Safety
Pickleball: Preventing Injuries and Enhancing Performance
As pickleball continues to rise in popularity, it’s important that personal trainers understand the biomechanics of this dynamic sport.
Strength Training, Veganism and Bone Fractures
People on a vegan diet have an increased bone fracture risk. A new study offers ways to address the risk of veganism and bone fractures.
Sportswear Contains High Levels of BPA
Recent testing conducted by the Center for Environmental Health in Oakland, California, discovered high BPA levels in athletic clothing.
Women’s Sports Injuries
To address the gender gap in sports rehab, researchers created an overview of common women’s sports injuries and guidelines for rehab.
Spatial Awareness and Proprioception for Older Adults
Here are some exercises to get older adult clients steady on their feet once more through spatial awareness and proprioception.
Preloading in Warmup Improves Sprint Performance
Preloading can improve performance by activating muscle potential. The challenge is finding the balance between fatigue and potentiation.
New Risks of Steroids
Researchers revealed more risks of steroids, finding that using anabolic androgenic steroid over time accelerates brain aging.
With Gyms Open, Are Clients Ready?
With many gyms open again—some after long closures—IDEA put three questions to five fitness pros from around the country: Are you now operating at full capacity? How are clients adapting as…
Open Communication for Athlete Injuries
Trainers may want to prioritize cultivating a nonjudgmental atmosphere of open communication to ensure honest conversations about pain and injury.
Resistance Training Tips to Minimize Infection Risks
Tips on how to use safety measures to adapt resistance training to meet new logistical and health challenges during the pandemic.
Safely Exercising During the Pandemic
Supporting a healthy immune system is particularly important during the pandemic, and exercise is one way to boost health.
Exercises for Snowboarding
Catherine Logan, MD, MBA, MSPT, orthopaedic surgeon and former personal trainer and physical therapist, gives suggestions on how to prepare for the season.
Help Clients Return to Training Safely, Smartly
Whether it’s been a few weeks or a few months, personal trainers must update programs to fit clients’ current status, not their pre-coronavirus fitness levels.
CPR Modifications in a Pandemic
The American Heart Association has published interim CPR guidelines to help rescuers treat victims of cardiac arrest with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Guide for IDEA Members and All Fitness Professionals
The new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus infectious disease COVID-19, as named by the World Health Organization, is disrupting life as usual and is exacting a visible human and economic toll. IDEA members and fitness professionals across the globe can continue promoting health and minimize business disruption with common-sense precautions and attention to public health developments. This advisory contains information on what we currently know about the virus, suggested preventive measures and resource links to stay updated.
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.
Maternal Weight and Pregnancy Complications
Encourage your pregnant clients (if cleared by their doctors) to keep working out with you. A new study shows that maintaining a healthy weight before and during pregnancy is a key factor in avoiding pregnancy complications.
Social Media Influencers Give Inaccurate Health Advice
Have you been frustrated by bad health and fitness advice doled out by social media influencers? You’re not alone, and if you sense that much of the popular online health information is wrong, you’re right! A recent study of key U.K. social media influencers’ weight management blogs—presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow, Scotland, in April 2019—showed that most influencers were not reliable weight management resources.
Pesticides and Produce
The eco-minded nonprofit Environ?¡mental Working Group recently released this year’s update to its popular Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™. Their Dirty Dozen™ list ranks conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that, according to their analysis of available data, tend to contain the highest concentration of pesticides and/or the greatest number of different pesticides. For instance, more than 90% of kale samples had two or more pesticide residues.
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).