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Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA

Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA

Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.

Article Archive

Woman on yoga mat doing breathwork to show brain-breath connection

Mid-Life Physical Activity and Alzheimer’s Disease

September 16, 2025

Study finds compelling reasons to start or increase a mid-life fitness program. Looking for new ways to motivate your mid-life clients? Let them know that regular physical activity during midlife may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. A new study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia reports that increasing physical activity levels between ages 45 and 65 can slow…

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Resistance Training for Cardiometabolic Health

September 16, 2025

New meta-analysis shows major benefits for clients with diabetes and obesity. A new research review confirms what many fitness pros know – resistance training delivers measurable health improvements, especially for clients who are overweight, obese or have diabetes. An international research team found that consistent strength training improved insulin sensitivity, blood glucose, blood pressure, blood…

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Woman using vibration foam rolling on calf

Fascia Training Boosts Flexibility, Balance and Endurance

September 16, 2025

New clinical trial supports myofascial release to improve movement performance. Keep using foam rollers, dynamic stretches and mobility tools to stimulate fascia. New research confirms the performance-enhancing effects of myofascial release (MFR) when added to a flexibility, muscular endurance and balance program. This single-blind randomized controlled trial studied healthy adults aged 18–35 years who followed…

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Photoshopped image with brain on bicep to show link between exercise and brain health

Exercise Activates Brain-Protective Cells

September 16, 2025

Study identifies mechanisms for how physical activity may prevent Alzheimer’s disease. New research reveals why exercise protects brain health. It activates specific brain cells in the hippocampus, the brain’s center for memory and learning. Scientists from Mass General Brigham and SUNY Upstate Medical University used advanced techniques to identify the brain cell types most responsive…

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Image of person's knee to show torn ACL

NFL Players and Knee Injuries

September 16, 2025

Study shows link between short between-game rest periods and increased injury risk. Here’s an important reminder for trainers who work with competitive athletes: short rest equals higher injury risk. NFL players were significantly more likely to suffer a serious knee injury—specifically tears of the knee extensor mechanism—after shorter rest periods between games, according to University…

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Older woman with dumbbells using muscle strengthening for longevity

Exercise Timing for Older Adults

September 16, 2025

Research shows connection between training timing, consistency and positive results. For older adults, regular morning physical activity may lead to better heart-lung function and walking efficiency, according to a study of about 800 older adults with an average age of 76, reported in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. “While we’ve long known that…

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Women stretching and exercising during a park workout

Consensus Statement on Stretching Recommendations

September 16, 2025

International panel defines types of stretching and evidence-based benefits. An international panel of 20 experts with both research and practical experience reached consensus on the evidence-based roles of stretching across performance and health domains. The experts noted the following benefits of stretching: In contrast to widespread assumptions, stretching does not significantly provide: These findings emphasize…

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Question of the Month

September 16, 2025

Are you or is your fitness facility offering hybrid training offerings to your client that include online programming, fitness data and/or assessment information and in-facility live training or group exercise classes? If you are a personal trainer, have you created your own app or do you use an app-based platform to complement your training services?…

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Person using fit tech data on a phone

People Are Talking About . . .

September 16, 2025

The battery-powered Nike x Hyperice warm-up recovery shoe and vest that use thermal and dynamic air compression technology, integrate recovery and warm-up into apparel and footwear, available globally at the holiday season. The growth in Babywearing Barre classes in studios and on YouTube where new moms strap on babies for an additional weight, posture and…

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Runners increasing running speed

Cardiovascular Exercise and Vitamin D

September 16, 2025

New study finds a relationship between aerobic exercise and vitamin D levels. Regular indoor training helps maintain healthy vitamin D levels during winter, even without supplements or fat loss, as noted in Advanced Science. With winter approaching, this adds another important evidence-backed reason to keep up an exercise program. “This is the first study to…

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Woman looking at her wearable activity tracker

Accurate Fitness Trackers for People with Obesity

September 16, 2025

New research solves the problem of inaccurate fitness trackers for people of different sizes. Many may not realize that fitness trackers often miscalculate calorie burn for people with obesity, largely due to differences in gait, speed and energy output. To solve this problem, researchers from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, created a validated, wrist-based algorithm…

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HIIT cycling class

Guidelines for Aerobic Exercise Training Intensity

September 16, 2025

New research recommends more individualized training guidelines. A 2025 review published in Sports Medicine challenges traditional aerobic exercise guidelines that rely on fixed percentages of peak heart rate or VO₂ max. Researchers from Hasselt University in Diepenbeek, Belgium, found that prescribing training intensity using individual thresholds such as ventilatory threshold (VT1/VT2) or lactate threshold (LT)…

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Older woman with dumbbells using muscle strengthening for longevity

Exercise for Older Women with Polypharmacy 

June 18, 2025

For fitness pros who work with older adults, new research shows that exercise training can address the impact of polypharmacy (5 or more medications) that is linked with poorer functional fitness. Side effects of multiple medications include dizziness, sedation, impaired balance, confusion and delirium that can be mistaken for normal aging or even dementia. These…

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Man using strength training for inflammation

Muscle Strength and Lower Risks of Type 2 Diabetes

June 18, 2025

Motivate your strength training participants by sharing that higher levels of muscular strength may reduce type 2 diabetes, risks, regardless of genetics. University of Hong Kong researchers evaluated data from 141,848 white British adults in the UK Biobank, a database of over 500,000 UK adults being tracked for genetic and health information.  “Individuals in middle-to-late…

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PHIT Legislation Reintroduced in Congress 

June 18, 2025

In a move that can benefit fitness professionals, a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives reintroduced the PHIT (Personal Health Investment Today) Act in Congress. The legislation allows Americans to use some funds in pre-tax health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts toward qualified sports and fitness purchases, such as gym memberships, fitness equipment and…

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Two men walking to increase exercise for heart failure risk

Colon Cancer Survivors and Exercise 

June 18, 2025

Consistent exercise, like walking at a moderate pace for one hour a day, six days a week, is linked with improving the longevity of people who have survived colon cancer equal to the level of people who have never had cancer, according to a study published in Cancer. The study is based on data from…

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Question of the Month  

June 18, 2025

How do you educate your clientele about the abundant health benefits of exercise? For example, are you including research bits in a newsletter? Do you maintain a resource board or offer QR links to studies? With so much evidence-based information on exercise’s role to increase the health span and improve life quality, how are you…

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People Are Talking About . . . 

June 18, 2025

IBISWORLD data projects steady growth for Personal Training (est $12.9 billion in 2024) based on a compound annual growth rate of 3.3% over the past five years; …   The growing trend among Gen Z to drink less alcohol, eat healthier and to go to the gym for social benefits as noted in a UKActive analysis…

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Eccentric Exercise Benefits 

June 18, 2025

Here’s a great evidence-based idea for a home program for clients who find it difficult to train between sessions. Eccentric bodyweight exercises, for as little as five minutes a day over a four week period, can improve physical fitness and mental health. Researchers from Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, enrolled 22 sedentary and healthy…

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