Joy Keller
Joy Keller
Article Archive
No training program is complete without at least some focus on balance, an ability many people take for granted. We monitor the environment and our relationship to gravity quite automatically, thanks to the vestibular system, which helps us maintain our center of mass over a base of support. A properly functioning balance system allows us to see properly while in motion;
helps us orient ourselves to gravity;
determines direction and speed; and
makes automatic postural adjustments (Vestibular Disorders Association).
Wherever they are, the best personal trainers, group exercise instructors, fitness entrepreneurs and nutrition/wellness professionals excel at what they do, but in the macrocosm of motion that is the IDEA World Convention, they redefine the limits of their potential. At the 2017 event, held in Las Vegas, July 19–23, more than 10,000 like-minded pros placed a bet on continued happiness and success, upping the ante as they attended more than 330 workshops and workouts taught by the industry’s greatest minds.
Talk about workouts! The human tongue stays busy with speaking, tasting and swallowing, not to mention any extra tongue tricks we make it do out of nervous habit (curling, thrusting, etc.). What do you know—or think you know—about this muscular organ?
Do you remember in biology class when your teacher told you the ability to curl your tongue was genetic?
Proper thoracic-cage functioning sets the groundwork for healthy movement.
Clients often focus on the many aesthetic benefits of exercise, including weight loss and improved skin tone (Jaret 2011). Remind your hard-working clients of the numerous other benefits they’re reaping when they’re repping—the good stuff that happens behind the scenes, or rather, beneath the skin.
Hasn't the knee been thoroughly mapped? Perhaps. However, the following bold headline reverberated throughout the allied health community in 2013: "Doctors Identify a New Knee Ligament."
Really?
Use the warmup to create a bridge from digital distraction to full, present engagement.
Gut microbiota has been a hot topic recently, and for good reason, as it is a key indicator of health. Gut microbiota contains trillions of micro-organisms, including at least 1,000 species of known bacteria, with more than 3 million genes (Gut Microbiota for Health 2016). There are many benefits to having a healthy gut, including but not limited to
When you work with enough clients, eventually you notice all the variations in biomechanics and anatomy. You may or may not remember from your fitness professional certification studies that only about half of people have a psoas minor muscle. When it's there, it lies in front of the psoas major and originates from the sides of the 12th thoracic vertebra (T12), the first lumbar vertebra (L1) and the corresponding intervertebral disk (Farias et al. 2012).
Clients sometimes experience general pain in the knee during or after an exercise session, and while it's not within your scope of practice to diagnose, a broad understanding of issues that affect this important joint can be helpful. Here's a snapshot of plica syndrome.
Plica is a fold of synovial tissue that's a "remnant" of embryologic development. The knee is initially divided into three compartments by membranes, which are then resorbed by the third or fourth month of fetal life (Scuderi et al. 1997).
It's natural for newly pregnant women to be concerned about the health and wellness of their developing babies. However, some nervous new moms believe myths over facts and subsequently miss out on many benefits of physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that pregnant women get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. Here are some popular myths about exercise and pregnancy that you can debunk for clients.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity has more than doubled in children and has quadrupled in adolescents over the past 30 years. It now affects 1 in 6 children and adolescents in the United States. This early onset may put children on a life path littered with health troubles. The more educated fitness professionals are about the potential negative outcomes of childhood obesity, the better equipped they are to help.
According to the Physical Activity Council’s 2016 Participation Report, engagement in sports, fitness and related activities increased in 2015, with 56% of the U.S. population aged 6 and older “participating in at least one high caloric burning activity.” While you don’t have to spend a lot of money to start and maintain a fitness program, many people earmark dollars in their personal budgets for products and services that support their fitness goals.
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are almost here, and 10,500 athletes from 205 countries will enter Rio de Janeiro with a hunger for quality performance nutrition. How do elite competitors get the macronutrients and calories they need to win gold? Here’s a peek at how food fuels Olympic athletes.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, frustrated or dubious about whether personal training was the right career choice, you’ve got good company. Imagine you could go back in time and counsel your younger self on the nuances of personal training. What would you say? What have you learned, and how have you applied it?
It doesn’t take long before many fitness professionals realize that teaching and training clients involves much more than simply counting sets and reps. The perfect exercise program falls short if the client practices poor nutrition, for example, or is experiencing chronic stress, which can take a toll on mental and physical health.
I’ll admit it. I’ve been in a bit of a funk the past 3 years. Oh, I used to be on a roll. Years ago I became a certified personal trainer, then I learned how to teach indoor cycling, followed by 9 months in a yoga teacher training program. I filled my brain with theory, science, practicum, anatomy, inspiration and movement. I had good days and bad days with clients and participants, and I found my zone. The zone felt nice for a while, until I remembered how much I have left to learn.
If you could go back in time and counsel your younger self on the nuances of personal training, what would you say? What have you learned, and how do you apply it? These were some of many thought-provoking questions answered by four highly successful and influential fitness professionals in the opening panel discussion, “Set Your Career on Fire,” at 2016 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute East, in Alexandria, Virginia, February 25-28.
