Archive for March 2011
IDEA Health & Fitness Association IDEA Code of Ethics: personal Trainers
As a member of IDEA Health & Fitness Association, I will be guided by the best interests of the client and will practice within the scope of my education and knowledge. I will maintain the education and experience necessary to appropriately train clients; will behave in a positive and constructive manner; and will use truth, fairness and integrity to guide all my professional decisions and relationships.
Read MoreEating Sustainable and Organic Foods
Are you concerned about food quality, safety and the environment? If so, consider buying organic foods grown locally by farmers using sustainable and socially responsible practices to help preserve the earth’s precious resources. Rosalind Gray Davis, a certified Pilates instructor and an award-winning author, journalist and media consultant in Carmel, California, shines a light on this subject.
Read MoreWhat You See Is What You Get
Fitness professionals use online videos to share training tips, demonstrate exercises and showcase their choreography. Since sites like YouTube revolutionized the way people view, create and share videos online, use of the medium has skyrocketed. Today hundreds of millions of videos are being watched daily via mobile devices and video players embedded across websites (YouTube 2011). And now, via IDEA FitnessConnect.
Read MoreCarpal Tunnel Counsel
I have worked with many patients who have had carpal tunnel syndrome in my 20 years as an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist. Although I agree with many of the comments regarding the role of posture, wrist braces, body mechanics and muscular imbalances in this condition [as presented in Tricks of the Trade, January 2011], I have to write a response.
Read MoreSample Class: Triple Threat!
If you want to offer quick, exciting, results-driven experiences for participants, Triple Threat is your class formula. This workout uses three forms of resistance, three different exercises and three sets of 8–24 reps that target each of the major muscle groups. The cookie-cutter template can be adapted to fit participants’ goals and the equipment available. You can easily insert different moves into the chest, back, shoulders and legs categories to keep the class fresh. Triple Threat is effective, time-efficient, integrated and multidimensional.
Read MoreRoll, Release, React: Prepare Class for Movement
squat jump
In recent years, self myofascial release (SMR) has become a hot topic. As more research comes out, we are learning how fascial restrictions affect and influence movement. Taking group fitness participants through SMR techniques in your warm-up may give them more freedom from joint stress and pain, and their recovery times may improve.
Read MoreTricks of the Trade
I have run several different-sized health and fitness businesses in New Zealand, Europe and the United States. No matter how big or small the operation, I have always used a qualified accountant to assist me with my accounts and prepare my end-of-year tax returns. Using an accountant has many benefits and, in my opinion, they far outweigh the costs.
Read MoreCelebrating Client Successes
Do you love bragging about your clients? Do you tell your friends about the mom of four who is back to her prebaby weight or the couch potato who rediscovered fitness—and his ambition? Their journeys to success have also been your journey. Now that you have shaped success for clients like these, what are you going to do to shape success for your business?
Read MoreSurgery, Solutions and Success
Client: Jann Personal Trainer: Lisa Knighton, owner, Knighton’s Cardio-Fit Location: Athens, Georgia Creating a Bond. Lisa Knighton, personal trainer and owner of Knighton’s Cardio-Fit, first met Jann about 10 years ago. Knighton was teaching fitness classes for her local community. Jann, an avid exerciser, asked Knighton if she would teach her and her co-workers from…
Read MoreFascial Fitness: Training in the Neuromyofascial Web
If you are interested in the role of fascia in fitness training, the following questions lead to new take-aways:
Read MoreDynamic Warm-Up Best for Golfers
Are your golf clients determined to lower their handicap? According to researchers from Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, golfers’ fairway performance was best after a dynamic warm-up and no static stretching. The study appeared in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (2010; 24 [12], 3326–33) and included nine “young” male golfers.
Read MoreObesity Rates High Among Infants and Toddlers
As obesity rates continue to rise, it seems all sectors of the population are affected. A newly published study of 16,400 children born in the United States in 2001 has revealed that 31.9% of 9-month-old babies and 34.3% of 2-year-olds were obese or at risk for obesity. The study appeared in the January/February issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion (2011; 25 [13], 190). Hispanic children and children from lower-income families had the highest obesity risk of all populations. Male children were at greater risk than female children.
Read MoreWestin® Hotels to Lend Fitness Gear to Guests
Travelers, take note: if you forget to pack your workout clothes, Westin Hotels & Resorts have got you covered. The high-end hotel chain now offers a fitness gear lending program, according to an article published in the December 14 issue of The Wall Street Journal. Fitness-minded hotel guests may borrow New Balance–brand shoes, as well as apparel such as socks, shorts and shirts, at no cost. Apparel sizes range from small to extra large for women, medium to extra large for men. Shoes sizes are 6–101/2 for women, 81/2–13 for men.
Read MoreIDEA Members’ “Give Back” Campaign a Success
Husband-and-wife team Bruce and Kym Burke enjoy giving back to their community. Two years ago, the co-owners of One on One Fitness in State College, Pennsylvania, started a fundraising event called “Give Back,” in which 100% of proceeds would be given to two local charities. The proceeds are derived from the organization’s group training program and lecture series.
Read MoreIn Remembrance of Jack LaLanne
On January 23, the world lost a hero. At 96 years old, health and fitness guru Jack LaLanne passed away, but not without leaving behind a tremendous legacy. As the “godfather of fitness,” he was instrumental in bringing the importance of health and fitness to the forefront of American society. But that wasn’t always the case.
Read MoreEntry-Level Employees Unprofessional, Says Study
Recently graduated or certified individuals looking to get ahead may want to take a course in professionalism. In a 2010 survey of hiring managers and business leaders, 38.2% of respondents stated that professionalism had decreased among entry-level workers. How would you rate your professionalism? If you’re in the market for a new job, consider these suggestions from Linda McHugh, director of group fitness programming for 24 Hour Fitness®.
Read MoreJump Training Reduces Injury Potential in Females
It’s well known that female athletes appear predisposed to catastrophic knee injuries. A recent study suggests that a 4-week jump-training program may ward off such injuries. The study, published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (2010; 24 [12], 3427–32), included 15 women basketball players whose knee valgus angle was analyzed during two landing tasks: drop jump landing and a crossover hop during a jump shot. The players then completed a 4-week jump-training program in which they received guidance on landing technique.
Read MoreSpring-Clean Your Resumé
Your resumé can make or break your chances of securing your dream job. Is your resumé due for some spring cleaning? Amanda Vogel, MA, owner of Active Voice, a writing, editing and consulting service for the fitness industry, in Vancouver, British Columbia, offers these tips on how to upgrade your resumé:
Read MoreExercise = Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer Death
Here’s another addition to the long list of the benefits of exercise. Researchers at the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis have found that colon cancer patients who exercised regularly were less likely to die from the disease. The data, gleaned from the American Cancer Society Prevention Study II, involved more than 150,000 men and women.
Read MoreSprints Yield Fat Loss
Time-crunched individuals interested in fat loss may want to cut running workouts short. Results from a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2011; 43 [1], 115–22) suggest that repeated maximal-intensity sprints yield greater fat loss than longer-duration, moderate-intensity running. The 20 study participants were split into two groups: sprinters and runners. Each group ran three times per week for 6 weeks. The first group performed all-out sprints, 30 seconds in duration, six times per session. They were given a 4-minute rest between sprints.
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