Weight Management/Weight Loss
Older Adults Will Walk for Money, Charity
Want to motivate older adults to move more? Try offering them financial or charitable-giving incentives.
Parents’ Perceptions of Child Weight May Cause Weight Gain
It might seem illogical that children would gain more weight if their parents acknowledged them as being overweight. After all, the knowledge could help parents mitigate future weight gain. Not so, according to two new studies. It turns out that children are more likely to gain weight over 10 years if their parents see them as overweight.
Taming Testosterone Troubles
Men: Have you had difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, or are you suffering from low mood or libido? Have you gained body fat, lost muscle or begun to struggle with depression or lack of motivation? Low testosterone levels may be to blame.
To Help Clients Succeed, Keep Change Simple
Samuel L. Berry, MS, is a Master Trainer for the American Council on Exercise and for Functional Movement Systems. He serves a wide range of clients and athletes aged 11—81 who are working toward a variety of objectives. In addition to his roles as a trainer and educator, he has contributed to publications for Harvard Medical School, Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine, PTontheNet.com and prominent peer–reviewed publications such as The Journal of Pediatrics.
Weight Gain and Cancer Risk
According to the World Cancer Research Fund, 10 types of cancers are linked with obesity. Researchers from the University of Manchester in the U.K. warn that significant weight gain throughout adulthood ups the risk—by as much as 50% for men and 17% for women—of developing obesity-related cancer.
Aging and Cardiovascular Disease: Exercise to the Rescue!
Our species is long–lived compared with other primates. Chimpanzees, for instance, have a life expectancy of about 13 years versus 78.5 years for U.S. babies born in 2009 (Pringle 2013). Why such a big gap? Pringle says vaccines, antibiotics, sanitation, and access to nutritious vegetables and fruits year round give us a huge edge over our great–ape cousins, as does our acquired ability to fight off pathogens and irritants in our environments.
5 Reasons to Ditch the Diet Mentality
Research suggests intuitive eating may be a promising way to maintain a normal body weight and a healthy relationship with food.
Bone Health and Plant-Based Diets
Do you embrace a plant-based diet? If you're avoiding dairy, do you get enough calcium—the best-known nutrient for healthy bones?
To build a sturdy frame, getting enough calcium and vitamin D is key. Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, a James Beard Award-winning journalist, Canada-based dietitian, freelance nutrition writer and recipe developer, gives you the low-down on these nutrients—and the plant foods that can help you get your fill.
Calcium
Obesity and Cancer Tie in Survey as Top Health Threat
Americans seem to understand the personal health risks of obesity, but widespread confusion persists about the causes and treatments of the disease, says a new survey from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago.
Personal Training and the Power of Listening
client: Christopher | personal trainer: Ginny Pietila, personal trainer and owner, MI Athletic lub | location: Mercer Island, Washington
Can We Get All of Our Nutrients From Food?
You’ve probably come across this argument from nutrition gurus: Modern diets just don’t have enough of the nutrients we need from food.
The “Willpower Trap”
Are you trying to lose weight, eat more healthfully or stop smoking? Have you tried to change but not been able to do so? Do you chalk it up to lack of willpower? The good news is that willpower has very little to do with whether we can kick our lifelong bad habits.
How This Trainer Helped Her Sister Lose 16 Pounds—And Keep It Off
Learn how she used an investigator’s approach to help her sister lose weight.
7 Keys to Weight Loss Adherence
Use a three-pronged approach to help frail participants move better, get stronger and improve their balance.
Despite the vast amount of money Americans spend trying to lose weight each year,
permanent
Belly Fat Ups Risk for Early Death
Overweight and obesity are often cited as risks for premature death. A new study suggests that people of normal weight who have belly fat are not immune—and may face even greater risk than heavier people with BMI-defined obesity.
The study, which was part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), aimed to determine the relationships among BMI, body fat distribution and mortality rates among 15,184 adults aged 18–90.
25 Healthy Food Hacks the Pros Use
Whether you have a closet full of appliances and cookbooks or multiple kitchen drawers stuffed with take-out menus, the verdict is clear: Love it or hate it, cooking food at home is one of the best ways to improve your diet, lose weight and transform your health.
Great Exercises for Older Caregivers
Adults over 50 who are caring for aging parents are not like other fitness clients of similar age.
For starters, caregivers tend to be less healthy. A study by the insurance company MetLife noted that “adult children 50+ who work and provide care to a parent are more likely to have fair or poor health than those who do not provide care to their parents” (MetLife 2011). Another study showed that 17% of caregivers felt their health had gotten worse as a result of their caregiving responsibilities (Feinberg et al. 2011).
What Should I Eat?
Health- and fitness-minded people face many challenges in determining their best choices in the key lifestyle area of diet. None is more important than that most basic question, “What should I eat?” Find out the two biggest changes you can make in your diet for the most impact!
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
Creating Better Breakfast Habits
Each morning is a clean slate and an opportunity to start fresh. As fitness professionals, we know that making healthy breakfast choices can set the tone for the rest of the day. Because it can be difficult to make drastic changes all at once, consider asking your clients to concentrate on fine tuning their breakfast habits just one or two days a week. In honor of National Breakfast month, IDEA has compiled a list of our favorite articles on breakfast nutrition, the benefits of eating breakfast and some delicious recipes to inspire your morning meal.