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All in the Family

Linda Pimentel, owner of Origins of Inner Strength Inc., in Mesquite, Texas, has made Pilates transformations a family affair. She frequently works with families, couples and mother-daughter teams. “I usually work individually at first, to establish boundaries,” she says. “For example, the mother needs to know that during our sessions she isn’t in charge, and the daughter doesn’t get to show off in front of mom.”

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Pilates and Ankle Sprains

Pilates is a wonderful tool for helping a client who is recovering from an ankle injury, as weight and impact on the ankle joint can be less during Pilates than during many other forms of exercise.

Most of us have rolled an ankle. We trip while walking, running, dancing or playing sports—and often we try to self-diagnose with rest, ice, compression and elevation. While this approach may suffice with a very minor injury, a true ankle sprain requires more attention.

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From Music Educator to Boutique Studio Owner

Steven Burnes, Australian-born founder and owner of Aussie Fitness Pilates and Spinning Studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reinvented his career in October 2008, after 22 years as a professional musician and high-school and college music teacher. The Peak Pilates® master instructor supplements his studio practice with teacher training and indoor cycling classes.

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Core Progressions on the Reformer

The core plays an essential role in everyday activities. It facilitates movement and assists with posture, stabilization and support. Learning to use the core as a dynamic center is the key to efficient, safe and balanced movement.

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Small-Group Secrets: Crafting the Client Experience

You’ve heard the buzz about small-group training (SGT): more money in less time. And you may also have heard that SGT business growth relies—heavily—on referrals from satisfied trainees. So what do current one-on-one and boot camp leaders need to do in order to create amazing client experiences? This fifth article in our series on SGT will explore how to frame your program to ensure success for you and your clients.

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Make More Money: Become a Presenter

Working as a group instructor or personal trainer, you speak to and teach people every day. Becoming a presenter for events is a natural extension of what you already do. And you don’t have to go far to find opportunities for speaking engagements. Hotels and resorts in your area, gyms, health food stores and co-ops, local businesses and specialty groups, schools and colleges, conferences, wellness fairs and expos, hospitals and other non-profit companies: All are potential sources of extra income for you.

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Insurance Considerations for Fitness Professionals

When was the last time you took a hard look at the risks your business faces and the systems that you have—or don’t have—in place to safeguard yourself when disaster strikes? In this article you’ll learn how to manage the most costly risks to your business and how to stay ahead of the risk-management curve as your business grows

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Client Confidentiality Is Crucial

As a fitness professional and a business owner, you often develop close working relationships with your clients, and you learn a great deal about their lives, health, medical conditions, goals and fears. Your clients have every right to expect that such information will be kept confidential. It is in your best interests to ensure that it is protected.

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Blogging for Financial Success

Blogging can provide a host of benefits for personal trainers and athletic coaches. It is a simple way to position yourself as an expert, and it’s an inexpensive means to boost your brand identity. You can also boost your income by using your blog to generate saleable content for booklets, minibooks, articles, manuals, eBooks and printed books. Apply these 15 simple recommendations, and build a blog that leads to business and financial success.

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Postpartum Yoga Poses: Cues and Benefits

Many women enjoy the benefits of yoga or other exercise during pregnancy, but then become inactive postpartum—perhaps because they don’t know which activities are safe or appropriate. Sadly, they miss the opportunity to restore a gateway to stability in the body, and later they may find themselves hampered by weaknesses in the pelvic floor and…

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Is Golf Fitness Your Niche?

In the past, many golfers were not concerned about being fit. Today, however, golf fitness conditioning has come to the fore as amateur and pro golfers alike strive to enhance their play and reduce the risk of common golf injuries. Savvy golfers are discovering that golf-specific training can help them improve their power, flexibility and…

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Sample Class: Plyometric Progressions

Classes that appeal to athletes often intimidate many beginning- and intermediate-level exercisers; however, participants of all levels can do a challenging plyometrics class if you give them options. Jumping, in fact, can provide a foundation for inclusive, fun and effective training. By teaching with layers, you facilitate self-paced progression that challenges everyone. Jump Onboard Details…

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Secrets to Small-Group Training Success

Marketing is the process of reaching out to potential new customers. Done right, it’s a systematized, targeted and reusable way to gather fresh sales leads. But marketing small-group training—the profitable new industry trend wherein one trainer works with three to 10 clients at a time—has its own special considerations.

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2013 IDEA Award Recipients

?Exercise can be hard. Sedentary people are often worried that the intensity will be too much, while longtime exercisers may need to revamp their motivation from time to time. For both populations, the passion, innovation and skill of veteran fitness pros are crucial.

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Help for Hunched-Over Backs

??Do you have a hard time raising your arms to wash your hair, putting dishes in an overhead cupboard or pulling on a sweatshirt? You may be suffering from excessive thoracic kyphosis.
ETK is a disproportionate forward rounding or curvature of the middle and upper back, also known as the thoracic spine (Kendall, McCreary & Provance 2005). Everyday movements and athletic performance can be limited by ETK, as this excessive rounding of the middle and upper back can affect the function of your breathing, shoulders, spine and arms.

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Obesity Starts in the Brain

Michael R. Mantell, PhD, earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania and his master’s degree in clinical psychology at Hahnemann Medical College, where he wrote his thesis on the psychology of obesity. He has served as chief psychologist both for Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center of San Diego and for the San Diego Police Department. In addition to working in private practice, Mantell coaches world-class athletes and fitness enthusiasts for mental and behavioral performance enhancement.

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Nancy Korf

“In an age when many trainers seem to be specializing, my success comes from my ability to teach multilevel classes,” says personal trainer and group fitness instructor Nancy Korf. “Everyone is welcome and respected in my classes.” She teaches both large- and small-group sessions, which have enhanced her access to clients because she can cross-promote herself.

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Geneviève Nedder

“My background as a performer, combined with many years of rehabilitation, gives me a broad perspective on movement,” says Geneviève Nedder, founder of Body Fundamentals Inc. She was first introduced to Pilates as a way to relieve neck and back pain—the result of a car accident—and to avoid surgery. During her recovery, Geneviève developed a passion for Pilates.

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