IDEA Authors
IDEA Authors
Article Archive
Did you know that the Chinese movement patterns of tai chi have been around for centuries? This “movement meditation” consists of continuous, fluid and precisely controlled forms in a specific sequence. In recent years, study after study has proven the benefits of tai chi—particularly for active agers.
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If you’re ever lucky enough to get Nate as your inspired service specialist when you call IDEA with a question or need assistance at an IDEA event, there’s no doubt you’ll finish the encounter feeling like your day just took a leap and a bound. This man walks a positive path, lives by the golden rule and sincerely gets pumped when he witnesses the good nature of others. “I love seeing or hearing about acts of kindness for those deserving or in need,” Nate says.
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When it comes to dishing out nutrition advice, most recommendations are generalized to the population as a whole. But a number of companies have jumped into the personalized nutrition space and are marketing themselves as being able to help individuals overcome poor dieting success and boost health measures with eating plans tailored to their DNA, metabolism or microbiome.
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Susanna Gayedon
Member Since 2008 • Los Angeles
In 1979, Susanna Gayedon, inspired by a kinesiology class—and the movie Flashdance—became a fitness instructor. But she was no flash in the pan, going on to earn her AFAA certification, become registered with Yoga Alliance and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of clients as both a personal trainer and a group fitness instructor.
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Keeping physically active or becoming more active during middle and older age is associated with a lower risk of death, regardless of past activity levels or existing health conditions, suggests a large United Kingdom study published in the June 26 issue of The BMJ.
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Until recently pain has been thought to be an indicator of the amount of tissue injury present in the body. The belief is that a high amount of pain equates to a serious injury, and a small amount of pain equates to a minor injury. However, through extensive research, we now know that pain has surprisingly little correlation to the amount of tissue damage present. For example, it’s estimated that 40% of people without any low back pain have at least one “bulging” disc on a lumbar spine MRI.
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You may feel the hummingbirdlike whoosh as she speeds by you in the hallways at IDEA headquarters, but your brain may not always process that the voltage you felt pass by was teammate Kelly Nakai. This woman is calibrated at a higher speed than most people you’ll ever meet, and from Day One of her more than 15 years at IDEA, she has moved with purpose. Driven by her love of our mission to Inspire the World to Fitness®, Kelly. Gets. Stuff. Done!
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People who have worked to lose weight may have found that achieving short-term weight loss is relatively easy. But weight loss success all too often ends in weight regain. Soon, dieters embark on a new diet, launching a round of weight cycling that wreaks havoc on the body and causes many problems routinely blamed on obesity.
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Jillian Hessel
Member Since 1989 • Los Angeles, California
Do you or does your facility have specific policies or programs to create a more welcoming atmosphere for new participants? Given the evidence that more Americans are trying fitness pursuits but have not yet committed to be regular exercisers, we want to hear about your practices that succeed in converting new members into regulars. Please share your success stories.
We want to hear from you!
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Whether you are an owner of a brick and mortar fitness space or an independent fitness professional, your business’s location can be a major factor in your success. According to a study conducted by New York based marketing firm distillery, using the data from cell phone location tracking logs, the average gym-goer has a short 4 mile drive to their gym. The distance will vary by style of facility but the longest distance reported in the study was only 6 miles.
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For years, fat was demonized as dietary “Public Enemy Number One.” Despite the essential roles it plays in the body, including temperature regulation, hormone production and protection of organs, we were told it was also responsible for weight gain and other health woes. As a result, people stocked their kitchens with low-fat items.
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A former IDEA editor once said that if Joy’s writing and reporting style were likened to a food, it would best be described as peanut butter. Why? Her work is “nutrient-dense,” packing a punch that sustains readers a long time.
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Shebah T. Carfagna
Member Since 2014 • Miami
What is the status of HIIT programming at your facility? What programs, if any, are you offering, and are they growing or declining in popularity or remaining the same? Are they popular with a specific demographic group, or do they have broad appeal? Share your insights on HIIT programs and your experiences with them.
We want to hear from you!
Email executive editor Joy Keller, jkeller@ideafit.com.
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Like them or hate them, soda taxes are proving effective at curbing the intake of sugary drinks. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health cites data showing that after the city of Berkeley, California, implemented a penny-per-ounce soda tax in 2014, consumption of sweetened drinks, including soda and energy drinks, plummeted by 21% in lower-income neighborhoods. And 3 years later, city-polled residents reported drinking 52% fewer of these beverages than they did before the tax passed.
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The gravel-voiced sailor man was smart to make spinach his vegetable of choice. This green giant has a wealth of nutritional highlights, including vitamin K, vitamin C and lutein, a potent antioxidant. Higher intakes of lutein have been linked to healthier cholesterol levels (for better heart functioning) and improved eye health, according to The Journal of Nutrition and JAMA.
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Eight in ten American adults and adolescents do not move enough! This alarming finding from Department of Health and Human Services 2018 research wholeheartedly underscores Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2nd edition) recommendations to move more and sit less. Physical activity helps all of us to feel, function and sleep better, and decreases risk of many chronic diseases. We urgently need more aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, along with greater variety of movement.
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