Archive for October 2008
IDEA Home Study
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Read MoreSample Class: Indoor Boot Camp
Indoor boot camp-style classes have exploded in popularity recently because they offer a fun, demanding atmosphere that generates results. Often, clients who want tough cardio workouts can be found in the indoor cycling room or at outdoor boot camps, leaving the group exercise studio for the choreography lovers. Not anymore! Sneaker Camp takes the best of both worlds and allows you to provide heart-pumping workouts without all the yelling, while keeping the creature comforts of music and air conditioning!
Class Details
Read MoreOnline Fitness Networking
Hybrid training (online training coupled with face-to-face training) is often the perfect mix for clients who prefer the conveniences of the Web yet require the guidance of a live trainer. The good news is that new niche networks on the Web can help you develop hybrid fitness programs. In addition to offering the features of regular online social communities, these fitness networks allow members to set individual health goals, design workouts, track weight loss, log food intake, keep wellness blogs and access educational resources.
Read MoreOlder Adults Suffering Brain Injuries From Falls
Older adults are incurring traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) from accidental falls, and 50% of unintentional fall deaths are related to TBIs, according to a June report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Most people think older adults may only break their hip when they fall, but our research shows that traumatic brain injuries can also be a serious consequence,” said Ileana Arias, PhD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Read MoreQuality of Life Impacts Program Retention in Seniors
Knowing who is most likely to drop out of a new exercise program can be valuable
information for wellness professionals. A recent study found that for seniors, health-related quality of life before starting a new program was the most predictive factor in determining whether or not they would stick with the regimen. Aspects of health-
related quality of life that were measured included depression and fatigue, among others.
Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology Resources
Mental and emotional states affect sports performance and
exercise. Qualified fitness professionals who offer an integrated approach to training understand how to apply sport psychology skills to improve performance, sustain motivation, enhance the exercise experience and support rehabilitation. The Association for Applied Sport Psychology [AASP], founded in 1986, is the largest applied sport and exercise psychology organization in the world.
Meditation Helps HIV/AIDS Patients
Practicing mindfulness meditation helps reduce stress in HIV/AIDS patients, slowing progression of the disease, according to a study released in the online edition of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Researchers at the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at the University of California, Los Angeles, wanted to find effective, low-cost ways to improve outcomes for those with HIV/AIDS. CD4+ T cells coordinate activity of the immune system. The HIV virus attacks CD4+ T cells, weakening immunity. Stress further impairs CD4+ T cells.
Read MoreAnti-Aging Industry Valued at $96.89 Billion
Fitness and wellness professionals should promote the benefits of mindful physical activity to preserve youthfulness. Increased interest in health, longevity and integrative approaches to wellness are stimulating “anti-aging” business. Supported by aging Baby Boomers and the anti-aging medical movement, the industry is presently valued at $96.89 billion.
Read MoreSpice Up Your Health
The culinary world would be lackluster without spices. Imagine tomato sauce without basil, hummus without garlic or sushi minus pickled ginger. Spices, like their botanical leafy counterparts, herbs, not only impart diverse flavors, colors and tastes to foods, but science is showing that they also offer a host of powerful phytonutrients that can enhance health and well-being.
Read MoreShould You Be Facebook “Friends” With Clients?
If you’re one of the 100 million people worldwide who belong to Facebook.com, you might consider it a guilty diversion. Perhaps you’ve logged on to the wildly popular social networking site just to update your status (e.g., “Amanda Vogel is writing an IDEA article”). Or maybe you find yourself uploading heartwarming photos of your kids or scenes from a recent vacation. Perhaps you’re a casual visitor, checking in every now and then to respond to messages or view the “news feed” of what your Facebook friends are up to.
Read MoreDo you ever give your clients gifts or birthday cards?
Every year I give a simple gift to each of my clients for the holidays. My
favorite gift is a pocket planner that says, “Schedule time for fitness.” Other
favorites include a workout journal and a recipe holder for all the healthy recipes clients collect throughout the year. I like to give a gift that is professional and relevant to our relationship. This type of gift gives me an opportunity to thank clients without confusing the professional nature of our relationship.
Schooling Clients on Health and Fitness
Subject: Lauren Loper
Company: Your Mobile Gym
Location: Smyrna, Georgia
Brain-Based Personal Training
Successful personal trainers are essentially effective teachers. While personal training in part involves changing the body, teaching is the art of changing the brain—not physically rewiring it, but arranging information and experiences to stimulate learning. Learning involves a change in behavior and alters thinking and perception. Personal trainers must have strong core knowledge of biomechanics, program design, exercise science, behavioral science, nutrition and weight management principles in order to stimulate change in clients and lead them to desired results.
Read MoreThe Science of Water: Nature’s Most Important Nutrient
Water is colorless, tasteless and odorless. Because of its numerous and diverse functions in the body, it is often regarded as the most important nutrient. Most people can survive no more than 7 days without water (Williams 2005). Although there is rigorous proof of its benefits, scientists still have trouble objectively advising people how much they need to drink daily to maintain favorable health. This article will plunge in for a look at this mysterious nutrient called H2O.
Read MorePruning a Prima Donna Participant
If you teach group exercise long enough, you’re bound to encounter the group exercise diva. This self-proclaimed privileged member wreaks havoc in your classes and throughout the club. She is the person who feels that rules apply only to others—not to her. She (or he!) displays disrespect for the group exercise experience, the instructor and the other participants. The diva’s behavior tends to create a negative experience for the majority of attendees. Unfortunately, the instigator often goes unchecked.
Read MoreEffective Cuing
Elite trainers have in-depth knowledge and skill in their area of expertise and know how to communicate information effectively to their clientele. While some trainers may seem blessed with an ability to communicate well, most of us need to work hard at it. One critical communication skill that takes practice and that most elite trainers need at some point in their careers is cuing.
Read MoreSample Class: Cycle Diversion
If your cycling participants spend more time gazing at the clock than they do “shifting gears,” you’ll love this class. The Cycle Diversion format doesn’t give them time to be bored. This class is broken down into three segments to stimulate participants’ imagination, challenge them physically and keep them on their toes.
Cycle Diversion Details
Format: cross-training (mix of timed intervals, competitive racing, climbing and tempo riding)
Total Time: approximately 60 minutes
Hearty Wild-Rice Salmon Chowder
Experts tell us to increase our intake of whole grains and heart-healthy fish, such as salmon. This chowder is a “two-fer” because it combines both ingredients into one healthy and hearty meal. Plus, you can cook it all up in one pot, so clean-up time will be minimal. What more can you ask for in a single recipe?
Read MoreBrownie Points for Brown Rice
In a ruling in May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that brown rice, a 100% whole grain, is one of a growing list of foods permitted to bear a label claiming health benefits. Although brown rice is already accepted as a good source of dietary fiber, the new FDA position further acknowledges that brown rice is a whole-grain food that can help lower the risk of specific life-threatening diseases.
Read MorePilates Cuing Is an Art
Proper cuing is the essence of teaching Pilates. The learned skill of communicating effectively to a client on all levels is a critical ingredient of top-notch cuing. Moira Merrithew, co-founder of STOTT PILATES® and its executive director of education, says that successful cuing has the effect of “getting [clients] to move efficiently through an exercise, so they get the most out of it. That could mean performing a movement with a specific intention quality or with the correct muscular engagement and muscle-firing patterns.
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