around the world participate in prechoreographed group fitness programs. The popularity of these classes can’t be ignored, and the instructors must be doing something right. A debate is currently waging as to which instructors are better—those leading the prechoreographed programs or the die-hard “freestylers.” While prechoreographed content may garner differences of opinion,…
Read MoreCreating a Client-Trainer Blog
Do you have a personal home page operating as an online brochure for your training services? Do you schedule appointments and motivate your clients using e-mail? Do you distribute health information and exercise tips via digital newsletters? Nowadays, these techniques are considered static. If you want to connect with the Internet-savvy client of today, you’ll have to consider a more dynamic in…
Read MorePosted Message Spurs Stair Climbing
What would it take to get shoppers to use the stairs instead of the escalator? A team of British researchers recently discovered that healthy messages posted near stairwells attract people—and might even encourage them to opt for the stairs later in the day. The study appeared in the September/October issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.Nearly 82,000 pedestri…
Read MoreU.S. Citizens Living Longer
With all the talk about obesity and the very real health issues that stem from it, life expectancy rates in the United States are still at an all-time high, according to a recent study. The finding reflects a trend of increasing life expectancy that began in 1955, when the average American lived to be 69.6 years old, according to Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005, a report prepared by the…
Read MoreForced Repetitions Don’t Improve Strength Gains
There is much discussion over the most effective method for helping athletes improve maximal muscular strength. One theory is that forced repetitions—helping athletes perform repetitions after failure—can lead to improvements; however, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2007; 21 [3], 841-47) has found no evidence that …
Read MoreOlder Obese Have Better Heart Health, Worse Function
Cardiovascular health has improved in older obese people in the United States, according to a study in the November 7, 2007, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (2007; 298 [17], 2020–27). Recent research has suggested that this population may have grown healthier since the 1960s, with the prevalence of high cholesterol and high blood pressure declining. However, …
Read MoreSeeking the Summit
When IDEA member Nancy Norris was 4 years old, her mother did something that set her life in motion, literally. “She enrolled me in a dance school, and I fell in love with dance,” says Norris, who lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Dance fulfilled an exercise niche way before fitness was “cool,” and Norris danced and taught dance classes until age 37, when something new caught her attention: aerob…
Read MoreFitness Forums
CorrectionsIn the October and November–December issues, Jacki Sorensen’s name was misspelled. We apologize to Jacki and our readers.In the November–December Research column, we inadvertently omitted the subhead “Negative Risk Factor” from Table 2 on page 21. Without the subhead, the table indicated that HDL ?60 mg/dl is a risk factor for CAD, when a…
Read MoreMastering the Art of Project Management
Many companies hire project managers to oversee and implement initiatives set forth by the organizations. Project managers are adept at ensuring that those initiatives are successfully completed in a timely manner.
As a fitness manager, you are also expected to manage projects as part of your job description. Unfortunately, few fitness managers are given the tools they need to ev…
Read MoreSleep Matters
Do you struggle to stay alert at work, at home—and maybe even at the wheel? Although good sleep is essential for good health and well-being, millions of Americans are simply not getting enough or are suffering from other sleep problems, says the National Sleep Foundation.If you’re not spending enough time in slumberland these days, discover how you can sleep better and longer with …
Read More10 Absolutes for Women in Business
Health clubs were the first entities to pair fitness with business, but today a whole new set of entrepreneurs are bursting onto the health and fitness scene—and many of them are women. This new breed of entrepreneur is breaking away from the tradition of working as an instructor or a trainer for someone else and realizing her potential for success by starting her own studio or training…
Read MoreThe Quest For Greatness
Subject: Todd Durkin, MACompany: Fitness Quest 10The Business of Energy. I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Fitness Quest 10 facility on a number of occasions, and each time I do there is one thing that is ever present: energy. Before I had the chance to speak …
Read MoreStretch or Strength?
Some people believe that stretching before exercise lowers your injury risk. However, research has found that mild stretching can cause damage at the cytoskeletal level of the muscle (Bracko 2002). Static stretching has an analgesic effect; the body uses this protective mechanism to increase tolerance for pain during stretching. Once this effect is triggered, it’s not a good idea to add more c…
Read MoreContributing Early
As the fitness industry grows and ages, many people have noticed a gap between “veteran” instructors, who have been teaching for 10 years and longer, and “newbies,” group fitness professionals who are just getting started. This has led many to voice concerns over the future of group exercise. To address this issue, IDEA Fitness Journal is running a new column that will highlight un…
Read MoreSample Class: One-Step, Two-Step
The start of the new year is a great time to add a new twist or two on an old standard like step training. “One-Step, Two-Step” is an interactive workout that combines motivational partner training with creative double-step choreography to bring new enthusiasm to step workouts. What better way to stay inspired than by working out with a partner when New Year’s resolutions ebb? div class=”su…
Read MoreGroup Energy
Members at 12th Street Gym in Philadelphia can play their favorite (or not so favorite) childhood game whenever they want with Drop-In Dodgeball. The class is held on the facility’s basketball court and closely resembles the recess game where participants try to avoid a thrown ball by dodging, ducking, dipping and diving.Fitness 4000 in Wallingford, Connecticut, …
Read MoreImage Conscious: Why Teenage Girls Need Yoga
According to research from the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty’s 2005 Global Study, “Beyond Stereotypes: Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs,” 70% of teenage girls who feel bad about their looks respond by withdrawing from life. They avoid school, cancel doctor visits and feel afraid to speak up in class. More than 90% of girls want to change at least one aspect of their appe…
Read MoreEating Green
These days, it seems like everyone is starting to think “green.” Recycling cans and plastic, switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and driving hybrid cars are some of the steps many people are taking to protect our environment. The growing green movement is altering attitudes about food as well. Consumers are starting to appreciate the impact that their collective food choices have on th…
Read MoreIDEA Personal Trainer Institute™
For the past few years there’s been a lot of conversation in the personal training industry about considering the “whole” client in program design. From the client’s feet to the top of his head physically; to what goes into his body for nutrition; to how his psyche is fed, nurtured and motivated—they all combine for a potent equation of holistic wellness. Throw in corrective-exercise concepts, …
Read MoreCorrective Exercise: Coming Full Circle
The practice of corrective exercise is booming. At the 2007 IDEA World Fitness Convention™, more than 30 sessions were based on structural assessment and corrective exercise. All the top certifying organizations offer a bevy of continuing education courses on corrective exercise. Even clients are beginning to understand that their end goal may require customized corrective-exercise techniques…
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