Archive for June 2014
Unhappy Employees? How You Can Help
Why are some employees happy and others miserable? Answering that question is on the mind of every leader, manager and business owner who is trying to reduce staff turnover and improve productivity. Learning to be better managers can help us create a more positive working environment, which is good for everybody in our business.
Read More7 Self-Care Tips for Fitness Professionals
At the age of 40, Seattle-based France Marien, certified instructor and creator of the Remix Workout® app, was taken by ambulance to the hospital, complaining of chest pain. Coming from a family with a history of heart disease, Marien was very frightened and underwent a battery of tests. “The conclusion was quite simple,” she says. “I need to take care of myself. I was stressed out. I had to stop saying yes to everything.”
Read MoreWhy Fit Tech Changes Everything
If you’re not already harnessing the power of fitness technology to run your personal training business and make a difference in the lives of your clients, you should be.
Read MoreGreen Fitness Facilities: Healthy Bodies, Healthy World
Let these case studies on green fitness facilities and best practices serve as inspiration for taking your first step down the green road.
Read MoreThe Top 14 Rising Stars in Fitness
Within the fitness industry there is a breed of up-and-comers who are redefining the way the world views fitness. These are true innovators—mavericks poised to become the next generation of thought drivers and path pavers. IDEA Fitness Journal reached out to top names in fitness to learn who they believe are the rising stars who will push the industry toward greatness. This list is by no means exhaustive; think of it as representing the kinds of talents and ideas that will strengthen the industry in decades to come.
the Trailblazers
Read MorePlant Protein Sources
Ready, Set…Mud!
Does the idea of running a mud race appeal to you? Anyone who signs up for an obstacle challenge—whether for the fun, the teamwork (or, sometimes, the beer!)— will soon confront the substantial physical and mental demands of these races.
Read More30 Seconds to Victory
After spending much of his young life at a healthy weight, Lee Jordan began steadily gaining mass in his 20s. He reached a top weight of 450 pounds and was living what he refers to as a “nightmare of a life.” Inspired by his friend Beth, an ACE-certified personal trainer and now his wife, Lee began his journey to health and fitness by walking 30 seconds every morning down the hallway outside his apartment. Now, more than 275 pounds lighter, Lee is an ACE-certified personal trainer and health coach who specializes in helping people who need to lose 100 pounds or more.
Read MoreThe Mind-Body Man
John Manrique, cofounder of Revolutions Cycling Studio in Jupiter, Florida, is an indoor cycling instructor and sports enthusiast. “I knew I needed to add flexibility training to my routine and was interested in yoga, but . . . I never seemed to have time for [a class],” he says.
Read MoreIDEA’s Top Articles On Outdoor Exercise
In recognition of National Park and Recreation Month and its 2014 theme “OUT is IN,” we have assembled some of IDEA’s top articles on outdoor exercise. Use the ideas presented here to get your clients exercising outdoors, to keep them safe while doing so and to spice up your outdoor programming.
Mother Nature’s Gym
Read MoreIs There A Downside to Exercise?
Scientific understanding of mental health disorders is increasing—and exercise is emerging as a potent healing tool. Evidence has shown that exercise and physical activity can alleviate or help manage symptoms of the two most common disorders—anxiety and depression.
Read MoreQuestion of the Month
What nutrition-focused programming changes have you made at your gym or studio? Have you added a teaching kitchen? Have you taken clients on field trips or held cooking classes? Share your story with editor in chief Sandy Todd Webster at swebster@ideafit.com
Share your story with swebster@ideafit.com.
Read MoreStar-Spangled Salsa
Three team members from San Diego–based Jimbo’s…Naturally! Natural Foods Grocer recently treated the IDEA Tribe to an informative Lunch and Learn session as part of IDEA’s ongoing wellness initiative. The Jimbo’s team demonstrated three delicious recipes and shared samples of all the food. This inspired several IDEA staffers to get in the kitchen and try their hands at these healthy eats.
Read MoreAsk the RD
Question: A friend of mine suggested I take an apple cider vinegar shot in the morning to increase my metabolism and decrease my appetite throughout the day. Is there any truth to that?
Answer: Health claims associated with apple cider vinegar range from suppressing appetite to lowering blood pressure to aiding in digestion. As for your friend’s claim— that a shot of apple cider vinegar reduces appetite—a study examining the effects of apple cider vinegar on postmeal blood glucose and satiety didn’t show an impact (Chezem et al. 2012).
Read MoreIDEA Member Installs Teaching Kitchen to Educate Clients
Brent Gallagher, MSS, owner and coach at West U Fitness in Houston, has challenged the status quo of fitness facility offerings by installing a demonstration kitchen and by building substantial programming around it for clients.
Read MoreIDEA Food and Nutrition Tips Garners Second Maggie Award
IDEA’s newest publication, IDEA Food and Nutrition Tips, recently won its second consecutive Western Publications Association “Maggie” Award, for excellence in magazine publishing. The special November–December print edition of the magazine was named Best Print Supplement in the trade publishing category.
Congratulations to IDEA’s editors, authors and designers, who have won a total of nine Maggies over the past 10 years.
Read MoreDon’t Judge Food Healthfulness by Texture
There’s no accounting for individual taste, especially when it comes to experiencing food flavors. But in the case of textures, a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that test subjects mistakenly believe that harder or more roughly textured foods have fewer calories.
Read MoreMind Over Milkshakes: How Your Mindset Guides Physical Response to Food
Can your mind fool your physiology into believing you’ve either eaten something very healthy—or done the opposite? A study from Columbia Business School postdoctoral research scholar Alia Crum says yes.
Read MoreHow Do You Manage Your Clients And Leads?
In a recent “Tricks of the Trade” column, IDEA asked some of its members how they manage their clients and leads. Read on for Raleigh, North Carolina, member Karin Singleton’s ideas. How do you manage your clients and leads? Please share your answer in the comment box below.
Read MoreAppetizers
The recent Culinary Trend Tracking
Series from market researcher Packaged Facts says Peruvian products are seductive ingredients for chefs these days. Look for creative uses of superfood building blocks such as aji peppers, amaranth, pichuberries, purple corn, purple potatoes and, of course, quinoa on a menu near you this summer.