Archive for September 2016
Is Fitness Technology Your Fiercest Competitor?
If you’ve used the Nike+ Running App, you’ve likely heard the voice of five-time Olympic medal–winning sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross congratulating you for completing a run. Browse the health app section on your smartphone or slap on a wearable device, and you’ll observe the endless opportunities for tracking fitness data and even getting workout inspiration.
Read MoreWhy Culture Matters and How to Build It in Your Facility
It’s no longer enough to offer the latest fitness equipment and amenities in your gym. People crave connection and community.
Read MoreUse These Three Systems to Foster Impeccable Client Adherence
It can be a challenge to make sure all of your clients arrive for sessions consistently—and on time. Inevitably in your career, you will deal with clients who frequently reschedule, show up late or don’t show at all.
Many trainers I know are quick to point the finger at disobedient clients and blame transgressions on clients’ lack of motivation.
3 Steps to Take Control of Your Finances
It may not be the most glamorous aspect of running a business, but putting solid accounting practices in place can save you stress and money.
Read MorePivot Your Business to Success
In my last column, I wrote about how perfectionism can spell d-o-o-m to a business. One reason for this is that having an inflexible business mind means you’re not willing to really do what it takes to succeed.
Read MoreRECIPE FOR HEALTH: Got a Picky Eater? Try This Sandwich Mix and Match
Got a Picky Eater?
Try This Sandwich Mix and Match
Horseradish Stands up to Cancer
Long a staple sidekick for prime rib and in shrimp cocktail sauce, the humble horseradish root has come a long way. One of the stronger players in the mustard family (next to gentler cousins of the cruciferous strain such as kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and radishes), this plant could also have cancer-fighting powers, recent research suggests.
Read MoreHello, Is It Turmeric You’re Googling For?
Chances are, search engines know exactly what you’re searching out in your web wanderings.
Americans are endlessly curious, especially about food, nutrition and the trends that cover both. So shows data that Google collects about our top searches. The Google Food Trends 2016 U.S. Report reveals that in terms of food searches between January 2014 and February 2016, we most often browsed for information about functional foods, exotic flavors and custom-tailored snacks.
Ask the RD
Question: Are purple and red carrots, purple cauliflower and other colorful varieties of vegetables nutritionally the same as the regular vegetables?
Answer: I was recently served a salad of thinly shaved ribbons of purple, red, orange and yellow carrots. It was beautiful, unique and delicious. I’m glad to see these colorful vegetables become more widely available, because it makes cooking and eating that much more interesting. Nutritionally, colorful varieties are both similar and different to the more usual options.
Question of the Month
A recent poll conducted by Truven Health Analytics™ and reported by NPR shows that the math in the obesity equation is not adding up—or at least Americans’ perception of some factors within the formula are off. More than one-third of American adults are overweight or obese, yet according to the data collected in this poll of 3,000, nearly 75% of those surveyed ranked their eating habits as good (33.5%), very good (28.2%) or excellent (13.2%).
Read MoreHealthy Kitchen Hacks for the Home Cook
This month’s hack is served up by Elizabeth Falkner, a James Beard Foundation Award nominee who was named Pastry Chef of the Year by Bon Appétit magazine. She’s also been a three-time competitor on Food Network Challenge and a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters.
Get Inspired
Healthier Eating May Be Just a Click Away
We can dial for takeout. We can go to a fast-food drive-through, a fine-dining restaurant or a food truck. And now, we can click, click, click and send our grocery order for same-day doorstep delivery by Uber, Lyft, Amazon and others. Choices abound for ways to procure our food.
Read MoreThe Plantrician Project: Planting the Seeds of Change
The International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference drew a sell-out crowd of more than 750 physicians, dietary professionals and allied health pros from 20 countries, where aspiring “plantricians” gathered to discuss the power of plants in the diet.
Read MoreThe Plantrician Project: Planting the Seeds of Change
The International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference drew a sell-out crowd of more than 750 physicians, dietary professionals and allied health pros from 20 countries, where aspiring “plantricians” gathered to discuss the power of plants in the diet.
Read MoreWalnut Oil vs. Olive Oil
Question: I just discovered roasted walnut oil and love it in salad dressing. How does it compare to olive oil?
Read MoreOptimizing Visualization for Mental Toughness
All of us instinctively use visualization (aka imagery) to help us perform better. Have you ever paid close attention to an expert’s technique and then tried to replicate it in your mind? Have you mentally practiced your own performance before physically executing it? What about imagining how wonderful it will be to fully recover from an injury? Perhaps you’ve mentally rehearsed the exhilaration you’ll feel once you’ve completed an event you’ve been training for?
Read MoreRaising Rates: Negotiating Deals
What would you do with an extra $6,000 a year in earnings? Pay off debt? Go on vacation? Save for a down payment on a home? Raising your session rates by $3 can make this additional money a reality, whether you charge $10 an hour or $125 an hour.
Read MoreBe the Best Mentor an Intern Could Want
Internships are a fact of life in the fitness industry. All major degree programs related to fitness or exercise science require that students complete an internship prior to earning a degree. Colleges and universities want their students to have real-life work experience when they graduate. Internships help students discover their likes and dislikes; the work also helps them to form professional relationships and to differentiate themselves from the hundreds of other recent graduates vying for the same jobs.
Read MoreHIIT for Endurance Training? Really?
We hear lots about high-intensity interval training these days, but one of the most fascinating things about HIIT is its ability to help athletes improve their performance in endurance events.
HIIT and Endurance Performance
Read MorePartner Workout: Cardio & Plyo
If you’re looking for a new way to add interest to your cardio classes, double the fun with partner drills. In this intense interval workout, drills consist of a 1-minute work effort, a 30-second recovery, and then a second 1-minute work effort. However, there’s a twist: The recovery isn’t a true recovery. Instead, you use the 30 seconds to do a quick series of “sculpting” moves designed to bring down the intensity while strengthening the body.
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