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People living in different regions of Spain have opposing views on fitness. “Talking about new trends in fitness and working out at lunchtime or after work are normal in certain cities, for example,” says Alex Ventura, a Barcelonan who has been working in the fitness industry for more than 15 years as a group exercise instructor, a personal trainer, a consultant and an educator.
Read More When Jessica Thomas became engaged 7 years ago, she frequented local bridal shows to find vendors who could make her wedding day perfect. She saw plenty of florists, photographers and bakers, but one professional was nowhere in sight—a personal trainer. “No one from the fitness industry was at these shows,” says Thomas, who now runs Fit 2 Wed in San Diego. “I wanted to give brides a healthy way to feel fit and gorgeous at their wedding.”
Read More In Brazil, with its long summer, beautiful beaches and warm weather, it makes sense that many exercisers want to enjoy the great outdoors. Numerous group fitness classes, mind-body practices and personal training sessions happen outside, notes IDEA Brazilian ambassador Vania Ballo-Petroff.
Read More Dance is a key word on group exercise schedules in Mexico, as dance-based fitness classes are heating up gyms everywhere. Latin rhythms, hip-hop, salsa and belly dancing are popular, according to Norma Zurita, a 23-year veteran of the fitness industry and group fitness coordinator of Sport City in Mexico City. Indoor cycling, circuit training, kickboxing, step and strength training classes are also well-liked. On the other hand, high-impact classes or those featuring complicated, advanced choreography get a thumbs-down.
Read More Dedicated fitness professionals in Australia are regularly inspiring people to become healthy, says Ken Baldwin, fitness professional and presenter in Brisbane, Australia, who has worked in the industry for over 25 years. “We are becoming more credible and expanding our knowledge due to demands placed on our industry for certifications and insurance,” he says. “We now work more closely with other allied professionals, and there’s been increased interest in functional training.
Read More Participating in running, walking or triathlon events can be a fun way to exercise and enjoy the great outdoors. However, while your personal training clients may want to do a race, they might be unsure of how best to prepare for one or eager for some support during the training process. By conducting training for races, you can create an additional profit center for your business, increase retention and give your clients a sense of accomplishment. Discover how different trainers structure and market race training and why it’s beneficial for you and your clients.
Read More The most popular fitness classes in Israel are body conditioning, core training, stability ball, yoga, step and dance-based formats, notes Yoav Avidar, international fitness presenter from Tel Aviv, Israel, who has been working in the fitness industry for 12 years. “In general, and especially during these days of economic hardship, popular equipment-based classes are ones that use the equipment the club has!” he says. “Clubs and studios are very hesitant to buy new equipment, especially if it’s relatively expensive.
Read More The French often participate in sports and other nontraditional “fitness” activities without joining a health club, notes Fred Hoffman, MEd, 2007 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, director of International Services for the Club & Spa Synergy Group and fitness consultant for women’s marketing at Reebok France. “Hiking, walking and Nordic walking are popular, and many people ride bicycles,” he says. “Boxing, judo, karate and other martial arts are extremely popular for children, teenagers and young adults.
Read More 2009 will see a big boom for the Philippine fitness industry, says Cynthia L. Carrion, personal trainer to the country’s president, and undersecretary for the sports and wellness industry in the Philippine Department of Tourism. Why?
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A new study sheds light on why many adolescent girls are gaining weight. A decline in activity in the transition from childhood to adulthood could be responsible, according to a study published in the July 23 issue of The Lancet (2005; 366 [9482], 301–7).
In collaboration with others, Sue Y.S. Kimm, MD, from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, looked at activity …
Maybe you find that after carefully
mapping out your career path, you actually want to travel in a different
direction. Maybe you discover that a career milestone you thought would take
years to achieve is now within your grasp. Or maybe you are still blissfully
happy in your job but find that outside forces dictate a change.
As the old saying…
Read More “Self-esteem isn’t everything; it’s
just there’s nothing without it.”—Gloria Steinem
Many women whom you train or teach
struggle with body image issues, eating disorders and inactivity. While most
try to change destructive behavior p…
?Throughout
childhood, most young girls are outgoing, self-confident, curious adventurers
interested in exploring the world and all it has to offer. Happy with
themselves and their place in the world, they interact positively with their
families and friends.
All this drastically changes as girls
approach their teen yea…
For some people, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the highlight of their year. They look forward to cooking turkeys, buying presents, singing carols and spreading the spirit of the holidays to everyone they meet.Then there are the rest of us. We’re not exactly Scrooges, but for us, celebrating the holidays can be a monumental effort often filled with stress. If the hol…
Read More Both the IDEA Personal Trainer Code of Ethics and the IDEA Group Fitness Instructor Code of Ethics urge fitness professionals to “uphold a professional image through conduct and appearance.” However, what type of clothing helps fitness professionals project the right image? Some owners and managers believe that providing uniforms is key…
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