Archive for October 2012
A New Approach to Nutrition and Obesity Research
People are profoundly tuned in to the fact that obesity and all the chronic disease that goes with it are plaguing much of the world. But, why, with such hyperawareness plus so many research developments on the nutrition and obesity fronts, do we still seem to be getting fatter and sicker?
Read MoreHow Much Food Do You Waste?
In an era when so many people in our nation are food-insecure, it may be shocking to learn that about 40% of the food produced in the United States each year ends up as garbage.
Read MoreFood Focus: The Good Dark Side of Greens!
Gone are the days when your only option was spinach, the
so-called miracle leaf that many were consuming raw and
by the bucket load. Today itโs a whole new, leafy-green world, and a brisk walk through any supermarket produce aisle proves it. Leafy greens are everywhere, and they come in
a variety of textures and flavors that provide opportunity
for everyone to find a favorite.
Tricks of the Trade
Welcome to the holidays . . . the gift-giving, party-hopping, dessert-eating, over-indulging, stress-evoking frenzy! We all know it. The time from Halloween to New Yearโs Day is precarious for health-conscious people and can throw anyoneโs health routine out of whack.
Read MoreSlashing for Profit
Today, many personal trainers invest their time in several complementary work roles rather than holding a single job. Employment experts call this strategy โslashing,โ because people who do it often describe their work roles with slashes in between.
Read MoreThriving After a Stroke
Client: RayPersonal trainer: Julie Lombardo, owner, Sweet Success Personal TrainingLocation: Chino Hills, California
Making the switch. In 2005, now 80-year-old Ray suffered a hemorrhagic stroke that resulted in numbness on the left side of his body. Interested in improving function and fitness, he sought the guidance of physical therapists. Eventually, he was forced to give up treatment because his insurance coverage had reached its maximum.
Read MoreSmart Apps for Smart Appetites
During the holiday season, your clients need a defense against the temptations of devilish desserts and traditional feasts. After all, in the U.S. the 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and New Yearโs Day cause, on average, 0.8โ1.4 pounds of weight gain (five times more in those who are overweight or obese), accounting for 51% of the yearly weight gain in the typical American (NIH 2000; Hull et al. 2006).
Read MoreBYOD: Bring Your Own Dish!
Holiday treats may have seriously derailed your clientsโ healthy eating intentions. In an effort to get things back on track, here are some mouth-watering recipes sure to please the palate. Offering optimum flavor, presentation and nutritional value, these dishes are so delicious you will probably adopt them as go-to treats.
Read MorePortion Distortion
Over the past few decades, portion sizes of everything from pizza to bagels have swelled by an average of two to five times in America (Young 2006).
Read MoreRealistic Resolutions
Millions of Americans ring in the New Year with lofty intentions to lose weight and exercise more, so why is it that by March, most New Yearโs resolutions have fizzled like stale champagne? Typically itโs because people start out with unrealistic goals, misjudging the difficulty of breaking deeply ingrained habits. Impractical goals lead to disappointments that undermine the willpower people need to keep their New Yearโs resolutions.
Read Morebeat holiday pounds with a few ounces of prevention
The National Institutes of Health estimates that during the 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and New Yearโs Day, Americans gain an average of 0.8โ1.4 pounds. With the lingering effects of Halloween candy factored in, that range could easily be higher. According to the NIH, this eating free-for-all over 40 or more days accounts for 51% of the typical Americanโs yearly weight gain.
Read MoreDos and Donโts for Pilates Instructors
Teaching Pilates, like any fitness discipline, can be challengingโespecially for new teachers. After all, there are many aspects of instruction that take time and experience to improve, including motivating students, sequencing exercises and getting clients to follow verbal cues.
Read MoreSample Class: Outdoor Conditioning Drills
If you want to offer a class that helps participants break out of a rut, leave the group fitness studio behind and head outside to a playing field. Scout out a local football, baseball or soccer field and transform it into a training ground. Use the existing field design and the premarked lines (hash marks, yard line markers and goal lines) to create an exciting and dynamic class. Combine speed, agility, power and body-weight strength drills to tap into the inner athlete in everyone.
Read MoreBeachbodyยฎ and Powder Blue Productions Join Forces
On August 8, home-fitness program creator Beachbody announced a partnership with group exercise certification organization Powder Blue Productions (PBP), founded by IDEA presenter Chalene Johnson. Known for successful programs like P90Xยฎ and INSANITYยฎ, Beachbody plans to tap into PBPโs certification expertise to expand Beachbodyโs new fitness certification business. PBP has created group exercise offerings like Turbo Kickยฎ, PiYoโข and Hip Hop Hustleโข.
Read MoreStrengthening, Not Stretching, Hips Best for Knee Pain Prevention
A recent research report suggests that for relief of iliotobial (IT) band pain, strengthening the hips trumps stretching the IT band. Does this recommendation have a leg to stand on?
Read MoreA Tool for Group Fitness Managers
Group fitness managers interested in gaining insights on program management have a new free resource created by IDEA author and presenter Shannon Fable and her Web developer husband John Fable. Called GroupEx PRO, the program aims to โhelp eliminate the frustration felt by group fitness managers with regard to communication.โ
Here are some components of GroupEx PRO:
sub board that assists with requesting and approving subs
scheduler that allows a manager to embed updated schedules directly into a fitness facility website
Half of U.K. Adults Canโt Run 100 Meters
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games showcased the worldโs fastest sprinters. Unfortunately, many of those watching the games are doubtful they could successfully complete one of the Olympic Track & Fieldโs major events.
According to a survey conducted by Slimming World, a United Kingdomโbased weight loss company, and YouGovยฎ, nearly 50% of U.K. adults feel itโs unlikely they could run 100 metersโone of trackโs shortest eventsโwithout stopping.
Read MoreExercise Reduces Inflammation Long-Term
Inflammation, a protective mechanism designed to heal the body, has also been associated with disease development. Recently, a study discovered an inverse association between inflammation and long-term physical activity.
Published in Circulation (doi: 10.1161/circulationaha.112.103879), the 10-year study followed 4,289 men and women who were approximately 49 years old at the outset. โSelf-reported physical activity and inflammatory markers (serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [CRP] and interleukin-6 [IL-6]) were measured at baseline and follow-up,โ the authors explained.
Read MoreSpine Stabilization Unrelated to Back Pain?
Back pain is often thought to have an inverse relationship with core strength and stability. To enhance stability, many exercisers will perform spine stabilization exercises in the hope of improving strength and reducing or eliminating low-back pain. A recent study finds fault with this approach.
Read MoreFitness Worker Wages Fall Short, Satisfaction High
According to the U.S. Department of Laborโs Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook is bright for โfitness workers.โ The agency anticipates growth of about 24% from 2010 to 2020. Despite this outlook, however, a report from US News suggests that things are not 100% rosy when it comes to compensation.
Read More