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Judy after 100th half-marathon
Small-Group Training Can Be Transformative 

Resumed focus on small-group models is also a reflection of the challenging economic times we are living in. Small-group training exploded by necessity back in 2008 as we all had to rethink our business models amid recession. It’s more efficient and lucrative for you to train small groups, and it’s more affordable (and inspirational) for your clients to band together for purchasing power. We’re all feeling the bite of inflation, and many are still recovering from pandemic losses. Take a page from Judy’s book and rethink what’s not working for you and how an updated small-group model could help your business in multiple ways. 

Exercise upgrades immunity?
Immunity: A Trend Worth Supporting

While it may not be getting the same COVID-19 notoriety as the word “pivot,” “immunity” has a spine—and it’s much more than just a keyword.

Running Program Design
Running Programs for Clients

Having a running program offers advantages for both you and your clients. And the very idea of running is gaining steam. A RunRepeat.com report recently showed that 28.76% of current runners began running during the pandemic. More than 7o% of these new runners run primarily to improve physical health. That’s up 18.03% from runners who began running before the pandemic.

Gait analysis
Gait Analysis in Your Shoe

Do you include gait analysis in your assessments to help you craft the perfect program? A new technology may simplify the process.

Recreational running and diabetes
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.

Running program
Any Amount of Running Boosts Health

Get motivated to reboot your clients’ running programs for springtime. The good news: Any amount of running is associated with a 27% lower risk of death from any cause, a 30% lower risk of death from heart disease and a 23% lower risk of death from cancer, according to a study reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2019; doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-100493). An international team of researchers came to this conclusion after reviewing 14 studies that included more than 232,000 participants.

First-Time Marathon Training Has Anti-Aging Effect

Here’s a good reason to encourage your midlife clients to try an inaugural running event. First-time marathon runners who trained for 6 months saw a 4-year reduction in arterial age, according to study findings presented at EuroCMR 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology.

Muscle Cramps? Find Out Why

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).

Can Exercise Prevent Depression?

Fifteen minutes of vigorous activity or approximately 1 hour of moderate activity (like walking or gardening)—or a combination of light and vigorous physical activity—may significantly reduce risk of major depression, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry (2019; doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.4175).

On This Day in Fitness History

On September 25, 1974, the first modern triathlon event was held in San Diego, sponsored by the San Diego Track Club. Prior to this, other three-sport events existed but did not feature the swim-bike-run combination. The first triathlon included a 6-mile run, a 5-mile cycle and a 500-yard swim. In 1978, The Hawaii Ironman Triathlon® debuted with a 2.4-mile open-water swim, a 112-mile bike race and a 26.2-mile marathon run.

Caffeine Boosts Performance in Athletes Who Use It Rarely

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, allowing athletes of all stripes to complete longer, harder workouts. But new research suggests that people who usually avoid coffee and energy drinks likely benefit the most from caffeine.

Activity Tracker Usage Improves

The initial finding—that people stop using their fitness trackers after the first 6 months—seems to be evolving. In a new study by insurance company Humana, 80% of participants in a structured program were still using activity trackers after 6 months. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia found that game design elements—such as points, levels, badges and financial incentives—helped to keep users active.

Learn, Connect and Thrive at the IDEA® World Convention

Education is the foundation of the IDEA World Convention, but this fitness event offers plenty more than stellar instruction. For Jonathan Bernath, publicist-turned-personal-trainer, it’s where he discovered the “fitness family” that would guide him in his new career.

Exercise’s Impact on Cancer

There are three ways to look at battling cancer. For those who don’t have it, lowering risk is the primary goal. For those who’ve had it, successfully recovering and, of course, reducing the chances of recurrence are of utmost importance. For those who currently have it, the priorities are getting rid of it and minimizing the harmful effects that both the disease and the treatment have on the body. Exercise has been shown to help with all three.

The Achilles Tendon

Many fitness professionals have dealt with an Achilles tendon injury, either their own or a client’s. The largest and strongest tendon in the body, the Achilles connects the lower-leg muscles and calf to the heel. “Synchronous functioning” of the tendon and calf is crucial for many activities, including standing on tiptoe, running, jumping and climbing stairs (Bhimji 2016).
Dutch surgeon Philip Verheyen named the tendon (after the Greek hero Achilles) in 1693. Previously, it was known as “tendo magnus of Hippocrates” (van Dijk 2011).

Running Marathons Isn’t Bad for the Heart

Several past research studies have warned that high levels of endurance exercise—like running multiple marathons—could be a risk factor for future heart problems. According to a study from the Technical University of Munich in Germany, there’s no need to give up those marathons just yet.

Creative ideas that Inspire

Rumble at Rebel in London is a high-energy HIIT format in a fully immersive environment. With low, creative lighting and a specially curated soundtrack, participants build strength with explosive speed as they punch, jab and perfect their boxing footwork in “a cardio boxing battle that’s no holds barred.” The gym, which has two locations, also features an adjacent hair salon where participants can go after their class for a blow dry, cut, beard trim or other beauty service.