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The Power of Visualization

All of us instinctively use visualization (aka imagery) to help us perform better. Have you ever mentally practiced your own performance before physically executing it? Perhaps you've mentally rehearsed the exhilaration you'll feel once you've completed an event you've been training for?

A Team Approach to Wellness

Lisa Dougherty is the founder of the Medical Fitness Network (MFN). This mostly volunteer‐driven project is supported by more than 100 national businesses. Dougherty's vision is to improve the quality of lives of many millions of people by connecting them with fitness and allied health professionals who have a background in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of chronic diseases, medical conditions and disabilities, as well as in the management of women's health issues, including prenatal and postpartum care.

The Joy of Movement Rings True

There's nothing like post–knee surgery downtime to catch up on my IDEA Fitness Journal reading. The February 2017 issue is just chock‐a‐block full of delectable goodness. In particular, I enjoyed Ryan Halvorson's article "Embracing the Joy of Movement" and Kelly McGonigal's "Ready to Love Your Stress?" Even after 38 years as a fitness pro, I learn something every issue to help me improve as a group fitness leader and baby boomer specialist. Both articles made their points logically, succinctly and persuasively.

Comparing Periodization Strategies for Women

Study reviewed: Bartolomei, S., et al. 2015. Block vs. weekly undulating periodized resistance training programs in women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29 (10), 2679—87.

If your clientele includes women looking to boost their muscular strength within a specific time frame, creating periodized weight–training programs for them is a great idea. The question is: How should you structure the program? Bartolomei and colleagues' study published in 2015 offers guidance on two possibilities.

Resistance Training and the Cardiorespiratory Response

We know that resistance training improves strength, but can it also challenge the cardiorespiratory system? In a study published in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (2017; 31[3], 644—52), researchers analyzed the effects of three exercises performed three different ways, to determine the cardiorespiratory response to each.

Brief Bouts of Stair Climbing Boost Fitness Levels

Lack of time and no access to fitness equipment are two of the most common responses given by people who do not exercise. Researchers at McMaster University and Queens University, in Ontario, have released a report suggesting a workaround to those responses. The scientists have found that very short bouts of stair climbing can help people get in better shape.

The “New” Knee Ligament, Rediscovered

Hasn't the knee been thoroughly mapped? Perhaps. However, the following bold headline reverberated throughout the allied health community in 2013: "Doctors Identify a New Knee Ligament."
Really?

Preventing Golf Injuries

As a golfer, you want to stay injury-free to practice and compete regularly, which ultimately lets you hone your skills and elevate your performance.
To help avoid injury and boost level of play, you need to understand how two key muscle and soft-tissue systems—the posterior oblique system and the anterior oblique system—affect the golf swing.

Fewer Repetitions Means Better Results?

Short-duration workouts have become popular over the past several years as the time-crunched seek out effective ways to exercise. Recent research adds more support for the benefits of fast workouts and indicates that less may even be more, provided you have appropriate equipment.

Getting the Facts on Fatigue

Fatigue is a crucial concept for exercisers because it represents the point where they fail to complete a set or feel too exhausted to continue a long-distance run or other endeavor. Fatigue fascinates researchers because it reflects mental, chemical and mechanical processes that affect muscle performance. Indeed, the physiology of fatigue recently inspired the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise to devote a special section to the topic.
I'll review highlights from the journal's special section in a question-and-answer format:

Does Exercise Benefit Digestive Health?

Gut microbiota has been a hot topic recently, and for good reason, as it is a key indicator of health. Gut microbiota contains trillions of micro-organisms, including at least 1,000 species of known bacteria, with more than 3 million genes (Gut Microbiota for Health 2016). There are many benefits to having a healthy gut, including but not limited to

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.

IDEA Food and Nutrition Tips Hits the Mark on Plant Power

The latest issue of IDEA Food and Nutrition Tips (November—December 2016) is one many of us have been waiting for! The recognition of plant–based nutrition is revolutionary for the fitness industry. The past couple of decades have led us to the world of animal protein—and lots of it. The message has been that athletes and very active people need "quality" protein, meaning "animal products."
     Shari Greenberg
     Health Coach
     Chicago

A High-Intensity Cardio Class With Strength and Step Intervals

This class alternates high–intensity step combinations and drills with strength training exercises, using an interval format to create a fun and challenging workout. Cardio sections include easy–to–follow step moves, while strength segments use the step to add intensity. This format is sure to please step fans and high–intensity enthusiasts.
Step It High, Tone It Down Details
GOAL/EMPHASIS: to provide a total–body workout with a new take on a traditional step format

Training the Pelvic Core

"I wish someone had told me this could happen to my body after having a baby!" . . . "Why did my doctor tell me I could return to exercise at my 6–week checkup?"

5 Common Athletic-Performance Supplements: What’s the Evidence?

The nutritional–supplements industry brought in $32 billion in 2012, and sales are estimated to nearly double—to $60 billion—by 2021 (Lariviere 2013). This comes as no surprise to anyone who has walked into a supplement store to find walls lined with everything from multivitamins and fish oil pills to preworkout formulas and protein powders.

A Look at Meditation

Ezra Bayda and Elizabeth Hamilton, husband and wife, have been practicing Zen meditation for over 40 years and have taught for the last 20 at the Zen Center of San Diego. They lead retreats across the United States and in Australia and France and have led meditation in hospice venues and a retirement community. Katherine Watson, executive managing editor of IDEA Fitness Journal, interviewed them about the rising interest in meditation.

On-Demand and App-Based Training: Getting Clients via Smartphone

The on–demand economy—featuring Uber–style personal fitness training—is here. While app platforms vary in structure and locale, they share a common thread: on–demand connection with fitness experts.
On–demand mobile commerce attracts more than 22.4 million consumers and $57.6 billion in spending annually, with $8.1 billion going to health and beauty services that include fitness training, Harvard Business Review reported in April 2016.

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.