Archive for December 2010
Cuing in Three Dimensions
Aware Pilates instructors know that mat class participants need a variety of cues—visual, auditory and kinesthetic—in order to master the repertoire. If they are primarily visual learners, they will learn best from visual cuing. But there may be auditory or kinesthetic learners in the group.
Read MoreWhat Characteristics Define Good or Mediocre Pilates Instruction?
In earlier issues of IDEA Pilates Today, quality of instruction has been cited as one of the most important factors—perhaps the most important factor—for maintaining true Pilates principles in the fitness setting.
Read MoreRealizing Tax Benefits From Pilates Equipment
Your Pilates equipment costs you money, and it also makes you money. In the midst of tax season, when you are finally ready to consider your assets, take some time to get organized. The following questions and answers relate to Pilates equipment purchased for use in a studio and are by no means comprehensive.
Read MoreHonoring the Depths of Education
Anna Alvarez, owner and director of Pilates Miami Shores, Miami Shores, Florida, and continuing education specialist for the Pilates Method Alliance® (PMA), first experienced Pilates as a ballet dancer, enjoying occasional mat work and reformer sessions. She then left the dance world, earned an MBA degree, pursued a corporate job (“not my thing at all”) and engaged in recreational sports, including marathons.
Read MoreInternational Pilates Training: Missionary of Movement
For more than 30 years, Michael King has been a passionate and perceptive ambassador for the Pilates method. Reminiscent of Billy Elliot in the acclaimed movie, King grew up in Scunthorpe, England, a Northern steel town, and was the first boy from the North Lincolnshire area to become a dancer.
Read More2 Superb Core Exercises
Core work has gained a lot of attention in the past several years, focusing on everything from injury prevention to athletic power. How we choose to define the core influences how we integrate it into our self-image and into our movement. If incomplete or compensatory patterns are repeated often enough, and long enough, they become habitual. Only when a change takes place on the level of the nervous system are we able to move past these habits and permanently improve strength, posture and flexibility (Shumway-Cook & Woollacott 1986).
Read MoreHow to Help Clients With Poor Posture
As we age, it is not uncommon for our posture to deteriorate. Often the head moves forward and the shoulders round, which can cause chronic back and neck pain. Our once swift and sure stride is replaced with a sort of shuffle (Griegel-Morris et al. 1992). Sadly, this kyphotic posture (characterized by extreme convex curvature of the upper spine) can increase the risk of falling. Often, people who develop these physical characteristics must rely on a cane or walker to ambulate.
Read MoreGreat New IDEA Benefits, Great Classic Benefits
As 2011 begins, we are proud to serve you as the world’s leading fitness membership association. Why is IDEA such a top-notch organization? “We work hard to meet the needs of fitness pros by examining our many offerings each year and working to improve them,” say Executive Director Kathie Davis and Chief Executive Officer Peter Davis. “We meet with our committees for feedback, hold focus groups and survey our members for feedback about all of the services and products we offer, from the publications to conventions to IDEA FitnessConnect.”
Read Moreorange, olive and fennel salad with cranberry vinaigrette
Cranberries aren’t just for chutneys and turkeys. Try this delicious salad for something light and bright this new year! For the Vinaigrette 1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed cranberries 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon (tbs) finely chopped shallot or green onion, white part only 2 tbs rice vinegar 1 tbs honey 1 tbs fresh lime or lemon juice 1/3–1/2 cup canola or neutral olive oil kosher or sea salt
Read MoreAre Bad Knees Inherited?
A recent blog published in The New York Times (“Phys Ed: Are Bad Knees in Our Genes?” September 29, 2010) posited that genetics may play a role in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The blog cited a study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2010; 44 [12], 848–55) that revealed similar ACL injuries in fraternal twin girls. Their older sister, while not part of the study, had also suffered a catastrophic injury to her ACL.
Read MoreAsk the RD
Feeling sleepy after a meal could be caused by a number of things, including what, when and how much you’re eating. That sluggish feeling occurs when your blood sugar drops. Eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates can be a problem. A balanced diet keeps blood sugar levels in check, so include protein, complex carbohydrates and a little fat at meals. If you typically eat one to three large meals a day and don’t snack, spreading those calories out into smaller meals and snacks may improve your energy levels. Caffeine intake and dehydration can also contribute to fatigue.
Read MoreMassage Ineffective for Optimal Exercise Recovery?
Many fitness professionals tout the benefits of massage to aid in exercise recovery. A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2010; 42 [6], 1062–71) suggests that massage may not be as beneficial as previously thought.
Read MoreFostering Growth and Learning at Inner IDEA®
Inner IDEA is a special conference where there is calm, peaceful coexistence in the midst of vast knowledge exchange. All of the presenters were wonderful. All of the attendees were so appreciative. All of the assistants were fantastic. Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to share my knowledge, gain new knowledge, meet beautiful, loving people and walk away with a beautiful feeling. Norma Shechtman, MEd, MA 2003 ACE Group Fitness Instructor of the Year Irvine, California
Read MoreWashington Redskins Get Kids Moving en Masse
On Tuesday, September 21, 2010, the Washington Redskins football team hosted the largest virtual exercise lesson in world history. According to information on the Redskins’ website, 646 boys and girls from the Washington, DC, area filled FedExField for a 30-minute workout. The workout was led by players such as Andre Carter and Chris Cooley and was viewed on 100-foot-wide HD video boards. Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb wandered among the children, offering cheers and words of encouragement.
Read MoreIDEA Member Becomes GRAVITY® Star
San Diego–based equipment manufacturer efi Sports Medicine has crowned its first-ever “GRAVITY Star.” The 2-week competition was launched at the 2010 IDEA World Fitness Convention™. Convention attendees were asked to film a favorite 3- to 5-minute GRAVITY workout on the company’s Total Gym®. The videos were then posted on the GRAVITY Clubhouse blog, and viewers were encouraged to vote for their favorite video. IDEA member Peg Hamlett took top honors, and she will be given a trip to San Diego to participate in the taping of the next GRAVITY workout DVD.
Read MoreNew Heart Rate Recommendations for Women
Widely used recommendations for determining heart rate maximum (HRmax) in women have been called into question. According to researchers, the popular formula of 220 – Age = HRmax may produce numbers too high for optimal female physical health. After studying how HR response to exercise stress testing was associated with age and death rates among 5,437 asymptomatic women over about 16 years, scientists settled on a new calculation: 206 – (Age x 0.88) = HRmax.
Read MoreFor Older Women 20 Minutes of Daily Exercise = Reduced Fractures and More
According to research, older women looking to improve gait and avoid hip fractures may need only 20 minutes of daily home exercise. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (September 27, 2010; 170 [17], 1548–56) followed 160 women with osteopenia for 7 years. At the beginning of the study, the women were aged 70–73. One group exercised daily for 20 minutes at home and participated in 6 months of supervised weekly training each year for 5 years. No information was available about the type of exercise performed.
Read MorePre-Run Stretch Hampers Endurance
Here’s another entry in a growing list of studies that suggest that pre-exercise static stretching may hamper athletic performance. This current study, published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (2010; 24 [9], 2274–79), included 10 male collegiate athletes who participated in a 60-minute treadmill run on two occasions. One run took place after 16 minutes of static stretching of the major lower-body muscles; before the other run, participants simply sat quietly for 16 minutes.
Read MoreExercise Associated With “Smarter” Kids
Studies suggest that children who are physically active also perform better on exams and tend to experience fewer behavioral problems. A study published in Developmental Neuroscience (2010; 32 [3], 249–56) suggests that exercise also has a positive effect on brain structure. More specifically, cardiovascular fitness is positively associated with structure and function of the basal ganglia, a group of structures involved with voluntary movement and attention.
Read MoreAmericans Fail at Walking
While it may not come as a big surprise, a new study has determined that Americans don’t walk much compared with people in other nations. The author of a Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study (2010; 42 [10], 1819–25) equipped 2,522 Americans aged 13 and older with Accusplit AE120 pedometers. Results showed that the subjects took an average of 5,117 steps per day. Young, single men with higher education and low body mass index tended to walk most. Eating habits and living environment were not associated with steps per day.
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