Martica Heaner, MA, PhD
Article Archive
If the eyes are a window to the soul, then the lungs are a door to the body—providing a gateway for the arrival of oxygen to every living cell.
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If the eyes are a window to the soul, then the lungs are a door to the body—providing a gateway for the arrival of oxygen to every living cell.
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Catherine Towers forked over $1,000 for a physician-supervised “detox.” “I felt that I needed a drastic change,” says Towers, a brand-marketing consultant in New York City. “Slow weight loss from trying to eat better is uninspiring, so a detox plan was more appealing.”
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Indoor cycling instructors are part DJ and part coach. The best cycling teachers pair rhythmic coaching cues with powerful tunes that transport riders to an inspirational place. Here are several tested and true ways to take your students on a magical, musical ride.
Play Music Before the Ride Begins
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Up until the late 1990s, cardio workouts shared a similar vibe: shiny, Lycra®-clad bodies stepped, kicked and punched to high-energy dance music. Music was motivational but often generic. Cuing techniques mostly involved giving students notice that a new 8-count foot pattern was coming up. Indoor cycling changed everything. Even before yoga became mainstream, cycling classes…
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Why do fitness facility members flock to ride in a group setting? Because a cycling class is much more than a workout: it’s an experience. A great cycling class is a confluence of motivation and technique from the instructor and inspiration from the music. Here are 5 tips from top teachers for giving your students the ride of their lives.
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You’re not likely to find a line of members waiting to use the bike on the gym floor; however, indoor cycling classes often have waiting lists. Why do members flock to ride in a group setting? Because a cycling class is much more than a workout: it’s an experience. A great cycling class is a confluence of motivation and technique from the instructor and inspiration from the music. Here are 10 tips from top teachers—and a few astute cycling class members—for giving your students the ride of their lives.
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Estimates vary, but around 25% of Americans skip breakfast on a regular basis. The potential perils include a more sluggish metabolism as the body shifts into starvation-response mode. And coupled with a tendency to become ravenous and binge later: weight gain. Cognitive abilities can also suffer: you may get headaches, feel fatigued and be less able to concentrate.
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The alarm rings and you press “snooze” one time too many. By the time you roll out of bed, you think it’s too late for breakfast. Estimates vary, but around 25% of the population skips breakfast on a regular basis (Cho et al. 2003). The potential perils can include a more sluggish metabolism as the body shifts into starvation-response mode. And coupled with a tendency to become ravenous and binge later: weight gain. Cognitive abilities can also suffer: you may get headaches, feel fatigued and be less able to concentrate.
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You walk into a group fitness class and never see the instructor’s face. Her back is to attendees as she checks herself out in the mirror. Another class turns into the most tedious workout ever because the instructor counts and counts—for a solid hour. These and other teaching flubs are common. And while newbies are most susceptible, even veterans fall into bad habits. Refine your subtle teaching skills and create an optimal experience that will keep students coming back. The following tips from veteran instructors help make a good instructor great.
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Salt’s reputation for being the spice of life may be coming to an end. These days, salt is a four-letter word, and anyone wielding a shaker at the dinner table is likely to be met with condescending looks or comments from people convinced that salting is as toxic as smoking. Widespread media coverage on the…
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You’ve been dutifully training your client for 4 months. He’s stronger, but his oversized belly has not budged. You suspect that what he really needs is a diet overhaul—but you’re a certified fitness professional, not a nutritionist. Still, you might be able to steer him toward more weight and fat loss if you could just give him a tip or two about what to eat . . . but should you?
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Many of your Baby Boomer female clients or class members may be taking—or thinking about taking—bioidentical hormones. Fantastic claims are often made about these supposedly “natural” hormones. Not only are they said to relieve the symptoms of menopause, but they are often purported to cure a host of diseases and even to increase longevity (Boothby & Doering 2008).
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