Cardio/Aerobic
Exercise Benefits Lung Function in Asthma Patients
Lung function decline is common among individuals with asthma. A recent report from researchers in Norway has suggested a link between physical activity and slower decline.
The scientists performed a linear regression analysis to estimate lung function decline in 1,329 asthma patients over an average of 11.6 years. Each participant reported data on his or her activity level and intensity during the last year of the study.
Researchers Warn Seniors: Avoid High-Intensity Exercise
High-intensity exercise is all the rage these days. But for some—particularly, older adults—too much intensity may do more harm than good, warns a new study.
The study’s primary purpose was to understand the effects of various forms of leisure-time physical activity on the cardiovascular health and mortality rates of older adults. To determine these effects, researchers studied the records of 3,298 individuals. Their average age at enrollment was 69, and the median follow-up period was 17 years.
Sample Class: HIIT Remix
If your members enjoy amazing results from HIIT workouts but crave a more gentle approach to burning calories, HIIT Remix is the solution. This class takes the results-focused challenge of a traditional high-intensity conditioning class and presents it in mellow, low-impact versions of favorite interval drills. Participants will appreciate the change of pace and the opportunity to cross-train. HIIT Remix Details
Creative Ideas that Inspire
Barrelesque at Rock in Opposition, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a mash–up of various dance styles, Pilates and yoga. It includes barre techniques, but it also spices things up with burlesque–style dance movements. Open to all levels, this class provides a dynamic workout in a playful environment.
Games at My House Fitness® in Winter Springs, Florida, is a school recess–inspired experience for adults.
Power Up to Prevent Injury
Participants rarely think about injuries until after they happen (hopefully not in your class!). But someone who needs rehabilitation may face a delay in meeting fitness goals. Another issue: Our group fitness studios are filling with people of many different ages and abilities.
Crystal-Clear Cuing for Indoor Cycling
Walk by any indoor cycling studio when a class is in session and you're likely to hear a variation of the following:
"I want everyone at a 2!"
"Push yourself to a 7 and hold it there for 30 seconds!"
"Let's start at a 3, turn up to 6, and then come back to a steady 4. Go!"
The key to unlocking a fantastic cycling class is somewhere in those numbers, but your members may find themselves shut out if they don't know what you're referring to.
Buddy Boot Camp
A thriving business is not built overnight, but you can beef up your bottom line and spark new energy in just 14 days. Learn the nuts and bolts of running a simple, 2-week Buddy Boot Camp that can be a slam dunk in your personal training or fitness business. Discover how to execute this program, which you can tailor to the size and strengths of your business model. Get ready to jolt your revenues and wow your current and prospective clients.
Our Story
Sample Class: It Takes Two
Sample Class: It Takes Two
Pair up participants for a great cardio workout.
By Jennifer Renfroe
If you’re looking for a new way to add interest to your cardio classes, double the fun with partner drills. In this intense interval workout, drills consist of a 1-minute work effort, a 30-second recovery, and then a second 1-minute work effort. However, there’s a twist: The recovery isn’t a true recovery. Instead, you use the 30 seconds to do a quick series of “sculpting” moves designed to bring down the intensity while strengthening the body.
Creative Ideas That Inspire
Shaka Fitness® in Cleveland puts a new twist on an old favorite with
SUP Pool Yoga.
While yoga on a standup paddleboard is not a new idea—especially in locations where people have access to ocean or lakes—this offering utilizes an indoor pool. This allows participants to experience the core-strengthening and balance-training benefits of yoga on the water year-round. Even better, the predictability of indoor weather conditions allows the facility to maintain a consistent schedule.
Creative Ideas That Inspire
At several City Surf Fitness locations in Texas and Louisiana,
City Surf
offers participants the benefits of surfing—even though there aren’t any waves nearby. According to the website, the class is taught on SURFSET® RipSurfer X boards and features “fun surf-inspired movements, utilizing surfer-specific muscle groups.” Classes are open to every fitness level, and instructors provide modifications for more or less intensity.
Aerobic Fitness May Preserve Brain’s Youthfulness
Physical fitness may do more than preserve a more youthful body; it may also impact the brain’s activity and function, preserving more youthful mental capabilities, according to findings published in NeuroImage (2015; doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.062).
University of Tsukuba researchers in Japan found that fitter older men performed better mentally than less fit older men, by solving problems in the same way younger brains would do.
Creative Ideas That Inspire
While not exclusive to men, Yo-Bro YOGA at RIO Pilates & Yoga
Studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a high-energy class that allows
practitioners to explore their physical limits. Catering to the
masculine energies of both men and women, the program offers
techniques for strength building and endurance—as well as opportunities
for arm balances and inversions. Participants are rewarded for their
efforts with craft beer at the end of class.
Creative Ideas That Inspire
At multiple locations throughout the country, Equinox offers
The Pursuit,
an indoor cycling experience that combines video game technology and visuals to create a competitive and interactive ride. There are two class options available—
Burn,
which aims for maximum calorie expenditure, and
Build,
suited for cyclists who focus on distance and endurance.
20 Minutes a Day Keeps the Heart Doctor Away
To reduce heart failure risk by exercising, remember Goldilocks and avoid extremes, suggests a new study. It found that neither low nor high levels of physical activity were as effective as moderate amounts for warding off heart failure.
The researchers gathered self-reported data on physical activity (type and duration) for 33,012 men from 1998 to 2012. Subjects’ average age at baseline was 60 ± 9. The scientists compared that information against heart failure incidence from the Swedish National Patient Register and Cause of Death Register.
Creative Ideas That Inspire
YogaFaith,
taught at Edge Fitness in Puyallup, Washington, is a faith-based yoga class that aims to integrate mind, body, spirit and soul. Classes focus on exhaling the chaos and clutter of everyday life to create space and wholeness. The donation-based classes include various styles of yoga and are open to all levels.
Sample Class: Circuit Progressions
To achieve results, your participants need to be challenged in new ways. If your strength training classes are circuit-style and you want to up the ante, try adding strategic progressions. This workout, a traditional circuit format, cycles through several exercises with minimal rest. The key is to challenge participants by adjusting a variable during each cycle. With this approach, they enjoy the familiarity of the sequences, as well as fun surprises.
Circuit Progressions Details
Creative Ideas That Inspire
At Gymbox™ in London, members experience the dance sensation
Nae Nae.
The celebratory dance was invented by Atlanta-based quintet We Are Toonz, and it features cardio dance moves.
How to Help Employees Get Through Personal Crises
One Saturday afternoon, Bill Sonnemaker, MS, 2007 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, watched a newly hired personal trainer lead a group of new members on a tour of Atlanta-based Catalyst Fitness. Sonnemaker—the facility’s owner—noticed that throughout the tour the trainer was receiving text messages to his cell phone.
Once the tour was completed, the trainer checked the messages, which alerted him that an emergency had taken place. He responded to the text: “What’s wrong?”
Music Keeps Cardiac Patients Moving
Walk into most fitness facilities and you’ll likely hear some sort of music playing. Could that music be what motivates people to move more? For a group of cardiac rehabilitation patients, that was indeed the case.
Major Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease
These are some of the factors that can increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease:
