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Muscle cramps can stop athletes in their tracks. Although they usually self-extinguish within seconds or minutes, the abrupt, harsh, involuntary muscle contractions can cause mild-to-severe agony and immobility, often accompanied by knotting of the affected muscle (Minetto et al. 2013). And cramps are common; 50%–60% of healthy people suffer muscle cramps during exercise, sleep or pregnancy or after vigorous physical exertion (Giuriato et al. 2018).
Do you want healthier knees for your clients (and yourself)? Start from the ground up with IDEA’s latest free course (that’s right, free)! Learn how to program sessions that use the feet to get better results all the way up the kinetic chain and better understand the influence the feet have on knee health.
As the control center for the body’s nervous system, the brain participates in every human function. From sensing to controlling motor skills, its vital role in movement means this cognitive powerhouse is—literally—the brains behind your work as a fitness professional.
There are three main components that make up your mind:
It was little surprise to anyone when, asked to pick her “favorite punctuation mark” for a photo shoot of the IDEA editors, Judy Minich picked the exclamation point. She approaches every situation with the thought that she can spice it up with an extra dash of excitement.
Older adults are more susceptible to deficits in cardiovascular fitness, muscle mass, strength and power, which may ultimately lead to losses in physical function. The following chair-based format focuses on improving outcomes for older participants, especially those who may need the support of a chair during exercise. Ready, Set, Sit! offers the variety of three 15-minute training segments (cardiovascular, high intensity and strength/power), while targeting important components that boost overall function.
One of the many benefits of yoga is that it requires a “proximal to distal” approach. A strong core (proximal) is central to developing mobility and strength in the extremities (distal). Many yoga poses require spinal stabilization rather than flexion and are safe and beneficial for a wide range of abilities. The following three traditional stabilization postures have the added challenge of asymmetrical appendage movement, which requires the core to work harder to resist rotation.
Yoga teachers will already be well aware that the yamas are one of the eight limbs of yoga. According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the word yamas can be translated as “abstinences”; in other words, these are things yogis should avoid doing (Satchidananda 2012).
Group fitness instructors have a reputation for being fearless extroverts. And it does take self-confidence to stand in front of a group of people and lead them through an exercise routine—all while wearing a mic and managing a playlist. The truth is that we’re performing, but that doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Some of us need to fake it till we make it!
Cynthia Walker was struggling. Although she’d been trying to lose weight for years, it just seemed like the odds were stacked against her.
“At age 42, she had a TIA (transient ischemic attack) along with high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels,” says trainer E. Faith Bell. “Then, 11 years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At 4 feet 9 inches tall, she weighed 176 pounds.”
Exercising in front of a television, computer screen or mobile device is nothing new. Since the advent of VHS tapes, fitness programs have offered users an opportunity to get their sweat on whenever they choose in the comfort of their home. Over the past several years, however, fitness facilities have leveraged new technology to offer virtual classes on-site in hopes of luring exercisers out of their living rooms and into the group exercise room.
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IDEA Fitness Journal
Current Issue:
December 2019
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