Archive for August 2014
Congrats To The 2014 IDEA World Fitness Awards Recipients
People everywhere want to live healthfully but often lack the drive to get off the couch. Luckily, qualified fitness professionals can show them how to bridge the gap from thinking about good health to living it. These 2014 IDEA World Fitness Award recipients and finalists have dedicated themselves to impacting their communities, their fitness colleagues and even people around the globe. Please join us in honoring these top-notch fitness professionals.
Program Director
IDEA Program Director of the Year
Tips on Keeping it Creative
Here are some simple suggestions to add interest to your class when you have limited time to plan ahead.
Read MoreChoosing Dietary Supplements
With so many varieties of dietary supplements on the market, how do you choose a good one? The laws governing dietary supplements make it a buyer-beware market. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not test dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness, and manufacturers are responsible for providing a good product. Use these tips when picking a supplement:
Buy from a reputable supplement maker. Beware of Internet sales of supplements or bargain-basement prices; with supplements you get what you pay for.
Read MoreResistance And Aerobic Training Recommendations for People With Type 2 Diabetes
Resistance Training Recommendations
Frequency. At least twice weekly on nonconsecutive days (Colberg et al. 2010); ideally at least three times a week. Colberg and colleagues propose that resistance training should be coordinated with other regular aerobic activities.
Intensity. For optimal gains in strength and insulin action, resistance training should be performed at moderate intensity (50% of 1-repetition maximum) or vigorous intensity (75%–80% 1-Rm) (Colberg et al. 2010).
Read MoreHow do you establish relationships with and get referrals from medical professionals?
In a recent “Tricks of the Trade” column, IDEA asked some of its members how they establish relationships with and get referrals from medical professionals. Here are a few of their answers. How do you establish relationships with and get referrals from medical professionals? Share your answers in the comment box below.
Read MoreHow to Launch a Successful Small-Group Training Program, Part Five
Offering small-group training in a fitness facility is an attractive idea. Managers who have done it successfully report increased hourly income, greater client loyalty, enhanced trainer satisfaction and more. But without the systems to support it, an idea remains an idea.
Read MoreInspired Service, Part Three: The Five Keys to Professional Leadership
The first two parts of this series focused on improving customer service and inspiring employees to develop a business that generates a positive, or “high,” vibration—one that elevates people and makes them feel special. In this installment, we’ll cover the core professional self-knowledge that forms the foundation of an inspired business.
Read MoreLeadership Series, Part Four: Giving as a Powerful Business Idea
We all know about go-getters: people who see what they want and set out to acquire it no matter what. Authors Bob Burg and John David Mann provide a twist on that notion in The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea (Portfolio 2007). They argue that giving is the key to receiving.
Read MoreHow to Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users
Mobile is on the move: According to comScore (2014), more than 166 million Americans aged 13 and over now have smartphones, and they are using them for much more than talking and texting: almost 60% of smartphone users and close to 75% of tablet users use the search function to get immediate information while they are on the go. What time is the next indoor cycling class? How late is the gym open? Where is this trainer located?
Read More10 Great Ways to Boost Sales and Leads
The best way to attract your next customers and keep the ones you already have is to give, give, give. When you create and share valuable content, you’re positioning yourself as a trustworthy expert and you’re building your brand naturally. This lets you showcase your talents at a very low cost while you explore your options, and an approach that works for you and your customers can then take you from free to fee.
Read MoreWarm Up by Rolling Out
If you’re looking for a fresh, effective way to help your group participants move better, why not include foam rolling in your next class? Chances are, some of your attendees are curious and could use some guided instruction.
Read MoreYoga on the Ball
Flexibility, balance, strength and endurance are common components of a yoga class. The poses alone provide an excellent workout, but if you’re ready for something different, consider adding stability balls to your practice.
Read MoreIs Fit Tech a Game Changer?
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. Why? Because smartphones, wearable technology, mobile fitness apps and fitness websites have the potential to revolutionize the work of personal trainers—freeing up more one-on-one time with…
Read MoreFitness Professionals Can Take A Leading Charge In The Fight Against Childhood Obesity
In observance of Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, IDEA has compiled a list of our most relevant articles. Learn how different components of daily life can effect children’s obesity risk, how to fight obesity and how to create effective programming for children.
Read MoreWhat Would You Change in Food Labeling?
Editor’s note: In our Food for Thought column in May, we asked readers what changes they would like to see emerge from the overhaul of the FDA nutrition label. A few readers shared their thoughts:
I like the [FDA’s] proposed food label. It is easier to read and I feel that the bold lettering of some of the [% Daily Value amounts] really helps to make them stand out. I for one would be more likely to read the label because the information is so clearly stated.
Jodi Dragseth
Owner, JJ’s Bodyshop Inc.Crookston, Minnesota
Global Childhood Games
Rest & Recovery
Are you training for a race or a run or exercising for health benefits? Did you know that recovery from training is actually more important than the training itself, as repair and rebuilding of damaged muscle tissue can occur only during a recovery period.
Charlie Hoolihan, director of personal training for the Pelican Athletic Club in Mandeville, Louisiana, talks below about two crucial steps for recovery:
Read MoreBuilding A Better Breakfast
In observance of National Better Breakfast Month, IDEA has put together a list of our best articles on how to build a better breakfast, the benefits of eating breakfast and some tasty morning meal recipes.
Read MoreFitness at Your Fingertips (or Thumbs)
Measuring your heart rate? Or need a reminder to stay hydrated? There’s a smartphone app for that. Track your run, find healthy recipes or analyze your client’s walking gait? There are apps for that, too!
With innovation and technology in the fitness and wellness industries growing extremely fast, there seems to be a mobile app for everything these days. A recent report found that nearly one-third of U.S. smartphone owners—about 46 million unique users—accessed apps in the fitness and health category in January 2014 (Nielsen 2014).
Read MoreThe Biomechanics of Obesity
Justin Price, MA, is a biomechanics specialist, expert in corrective exercise, and creator of The BioMechanics Method® continuing education program. His assessment and exercise techniques are widely used by health and fitness professionals around the world to help people eliminate chronic pain. Price has been consulted for his expertise by Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Tennis, Men’s Health, Arthritis Today, WebMD and Discovery Health.
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