Archive for September 2014
Practical Tips for Attracting Obese Clients
For many fuller-figured individuals, the idea of going to a fitness facility is overwhelming. Unfortunately, our images and headlines don’t help. In industry marketing materials, “we feature the already fit, which is intimidating,” says Boulder, Colorado–based marketing and sales expert Debra Atkinson, MS. “We feature tight clothes, the room full of toned, flawless-skinned individuals working…
Read MoreHealth & Fitness Tech Trends
A Gut Feeling
Did you know that if your gut is in a rut, chances are your health is out of sorts too?
The gut, also known as the gastrointestinal (or GI) tract, hosts trillions of bacteria that can have profound effects on digestive health and overall wellness, which is why it’s a good idea to consume prebiotics and probiotics—dietary dynamos that work in concert to populate the gut with “micro-
flora” that keep you healthy.
Mobile Apps for Your Clients
Mobile apps for nutrition, weight loss and fitness put health management into the palms of your clients’ hands, so clients will probably ask you to help them pick the best apps for enabling results. If you plan to recommend good fitness apps to your clients or class participants—or if you already do—you’ll want to consider user-friendliness and whether certain clients will actually use the apps you suggest (see the sidebar).
Read MoreFitness as Pharmacy
An accomplished orthopedic surgeon, Gregory Degnan, MD, serves as medical director of ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers, home to 38,000 members throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia. Since a rare medical condition sidelined Degnan’s surgical career, he has worked to map out the ACAC physician-referred exercise program and has advocated for the unification of the healthcare and fitness industries. An avid exerciser, Degnan attended Wesleyan University and Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.
Read MoreCreative Ideas That Inspire
CABARRET: Strong & Sexy, offered at MindBody Trendz in Cooper City, Florida, combines barre and burlesque dancing for a full-body conditioning class. The session begins with ballet-inspired moves that strengthen the core, legs and upper arms and then transitions to an upbeat, easy-to-follow dance routine.
Read MoreSample Class: Double Step Conditioning
Double Step Conditioning is a total-body workout that uses two steps set up at different heights for a fresh approach to old moves and an opportunity to infuse new energy into conditioning classes. The workout includes moderate-to-hard cardio bursts to keep people moving and heart rates elevated without pushing into anaerobic zones. Participants will appreciate the seamless flow, sweat and variations.
Double Step Details
Read MoreStretching That Works for Men
Many men struggle with inflexibility and diminished joint range of motion, especially as they age, and stretching is often the most poorly performed component of their exercise programs. You can help male participants to develop an effective active-stretching program by incorporating continuously looped resistance bands into your cool-down. This approach may help men with over tight hips to restore agility, strength, power and balance.
Keep the following principles in mind when you cue form:
Read MoreHow to Make the Most of Express Classes
Time is a precious commodity, and everyone is looking for the fastest, most effective way to exercise. Between jobs, family, daily errands and the occasional social gathering, people work hard to squeeze group fitness classes into their busy lives. That’s why express classes— high-calorie-burning, energy-packed, condensed workouts—are all the rage.
Read More2014 IDEA World Fitness Convention™: Fuel Your Dream—With Passion!
Never give up. Follow your dreams. Ask for help, and give help when it’s asked of you. Connect with others and share. Show up for your clients every day.
Read More“What do you need to consider when training perimenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal women?”
Perimenopause presents an array of challenges for women, including mood swings, depression, irritability and sleep disturbances. Pilates is an excellent way to improve a woman’s mood and ability to sleep, as well as increase her energy. The breathing techniques used in Pilates calm and relax the mind. The weight gain around a woman’s midsection, which often accompanies menopause, can be reduced with Pilates.
Read MoreSparks of Inspiration
Looking to make more money in your training business? Trying to shake up your programming? Want to bring the benefits of fitness to a certain population? Here are examples of interesting programs that personal trainers invented to meet a specific need. See how they developed their ideas, and get inspired to start a new program of your own.
#1: FitGuy, Alamogordo, New Mexico
Read MorePre- and Postnatal Training
Fit for her family. Personal trainer Matt Browne was first introduced to Michelle by a mutual friend in 2012. The two shared a hometown connection and immediately traded anecdotes about growing up in the small river town of Winona, Minnesota.
Read More2014 IDEA World Fitness Convention™
It’s hard to believe that yet another IDEA World Fitness has come and gone already. And what a joyful, positive week of fitness professionals fueling their passion it was! We had a blast and were so impressed by those of you we met for the first time and by everyone we reconnected with. We are humbled by the work you do to Inspire the World to Fitness®.
Read MoreThe Fountain of Youth for Older Women?
An examination of the scientific literature on exercise sheds light on how regular physical activity impacts physical and mental decline and early mortality among postmenopausal women. The researchers also identify which types of exercise may be best for this growing population.
Read MoreCan Twitter Help Childhood Obesity?
Social media platform Twitter is widely used as a tool for sharing and receiving information. A recent study suggests that tweeting
could play a positive role in reducing childhood obesity rates.
Do Parents Accurately Assess Obese Kids’ Health Problems?
Experts often suggest that in order to reduce childhood obesity levels, healthy habits must begin in the home. However, a recent study shows that many parents miss the mark— even when their child is considered clinically obese.
Read MoreKids: Go Take a Hike!
Do your kids fall short of achieving the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise? Though the weather may be turning cold (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), researchers suggest that sending children outside to play may boost weekly activity levels. Just make sure you keep kids bundled up!
Read MoreObstacle Races Are Big Business
Only a few short years ago, the obstacle race landscape was quite barren, with just a few organizers hosting events in 2009 and 2010. According to a new report, more than 100 companies have now entered the obstacle course business, and all signs point to continued growth.
Read MoreCollege Students Benefit From Gym Memberships
In the past few issues, IDEA Fitness Journal has reported on the link between exercise and scholastic performance. A study published in the Recreational Sports Journal (2014; 38 [1], 14–22) looks specifically at the important role that fitness facility membership plays in academic success at the college level.
Read More