Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Article Archive
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Motivate clients by sharing with them that regardless of age, moving more offers health benefits for the brain. Virtually all types of exercise, especially low- to moderate-intensity exercises like Tai Chi, yoga and active video games, may significantly improve brain function across all age groups, according to a review study published in the British Journal…
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When training clients, you may want to encourage them to use positive self-talk phrases that they find personally motivating. A new study finds that using motivational self-talk with a high-intensity progressive resistance training program for older adults can significantly improve functional performance. Researchers from the University of Genoa in Italy, compared two groups of healthy…
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Good news—researchers are supporting women to train with confidence during pregnancy by testing whether higher intensity exercise activities are harmful or helpful for expectant mothers. Turns out, high-intensity resistance training is safe for both expectant mothers and unborn babies, as reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2025; doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-108804). Researchers from the University…
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Women face conflicting information regarding how to approach training during their monthly cycle. Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada found that muscle growth in women resulting from resistance training did not vary based on menstrual cycle phase. “Our findings conflict with the popular notion that there is some kind of hormonal advantage to performing…
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The 12-3-30 workout consists of walking on a treadmill at a 12 percent incline at three miles per hour for 30 minutes. This protocol is promoted by social media influencers for weight loss and management. Researchers at Colorado University recruited 17 healthy, previously inactive, young men and women to do the workout on non-consecutive days.…
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Over 25% of American adults have a disability. Fit pros can offer valuable, cost-effective support to these individuals who can benefit from improved cardiovascular and muscle fitness, mental health, balance and better ability to do daily life tasks according to the CDC. University of Queensland researchers in Brisbane, Australia, conducted a cross-sectional national survey with…
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From swimming in cold rivers and lakes to ice baths after sports, enthusiasts swear by the physical and mental health benefits of cold-water immersion. Cold water immersion in baths, showers or cold plunges up to chest level in water temperatures of less than or equal to 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) for a minimum…
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Women who train in gyms expressed both positive and negative emotions, from feeling “always on display” to “sometimes empowered”, in a survey study that explored women’s body image and gym experiences. Female researchers from Ireland and the U.K. reported these findings after studying why, in spite of all the benefits of regular exercise, women are…
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Encourage restless kids to run, jump and play. Not only is it good for their bodies, it’s also good for their minds. Active pre-school children demonstrate better working memory, less distractibility and more cognitive flexibility to adapt to new rules, when compared with sedentary peers. A study by researchers from the Public University of Navarre…
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We’ve all experienced mental fatigue—that feeling when you’re too tired to pay attention or make decisions. Mental fatigue can lead to increased accident risks and poor choices. Elite athletes practiced brain endurance training (BET), a form of training that combines cognitive and physical training to improve endurance sports performance. BET differs from typical endurance training.…
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Better sports performance is consistently linked with superior working memory performance, according to findings published in Memory. Researchers from University of Jyvaskyla, in Jyväskylä, Finland, conducted a meta-analysis of 21 studies with 1,455 participants. The review provides more evidence of the relationship between sports participation and improved attention, perception and decision-making among athletes. Working memory…
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Fit or fat? The conversation continues. Fit pros know that fitness is important, yet many people focus on weight rather than physical activity. A recent systematic review of 20 studies with a sample size of 398,716 adults published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine adds more evidence to share with clients about the value…
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New exercisers face the challenge of sticking with a new activity program. Personal trainers are all too familiar with clients who quit when they don’t experience fast, visible results. Sharing information about the “invisible” benefits of exercise helps. Explaining that habits can take up to one year to form may also be helpful. “In our…
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