Cardio/Aerobic Training
Body-Weight HIIT Exercise
Combining these modes of training to create a body-weight HIIT exercise program has proven benefits we’ll explore below.
American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month, which gives you a great reason to engage both clients and staff on a number of cardiovascular health topics. Why not consider the following? Did you see the American Heart…
Arthritis and Exercise
Arthritis is a major health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23% of all adults in the U.S., more than 54 million people, have arthritis. As a fitness professional, you can make a difference. Both the CDC and the Arthritis Foundation (arthritis.org) agree that exercise is an important tool in arthritis pain management and prevention.
Fit to Travel: Exercises for Seniors
Programming exercises for seniors is more important than ever, especially now that travel is opening up again, but your clients may not have kept up with their workouts over this last year. Here are some great ways to prepare your active agers for more adventure.
Build Up to High-Intensity Training
In light of increased participation in high-intensity training and increased rates of heart attack and sudden cardiac death among male marathon participants, the American Heart Association has issued a scientific statement to outline the benefits and risks of vigorous exercise programs.
60-Second HIIT Beats 30-Second HIIT
Research shows that when recovery breaks during high-intensity interval training are too long, they undermine the effectiveness of the training.
Recreational Running and Type 2 Diabetes
Here’s more support for the benefits of recreational running. Data analysis from more than 19,000 male and female adults over an average of 6.5 years showed that leisure-time running was linked with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Aquatic Walking Benefits
Water exercise is a great alternative to treadmill or outdoor walking for people who experience discomfort when training on land.
HIIT or CWT: Does Sequence Matter?
A new study, conducted under the leadership of IDEA author and presenter Len Kravitz, PhD, compared cardiovascular and metabolic responses to two exercise protocols: (1) six bouts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) followed by three rounds of circuit weight training (CWT) and (2) CWT rounds interspersed with HIIT bouts. Fourteen trained young men (ages 25.7 ± 4.4) participated in the study, completing each of the two programs 3 days apart.
What Is the Cause of Muscle Cramps?
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).
Sample Class: Seated Exercises for Older Adults
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.
Exercise Reduces Colon Cancer Growth
Colon cancer cell growth slows immediately after a HIIT session, according to a pilot study published in the Journal of Physiology (2019; 597 [8], 2177-84). More physical activity is linked with a lower death risk for people with colorectal cancer.
High-Cadence Cycling and Recreational Cyclists
A recent study supports indoor cycling instructors who urge students not to pedal at a cadence above 90 revolutions per minute. Researchers found that at 90 rpm and beyond, pedal forces exerted by recreational cyclists decreased, heart rate increased by 15%, and exercise efficiency and skeletal muscle oxygenation declined.
The study appeared in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (2019; 40 [5], 305–11).
High-Volume, High-Intensity Exercise Is Safe for Men
No need for concern about increased death risk from heart disease among experienced middle-aged exercisers who engage in high-intensity activity, at least if they’re male. Findings from a 10-year study of 21,758 generally healthy, very active men—like marathon runners, cyclists and swimmers—showed that even for those with higher coronary-artery calcium levels, athletic pursuits did not elevate risk of death.
Complex Training: Pairing for Power
If you work with athletes, you’ve likely run into the challenge of how to incorporate power components into their already-packed training schedules. Whether you’re working with a clutch outfielder, a center or a lineman, your client’s athletic skills need refinement, and power is one aspect that requires attention. Trainers typically program resistance training to develop strength and plyometric drills to improve speed.
A Case for Breakfast Before a Workout
Should you eat breakfast before a workout? A new study has confirmed that eating breakfast makes a difference.
Training Techniques for High-Performance Masters Athletes
Trainers and coaches can use examples of elite performances and aging research to develop training protocols for masters athletes.
Sample Class: Every Minute on the Minute
If you enjoy teaching (and doing) high-intensity classes, this workout is for you! The “every minute on the minute” (EMOM) protocol is fun, fast-moving and challenging. You start a predetermined number of reps at the top of a minute and rest for the time you have left until the next minute begins.
Sample Class: Tabata for Every Rider
This indoor cycling routine introduces Tabata-inspired intervals that provide a great workout for both beginner and advanced cyclists.
Are 10,000 Steps Necessary?
Are some of your clients obsessed with achieving their step counts every day? While 10,000 steps is a popular marker, it turns out that taking as few as 4,400 steps per day is associated with a lower risk of death for women with a mean age of 72 years.
“Clearly, even a modest number of steps was related to lower mortality rate among these older women,” said principal investigator I-Min Lee, MBBS ScD, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.