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Healthy Kids Playing Outside
Healthier Kids: Exercise Guidelines

Healthier kids grow to be healthier adults. That’s a recipe for success for parents looking for guidance, fit pros who want to expand their business and well, everyone! And there are so many benefits.

Seniors trained for travel.
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. 

Standing core exercise: dumbbell cross body chop
Standing Core Exercise

Standing core exercise is a great way to target, well, almost everything! These fast, effective options are creative and fun.

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.

High-intensity training
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.

Women and Strength Training Factors
Women and Strength Training

Women do not respond to weight training the same way men do. University of New South Wales researchers in Sydney conducted a comprehensive search of the literature on resistance training and found only 24 randomized controlled studies that focused exclusively on women. Lead study author Amanda “Mandy” D. Hagstrom, PhD, lecturer in exercise science at UNSW Medicine, said, “I was surprised. I knew there wouldn’t be many [studies], but I thought there’d be more than that.” The selected studies included almost 1,000 women.

Training women over 40
Training Loads for Women Over 40

Personal trainers often have female clients over the age of 40 who have similar complaints about losing muscle mass and gaining body fat. Although these changes aren’t unexpected and can be a normal part of the aging process, they are not inevitable. In fact, the right resistance-training program can positively affect body composition by reducing fat, maintaining and building muscle, and increasing strength in this population.

A Strong Diaphragm for a Strong Core

When you think about exercising core muscles, do you remember your diaphragm? Its two main functions involve breathing and biomechanics, and it’s one of the most important muscles for maintaining intra-abdominal pressure (Nelson 2012). Intra-abdominal pressure is like a weight belt applied from the inside. If your body can’t regulate this pressure, you may experience poor motor control and lack of spinal stability. Plus, when the diaphragm is not properly engaged, other muscles must compensate, increasing your risk of injury.

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.