IDEA Authors
IDEA Authors
Article Archive
Salt: Enemy of the heart or wrongly convicted?
For years, health experts have been beating us over the head about the importance of scaling back our salt intake for the sake of our heart health. Based on research findings, the World Health Organization recommends a daily consumption of less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium—one teaspoon of salt—as a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association is even stingier with the salt shaker—just 1,500 mg of sodium a day for individuals at risk of heart disease.
As your clients resolve to shed bad habits and holiday pounds, you probably have a few personal goals of your own this year. Maybe you want to better help clients in the new year or advance your career. Maybe you want to start your own business or increase your earning potential.
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MAGALI SPARKS, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS
Have you ever met someone whose last name fits them perfectly? Such is the case with IDEA’s educational products director, Magali Sparks, who can ignite an entire room with her warm smile, her kindness and her humility. Indeed, sparks fly when “Mags,” as many of us call her, gets on a creative streak with the impressive line of products she and her team develop and manage.
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Did you know that dieting is ineffective at best and counterproductive at worse, with up to two-thirds of dieters regaining more weight than they lose (Mann et al. 2007)? Isn’t there a better way to eat healthfully?
One option is intuitive eating, which forgoes dieting and focuses on driving long-term improvements in your relationship with food. “Intuitive eating is the ability to read, interpret and follow your internal cues regarding the right amount of food for your body,” says Krista Scott-Dixon, PhD, curriculum director at Precision Nutrition.
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If you want to know how to become a successful personal trainer and influential leader to your clients, you need to invest in yourself as a professional. How? Seek out resources, people and a personal training business plan that will enhance your career. The good news?
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What programs, program features or marketing initiatives are you or your facility using in the new year to attract novice exercisers?
For example, are you introducing any incentives, Move It Monday themes or new technologies such as immersive fitness classes? Share your success stories and why you or your facility chose these strategies.
We want to hear from you! Email executive editor Joy Keller, jkeller@ideafit.com.
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SHOSHANA GORDON • Member Since 2015 • Portland, Oregon
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No one wants to gain weight during the holidays, but it’s difficult to turn down all that scrumptious food and drink—and you shouldn’t! Forget denial: these six science-based strategies will help you enjoy the season healthfully without packing on the pounds.
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INSPIRED SERVICE MANAGER MARCO VELASCO
Why Inspired Service matters, in Marco’s words: “One day I got a call from someone who had just lost her husband and was completely lost in life and looking to venture into a new career in fitness. Within a year she became an IDEA member, got NASM certified and attended the IDEA® World Convention. When I met her at World, she was glowing with happiness. Just seeing how we transformed her outlook on life was amazing!”
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Reviewing health and fitness news on the internet can produce a minefield of misinformation. Anybody can open a social media account, build a polished website with DIY templates, and set up shop as a self-appointed health and fitness expert. And people who do this can lend their work an air of authority by mimicking the design and presentation of authoritative health-news sources.
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. . . how more doctors are writing park prescriptions or urging
participation in “Park Rx” programs to encourage physical activity and promote outdoor recreation in public lands;
. . . Halotherapy, a form of dry salt therapy that involves sitting clothed in an enclosed room and breathing salt air for detox and recovery;
. . . the rise in biohacking, a session in a cryotherapy chamber (with freezing temperatures), followed by lounging in an infrared sauna.
Have you ever asked yourself, “how can I grow my professional training business when I am spending so much time driving from session to session?”
We hear this all too often in the professional training community, which is why many trainers have expanded into offering virtual training sessions. It’s the fastest way to tripling your monthly income while cutting your travel time in half. Sound too good to be true? Read Henry’s story below to learn more.
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GENERAL MANAGER KIM PAULSEN (AKA THE BOSS LADY!)
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You’ve been training for a 10K. You’re ready, but when you show up on race day, your heart is pounding and you feel panicked. What should you do to lower your stress? Some people might say, “Take a deep breath.” We all know that deep breathing to calm the nervous system is a go-to strategy for dealing with stress. But is it always the best strategy?
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Owning your own fitness business is fun and rewarding, but it also carries risks. It’s smart to understand those risks and how you can minimize their impact on your business. Here’s what you need to know about personal trainer insurance to keep your business in shape.
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Do you make a point to limit social media use? If so, how do you think that has affected your personal and professional life?
Send your responses to Joy Keller, jkeller@ideafit.com.
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Want to outwalk the grim reaper? Pick up the pace, say researchers. A new study from the United Kingdom suggests that quicker walking may add years to your life.
The study’s primary aim was to examine the impact of walking pace and volume on all-cause mortality. To determine this, researchers looked at mortality records for 50,225 individuals from Scotland and England who had self-reported their walking data via interview.
Naturally you want the best for your clients and yourself, whether it’s a perfectly tailored workout or the ideal diet and nutrition regimen. But when it comes to supplements, how do you assess quality? For 30 years NOW Sports has been making pure, unadulterated sports nutrition products, and we have some helpful tips on what to look for when choosing a sports nutrition brand that’s ideal for you and your clients.
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Professional athletes of all kinds have discovered that adding Pilates to their training can improve performance, reduce injury, speed recovery, and help their hardworking bodies stay balanced and healthy (Caple 2016; Knowlton 2016; Saxon 2016). Pilates—a whole-body exercise system that can help you develop strength, functional flexibility, coordination and balance—can offer those same benefits to recreational athletes. A well-rounded program, particularly one offered in a fully equipped Pilates studio, can do wonders for athletes of almost any age, ability or sport.
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A new feature at IDEA World, this educational track led by ACE faculty equipped attendees to coach their clients to lasting behavior change. Topics included diabetes prevention, pain-free movement, exercise for cancer patients, the life of a fat cell and much, much more. Here are just two important reminders from the ACE experts:
* “We are not diagnosing anything—we’re not medical professionals,” stressed Anthony Carey, MA. “We have to be very careful how we respond to clients’ questions.