Archive for December 2019
Meet a Team Member: Calvin La
If you ever wander the halls of the IDEA office, you may have the good fortune to be greeted warmly with a bright smile from Calvin La, our affable senior inspired service specialist. Always one to approach his work and interactions with kindness and integrity, Calvin has a knack for making you feel at ease.
Read MoreThe Mighty Mitochondria
It’s time to revisit one of the basics of biology: mitochondria. These organelles, which occur in almost all types of human cells, generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy that cells use (Newman 2017; Newman 2018). They are critical for powering metabolic processes, making them a building block of physical health and fitness.
Read MoreResolution Revolution: Train Happy!
Until a couple of years ago I was still attacking my workouts with the same intensity I did when I was a young competitor with lofty goals and dreams of athletic greatness. Eventually, I found myself dreading sessions and feeling burned out. There was no point in hating my workouts, I decided, and I vowed to let go of the negativity. Though I still craved movement, I was doing it for the wrong reasons—or I really didn’t have a good reason—and it was affecting the outcome of my hours in the gym.
Read MoreMentally Prepared to Move
As a certified group fitness instructor, you know how essential a physical warmup is, but in today’s world—when digital distraction and the rigors of a stressful life tend to short-circuit the brain—there’s also a need to mentally connect attendees with the moment so they are fully present to receive your cues and guidance.
Read MoreResistance Training and Weight Loss
Did you know that resistance training does much more than build strong muscles and bones? Research in the past few years has confirmed that lifting weights changes your metabolism in ways that improve health and well-being. That’s good news for people with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol levels.
Read MoreSample Class: Barre Fight
When the graceful world of barre meets the athleticism of kickboxing, the results are hot! This in-demand fusion class provides the best of both worlds and appeals to a wide audience.
Read MorePrevent Injuries for Longevity and Fun
Like many instructors, you may feel as though you’re expected to do it all and be all things to all people. However, you also need to ensure that you are sustaining your own physical and mental health. How do you keep your standards high and your teaching schedule full while also remaining healthy and injury-free? Read on to find out how three avid veteran instructors achieve balance. Their experiences and advice model best self-care practices for a long and successful career.
Read More6 Ways to Become a More Effective and Successful Personal Trainer
What do you hope to do next in your fitness career? Make the transition from part-time trainer to full-time business owner? Discover new profit centers to beef up your bottom line? Refresh your program design strategies? Deepen your understanding of the latest behavior modification techniques?
Learn how to do all this and more at the 2020 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute, the most comprehensive and impactful fitness event for personal trainers, fitness facility owners, and managers and program directors.
Read MoreSlow and Steady Wins the Gains
Andrew Sung had tried multiple training programs, but nothing seemed to help him reach his fitness goals. When he found personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder Aaron Seaton, that all changed.
“Andrew came to me with a defeated outlook,” says Seaton, a multicertified NASM trainer. Still, “he was highly motivated; just unsure how to put the pieces together.”
Read MoreNSCA Releases Older-Adult Resistance Training Position Statement
Noting that 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65 by 2030 and that skeletal mass, strength and functional loss represent health risks, the National Strength and Conditioning Association has released its first position stand on older-adult resistance training.
Read MoreIDEA Member Spotlight: January 2020
Michael Taylor Member Since 2010 :: Los Angeles “I am a Jedi,” says Michael Taylor, with a smile. And once you know him, the idea isn’t at all far-fetched. Taylor harnesses the power of a positive attitude to help his clients succeed. Through his personal training business, he has “the opportunity to help people get…
Read MoreAdd Competition to Boost Benefits of Wearables
If you use wearables with clients, consider adding competitive challenges to improve results. University of Pennsylvania and Deloitte Consulting LLP researchers found that simply giving wearables to people in the workplace did not increase physical activity; the key was to add fun and competition.
Read MoreMatch Your Exercise Choice to Your Personality
Before recommending a particular workout to a new client, you may want to consider the individual’s personality type and how it will influence success in different activities.
Read MoreVigorous Exercise Is Safe for Most Expectant Mothers
Good news for pregnant exercise enthusiasts: Vigorous exercise, even in the third trimester, is safe for healthy pregnant women, according to a study reported in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (2019; 19 [1], 281).
Read MoreAthletes May Need Strategies Against “Trash Talk”
You may want to consider adding defensive mental skills training for athletes to proactively counter the negative influence of verbal insults.
Read MoreVirtual Reality and Indoor Cycling
Indoor cyclists who wore virtual-reality headsets experienced less leg-muscle pain during brief, high-intensity intervals than cyclists who wore headsets showing static images, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2019; 51 [10], 2088–97).
Read MoreJanuary 2020 Question of the Month: Equipment and Activity Trends
What activities or equipment-based program trends are you seeing in the new year? Are you boosting promotion of any particular programs like high-intensity interval training, indoor cycling, yoga or barre? Or are you offering shorter class times or opportunities for virtual training? Please share your success stories.
Read MoreBuilding Muscle Mass at Any Age
Here’s motivating news for older adults and those who train them. New research shows that older men, even in their 80s, can build muscle mass regardless of training background.
Read MoreOutdoor Mindful Movement Training
Ready to give your mindful movement activities an additional boost? Look for ways to take them outdoors. Findings from a systematic review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2019; 16 [17], pii E3202) showed that nature-based mindfulness activities have positive mind, body and social effects.
Read MoreSocial Media Gives Insight on Training Patterns
Walking was the most popular activity. Western women and Midwestern men did more intensive exercise than those in any other region. The South had the biggest gender gap in exercise intensity
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