Archive for September 2015
Great Exercises for Older Caregivers
Adults over 50 who are caring for aging parents are not like other fitness clients of similar age.
For starters, caregivers tend to be less healthy. A study by the insurance company MetLife noted that “adult children 50+ who work and provide care to a parent are more likely to have fair or poor health than those who do not provide care to their parents” (MetLife 2011). Another study showed that 17% of caregivers felt their health had gotten worse as a result of their caregiving responsibilities (Feinberg et al. 2011).
Read More15 Group Fitness Predictions for 2016 and Beyond
Group fitness arouses nostalgia and feels like “home” for many exercisers, both avid and novice. As the backbone of the fitness industry, it has ebbed and flowed over the past three decades (and counting). People love exercising to music and sharing endorphins. In fact, fitness facility members are thriving on creative class options, demanding more varied opportunities and driving the industry forward. What can you, as a group fitness professional, do to meet the needs of a growing market?
Read More7 Superfood Swaps on a Shoestring Budget
“Heavily marketed products backed by health brands or ‘gurus’ can have everyone questioning their food and nutrition choices,” says Teri Mosey, a holistic nutrition and culinary consultant in New York City who holds advanced degrees in exercise physiology and nutrition. “These foods being advertised as superfoods are [simply] whole foods from nature that have been around for thousands of years. They are just getting their 10 minutes of fame.”
Here are some thrifty substitutions for hyped-but-pricey foods that frequently show up on “superfood” summaries.
Electric Energy at Fitness Industry’s Premier Educational Event!
Like lightning to a rod, close to 12,000 attendees were drawn to the 2015 IDEA® World Fitness Convention’s 380 educational sessions and to its largest and most diverse Fitness and Nutrition Expo to date. People gave energy; they took energy; and they saved up the best of it to inspire clients at home and to transform businesses with new ideas.
Read MoreChoose Pilates & Yoga for Healthy Bones?
After age 50, adults typically lose about 1% of their leg strength and 0.5% of their bone mineral density (Gourlay et al. 2012) every year. There are ways to combat this seemingly inevitable decline, but do traditional Pilates and yoga programs make the grade?
Read MoreWarm Up With Stability Balls
Instructors tend to spend most of their creativity on the main body of the workout and forget to choreograph an equally inspiring warm-up. Instead of relying on ho-hum step-touches, hamstring curls and classic knee lifts, incorporate the stability ball for an unforgettable warm-up that limbers up the body in all planes of movement.
Read MoreIs Your Knowledge of Squats Out of Date?
“Deep squats are bad for the knees!”
Chances are you’ve heard this advice and maybe even given it to your clients. I know that for many years in my career I’ve been guilty of making similar recommendations to clients in all walks of life. The problem is, where did this advice come from? Is it valid and who is it valid for?
“Do your clients perform stretches before a workout, or do they do a dynamic warm-up and then static stretching at the end?”
We do a dynamic warm-up to raise body temperature, which raises heart rate and increases circulation to muscles, tendons and ligaments. A dynamic warm-up also helps prepare the mind and body for the upcoming workout, enhances performance and reduces injuries.
I even use dynamic warm-ups when I teach yoga. Most Baby Boomers (and I am one of them) need dynamic warm-ups.
Read MoreCrowdfunding 101
In August 2014, personal trainer Lyam White learned that one of the owners of the studio where he was renting space was looking to sell. The Seattle-based location had worked well for him, and he was concerned that he might have to search for a new place to train.
“I talked to the other owner about buying in, to ensure that I would still be able to train at this location,” says White. “Additionally, my wife is a massage therapist, and it occurred to us that the space could be used to consolidate our services and offer a ‘whole body shop’ storefront.”
Read MoreBecoming an Adaptable Personal Trainer
New beginnings.
When personal trainer Anne Biscaldi began working with Sandra—her very first client—the goals were simple. The client was interested in improving her strength, losing weight and shaping her body. Sandra, who was in her 40s at the time, had very little experience with a strength training program. “I couldn’t do a squat, couldn’t lift any weights for fear of pulling my back, and I had very little stamina,” she says.
Read MoreImprove Your Diet, Change the World
The parable of the hummingbird trying to put out a forest fire with his tiny beakful of water is emblematic of the challenges we face at a crossroads in the life of our planet and our food supply.
How do we wrestle with issues of food production, a swelling world population, an obesity epidemic, climate change, water scarcity, food cost containment and antibiotic resistance? Though it seems absurd to suggest that the few drops of water a single, determined little creature can throw on a runaway conflagration will do anything to help, the bird doesn’t care.
Read MoreWhat Should I Eat?
Health- and fitness-minded people face many challenges in determining their best choices in the key lifestyle area of diet. None is more important than that most basic question, “What should I eat?” Find out the two biggest changes you can make in your diet for the most impact!
Read MoreRecipe for Health: Spinach and Caper Sauce on Pasta
Even if you’re not a vegan eater, the recipes in The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples (Ten Speed Press 2015) will be game changers in your bag of kitchen tricks. Author Miyoko Schinner raises the bar on plant-forward cuisine by making her handcrafted food approachable for readers interested in lighter, healthier fare without the overprocessed or unrecognizable ingredients found in many prepared vegan and vegetarian foods.
Read MoreFive Ways to Cut Food Waste at Home
It never feels good to throw away food, and yet, we’ve all done it. Here are five simple ways to cut food waste that we can all easily control.
Read MoreAsk The RD: Are all types of fiber created equal?
Question: I know that it is best to avoid overly processed foods as much as possible. But isn’t
the fiber found in fortified foods such as breakfast cereals as good for you as the fiber found in naturally occurring foods? In other words, aren’t all types of fiber created equal?
Does Post-Exercise Soreness = Muscle Development?
Do you have to be sore in order to qualify your workout as “good”? Brad Schoenfeld, ReebokONE Expert Contributor, explains why that usually is not the case.
Read MoreEmerging Male Eating Disorder Is Tied to Supplement Use
??As a rule, far more women than men suffer from eating disorders, but a silent epidemic is growing among American males, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. The organization estimates that 10 million males in the U.S. will suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life and that about 43% of men are dissatisfied with their bodies.
Read Moreappetizers
Here’s a taste of what’s cooking in the nutrition world:
Read MoreTECHNIQUE: Roasting Fall Vegetables
Heirloom tomatoes and pole beans have sung their swan song for the season, but there is a bounty of hardy autumn crops ready to step in and play the starring role for a few months.
Read MoreBoost the Power of Raw Vegetables With Eggs
Like people, some foods just work better as a team. When the pairing forms a synergy that boosts your health, that’s even better.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (May 27, 2015, doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.111062) by
Purdue University researchers showed that adding eggs
to a salad with a variety of raw vegetables is an effective way
to improve absorption of carotenoids, which are fat-soluble nutrients that reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Eating a salad with a variety of colorful vegetables pro-