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Envision the following scenario: You’re in a crowded room full of fitness professionals. Business cards are flying out of pockets as if possessed. Handshakes occur at a rate that makes a NASCAR race look like a slow crawl. There is a constant hum from the sound of voices weaving together in a cheerful harmony.
Read MoreWhy did you decide to pursue a master’s degree? How did you manage both going to school and working?
Should I get a master’s degree? I strongly debated this question at the time with friends, colleagues and members of my advisory board. I had already developed a good personal training client base and was happy with how other areas of the business were going. Through my conversations with my board members and others, I looked at my long-term goals of writing textbooks, lecturing, teaching and making the occupation of personal training more professional.
I realized that to be recognized as a professional I would need to get a master’s degree.
Now, more than ever, mind-body exercise programs are hot.
From 1998 through 2002, yoga and tai chi participation increased by 95 percent in the United States, according to American Sports Data (ASD) Inc. (ASD 2003a). By 2002, an estimated 11.1 million Americans were practicing tai chi or yoga and 4.7 million were doing Pilates (ASD 2003b). New participants are attracted partly by savvy marketing but also by the lure of programs that might offer them peace of mind as well as fitness gains.
Many group fitness instructors use traditional Pilates
exercises in the core-conditioning sections of their classes. However, some of these exercises are too difficult technically and can set the average participant up for frustration. If an individual doesn’t have the strength or the biomechanics to perform the traditional roll-up, for example, then she might use incorrect muscles and injure herself. Yet the roll-up is taught in most classes.
Just a few months ago, an 8-year-old boy had a 2-year-old bike collecting dust in the garage. His mother’s efforts to get the boy to ride were met with much resistance. So many other things came more easily for him; he simply was not eager to try this challenging activity. His mother was convinced his first wheels would be those on a car.
The boy became more frustrated every time his mother encouraged him to try riding. She too began to get apprehensive. If he fell, the mishap was of course all her fault.
Read MoreWith Olympic gold in her sights, gymnast Christy Henrich trained over several years with a goal of achieving contender status on the U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team. But then a judge at a national competition told the 95-pound Henrich that if she expected to win Olympic gold, she would have to lose weight—“advice” that eventually…
Read MoreWhen was the last time you heard an infant say she couldn’t come out to play because she was having a bad hair day? How many toddlers do you know who’ll refuse an ice-cream cone because they want to squeeze into their “skinny jeans”? We are not born with a body image. The way we…
Read MoreTight chest muscles. Reduced flexibility in the torso. Strained shoulders and a sore back. Unfortunately, that’s the description of many amateur and weekend golfers. Golfers habitually bend and twist, bend and twist—all the while straining their backs and shoulders, forming muscle imbalances and inviting injury.
Read MoreFour-year data trends revealed in the 2003 IDEA Fitness Programs & Equipment Survey show that stability ball-based training is on the upswing. Have you incorporated this type of work for your clients?MORE WHAT’S NEW, P.11 IDEA PERSONAL Trainer APRIL | 2004 IDEA PERSONAL Trainer APRIL | 20044 what’s newbusiness
Read MoreHow many times have you
heard students say, “I just don’t have
time to do strength training and yoga” or
“I’d like to try yoga, but I don’t think I can be still for that long”? Take away their excuses with an inspired combination. By adding resistance exercises to yoga,
you create a more active and results-oriented class. This time-efficient format appeals to participants who want both strength and flexibility benefits in one stop.
You don’t have to teach a full mind-body class to pass along the benefits
Read MoreWe have all heard the expression, “Hindsight is 20-20.” Today, looking back 16 years at the start of my personal training career, I can see clearly how everything worked out for me—though things might not have seemed so clear at the time! By sharing the wisdom I have gained, I may be able to spare…
Read MoreIn an era when everything from sport utility vehicles to hamburgers comes “supersized,” the notion that less is more may seem terribly out-of-date. But when it comes to calories, eating fewer may very well turn out to be a prescription for a longer—and healthier—life. The topic of calorie restriction has gotten a lot of attention…
Read MoreAs a member of IDEA Health & Fitness Association, I will be guided by the best interests of the client. I will provide facilities and staff for effective exercise and lifestyle programs; ensure that staff maintains the education and experience necessary to appropriately train clients; uphold fair business practices and safety guidelines; and use truth, fairness and integrity to guide all my professional decisions and relationships.
Read MoreAs a plus-size person, are you curious to try yoga but convinced it won’t work for your body? The good news is you can benefit from yoga’s positive physiological and psychological effects. Practicing yoga can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ways for you to become healthy, build confidence and self-esteem, and sometimes achieve weight loss.
Read MoreAs a personal trainer the only option you have to provide personalized service is to give one-on-one sessions, right? Many clients can’t afford that. You may decide to do small-group training, but what about clients who’d like to pay even less and still get personal service, or those who want the attention but don’t like…
Read MoreBy updating your e-mail address with IDEA, you can choose the IDEA information that you receive instantaneously. For example, you can have IDEA Fit Tips, the newsletter that keeps you up to date on current fitness news and IDEA activities, e-mailed to you every month.
Read MoreA registered dietitian is your best friend when it comes to suggesting dietary changes to your clients, but you can help them stay nourished around their sessions. Clients’ nutrition goals are as varied as their exercise programs. The chart on page 59 offers ideas that will produce optimal effects before, during and after your clients’…
Read MoreTake one dose of vitamin E daily and exercise regularly. That’s the prescription for staying young and healthy, according to a new study that appeared in the July issue of Biological Research for Nursing.
Read MoreRush, rush, rush. Is your life so busy that sometimes you get lost in all the chaos? Give yourself the gift of still moments so you can better enjoy the rest of your life. Here are 10 simple ways to be still from Richard Mahler’s bookStillness: Daily Gifts of Solitude.
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