Archive for April 2009
Paving the Way for a Healthy Pelvic Floor
Everywhere you turn, it seems there is a commercial, headline, advertisement or article discussing some type of women’s health issue. In particular, many women face challenges with their Pelvic Core Neuromuscular System (PCNS). These problems affect women in all walks of life, including health professionals, teachers, executives, athletes and homemakers. Many do not even know that the pattern they’ve developed is not normal.
Read MoreJapan Is Jumping
Even in these tough economic times there is still a lot of optimism and opportunity in the Japanese fitness industry. “2009 is very tough financially for commercial fitness facilities, but I think that people will become even more conscious of their health, especially the benefits of exercise as they relate to stress management,” says Sachiko Tsurumi, president of Japan Fitness Association in Tokyo.
Read MoreSpa Trends Report
Mind-body-spirit activities figure prominently in SpaFinder’s “Top 10
Spa Trends to Watch in 2009” report. SpaFinder sees the following industry trends:
Energy Medicine. Spas are increasing services such as reiki, qigong, healing touch and acupuncture, among others.
Casinos and Spas. Spas have successfully entrenched themselves within casinos and now feature high-end as well as introductory facilities that serve inexperienced spa-goers.
Read MoreSMS Messages Help People Build Health Habits
If you’re sending motivating messages to clients via cell phone short-message service (SMS), keep it up. A research review of studies, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2009; 36 [2], 165–73), noted that SMS-delivered interventions have positive short-term behavioral results.
Researchers from the School
of Psychology at the University of Queensland, in Australia, found 14 studies that had evaluated SMS
Resilience in Older Women
Greater resilience is considered a key component of successful aging, but what does resilience actually consist of? People who age successfully seem to demonstrate resilience through their ability to adapt positively in spite of age-related disease and disability. To tease out various factors that contribute to resilience, investigators used data from 1,395 women over age 60 who were participants in the Women’s Health Initiative in San Diego.
Read MoreStrength Training Best for Reducing Back Pain
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, back problems accounted for 139 million doctor visits in the United States in 2005 and cost $17.6 billion. With such a prevalence of back pain, it’s more than likely that fitness professionals will come across those suffering from the condition. But research suggests personal trainers may be able to help clients
relieve pain with strength training.
Older Adults: Will Walk for Money
Are you having trouble getting your sedentary older-adult clients to go for that Sunday walk? Perhaps parting with
a little green might encourage them to take to the nearest path. According to a study published in the March issue of
the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2009; 36 [3], 201–7), older adults were more likely to go for a regular
walk if a monetary incentive was offered.
Do you recommend that clients wear pedometers or heart rate monitors? Why or why not?
I require each of my clients to purchase a heart monitor and wear it when we train together. Here’s why:
Read MoreThe Wonders of Water
Did you know that most people can survive no more than 7 days without water (Williams 2005)? Because of its numerous and diverse functions in the body, water is often regarded as the most important nutrient. 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. Len Kravitz, PhD, program coordinator of exercise science and researcher at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, plunges in for a look at this mysterious nutrient called H2O.
Read MoreDeveloping a Mental-Skills Performance Plan for a Client
Have you ever visualized yourself winning a race, completing a physical feat or attaining a performance goal—and it happened? There are numerous anecdotal stories and testimonials about recreational enthusiasts and competitive athletes using imagery to achieve some type of physical objective. However, what does the research conclude as to the effectiveness of imagery? More specifically, how can fitness professionals aid their students and clients in employing imagery to positively affect physical and performance outcomes?
Read MoreMother-Daughter-Inspired Fitness
Chalene Johnson attributes her success in part to her mother. It’s not just the nurturing hand of love that gave Johnson, chief executive officer (CEO) of Powder Blue Productions and creator of Turbo Kick® and PiYo™, a head start in the world of fitness. Johnson’s mother, Marge Melvin, was one of the first Jazzercise® instructors in the state of Michigan.
Read MoreSample Class: Something for Everyone
In this day and age of cost-per-head analysis and streamlined schedules, the classes that make the cut are expected to keep numbers out of the red. However, the bigger the class, the more disparity there is among participant preferences and abilities. Meeting everyone’s needs is tough, but not impossible. The following segmented circuit class uses a combination of music- and drill-based movement patterns. You can please the stepaholic and the boot camper all in the same class!
Read MoreKnead Massage?
Back in 1999, I took my passions for personal training and massage therapy and put them under one roof in order to maximize my time and grow my business. Like many personal trainers in the early years of their careers, I had been spending too much time moving from one in-home session to the next; my days were spent driving in circles between clients’ homes and local fields. I felt like a traveling circus with little time efficiency and an entire mobile gym stuffed into my 1987 Volvo. Soon after this, I opened my center—Fitness Quest 10.
Read More2009 IDEA World Fitness Convention™
Does your career or business need a boost to meet the daunting challenges in today’s market? Do you personally need a lift—an inspirational attitude shift—to rejuvenate your creativity, optimism and motivational powers? Then you need to be at the 2009 IDEA World Fitness Convention, where the theme is “Inspire: Be the Change,” and the focus will be on creating success and positive change for you and your clients.
Read MoreThe Bare Bones
When you were young, you probably heard the jingle “The knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone; the thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone; the hip bone’s connected to the back bone . . .” That ditty could go on for some time, since there are 206 bones in the human body—from the large, thick femur that spans the length of your thigh to the tiny, thin stapes, a stirrup-shaped bone that transmits sound inside your ear. Your skull alone has 22 bones (no wonder my mother keeps telling me I have a hard head!).
Read MoreCreative Ideas That Inspire
The University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports gets executive with its class descriptions for Upper Management and Lower Management. Both classes
focus on building core strength, but the former is all about arms, chest, shoulders and upper back, while the latter homes in on the legs and glutes.
Teaching Pilates Mat Work
“It is the spirit that builds the body.” This quote from 18th century German poet Friedrich Schiller was displayed—in its original language—in Joseph Pilates’ New York studio for more than 50 years. Many first-generation teachers who trained with Joe Pilates refer to his studio as a school. They say, “You were there to study movement: to perfect your movement.” In his classroom, Joe was the professor and the subject was the road to happiness (his word for wellness).
Read Moreginger-poached salmon with orange and honey
With springtime in full swing, a cook’s thoughts turn
to quick meals that don’t require a lot of time in a hot
kitchen. Poaching fish is a healthy way to feed your
family when you can’t take any more heat!
1 large orange
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons (tsp) finely grated, fresh ginger root
2 tsp finely chopped pickled ginger
2 tablespoons (tbs) honey
1 pound skinless, deboned salmon fillets
1 or 2 tbs unsalted butter
curry for cold sores
Do you suffer from cold sores that seem to appear on the eve
of special occasions that invariably involve your participation in group photos? You may be able to ward off your next cold-sore outbreak by loading up on the spice turmeric, the main ingredient in most curries. Apparently, a compound in turmeric called “curcumin” may be the mechanism of action that deters the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores.
can spouses sabotage weight loss?
Talk about irreconcilable differences between husband and wife! A recent study has found that spouses can have a “ripple effect” on their partner’s efforts to lose weight in the home environment.
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