Archive for December 2007
10 Absolutes for Women in Business
Health clubs were the first entities to pair fitness with business, but today a whole new set of entrepreneurs are bursting onto the health and fitness scene—and many of them are women. This new breed of entrepreneur is breaking away from the tradition of working as an instructor or a trainer for someone else and realizing her potential for success by starting her own studio or training…
Read MoreThe Quest For Greatness
Subject: Todd Durkin, MACompany: Fitness Quest 10The Business of Energy. I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Fitness Quest 10 facility on a number of occasions, and each time I do there is one thing that is ever present: energy. Before I had the chance to speak …
Read MoreArticle Index 2007
A strong benefit of IDEA membership is the top-notch, timely information you glean from our publications. Every article is assigned, edited and vetted in a rigorous collaborative process shared by our editors, authors and other contributors. The magazines and newsletters you receive feature authors with that rare combination of academic and experiential knowledge that you can apply in your work…
Read MoreCorrective Exercise: Coming Full Circle
The practice of corrective exercise is booming. At the 2007 IDEA World Fitness Convention™, more than 30 sessions were based on structural assessment and corrective exercise. All the top certifying organizations offer a bevy of continuing education courses on corrective exercise. Even clients are beginning to understand that their end goal may require customized corrective-exercise techniques…
Read MoreIDEA Personal Trainer Institute™
For the past few years there’s been a lot of conversation in the personal training industry about considering the “whole” client in program design. From the client’s feet to the top of his head physically; to what goes into his body for nutrition; to how his psyche is fed, nurtured and motivated—they all combine for a potent equation of holistic wellness. Throw in corrective-exercise concepts, …
Read MoreEating Green
These days, it seems like everyone is starting to think “green.” Recycling cans and plastic, switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and driving hybrid cars are some of the steps many people are taking to protect our environment. The growing green movement is altering attitudes about food as well. Consumers are starting to appreciate the impact that their collective food choices have on th…
Read MoreGroup Energy
Members at 12th Street Gym in Philadelphia can play their favorite (or not so favorite) childhood game whenever they want with Drop-In Dodgeball. The class is held on the facility’s basketball court and closely resembles the recess game where participants try to avoid a thrown ball by dodging, ducking, dipping and diving.Fitness 4000 in Wallingford, Connecticut, …
Read MoreSample Class: One-Step, Two-Step
The start of the new year is a great time to add a new twist or two on an old standard like step training. “One-Step, Two-Step” is an interactive workout that combines motivational partner training with creative double-step choreography to bring new enthusiasm to step workouts. What better way to stay inspired than by working out with a partner when New Year’s resolutions ebb? div class=”su…
Read MoreContributing Early
As the fitness industry grows and ages, many people have noticed a gap between “veteran” instructors, who have been teaching for 10 years and longer, and “newbies,” group fitness professionals who are just getting started. This has led many to voice concerns over the future of group exercise. To address this issue, IDEA Fitness Journal is running a new column that will highlight un…
Read MoreStretch or Strength?
Some people believe that stretching before exercise lowers your injury risk. However, research has found that mild stretching can cause damage at the cytoskeletal level of the muscle (Bracko 2002). Static stretching has an analgesic effect; the body uses this protective mechanism to increase tolerance for pain during stretching. Once this effect is triggered, it’s not a good idea to add more c…
Read MoreA Formula for Fitness & Fun
Millions of people around the world participate in prechoreographed group fitness programs. The popularity of these classes can’t be ignored, and the instructors must be doing something right. A debate is currently waging as to which instructors are better—those leading the prechoreographed programs or the die-hard “freestylers.” While prechoreographed content may garner differences of opinion,…
Read MoreCreating a Client-Trainer Blog
Do you have a personal home page operating as an online brochure for your training services? Do you schedule appointments and motivate your clients using e-mail? Do you distribute health information and exercise tips via digital newsletters? Nowadays, these techniques are considered static. If you want to connect with the Internet-savvy client of today, you’ll have to consider a more dynamic in…
Read MoreSleep Matters
Do you struggle to stay alert at work, at home—and maybe even at the wheel? Although good sleep is essential for good health and well-being, millions of Americans are simply not getting enough or are suffering from other sleep problems, says the National Sleep Foundation.If you’re not spending enough time in slumberland these days, discover how you can sleep better and longer with …
Read MoreTake Good Care of Yourself
Because it rarely causes symptoms, hypertension is often called the silent killer. Although you may feel no pain or discomfort with high blood pressure, it increases your risk of heart attack, stroke and other health problems, including blindness and kidney failure, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. As a personal trainer who walks my talk, I had no reason …
Read MoreWhat Is Yin Yoga?
While all yoga practices trace their roots to India, a number of yoga styles that blend a variety of influences have emerged in the United States. One style growing in popularity is referred to as “yin yoga.” Yin yoga blends the Taoist meridian and acupuncture theories of China with the yogic and tantric theories of India, according to Paul Grilley. Grilley trained with Paulie Zink and Dr. Hiro…
Read MorePilates for Hip and Knee Patients
A Pilates program specifically designed for patients undergoing knee and hip replacements during the pre/postoperative phases may speed recovery.
Two reconstructive physicians and two certified Pilates professionals have recommended that patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty follow a protocol of Pilates exercises. The protocol, published in the Bulletin of the NYU H…
Read MoreKitchen Tip: How to Clean a Can Opener
To clean all that gunk out of your electric can opener, run a paper towel through the mechanism.
This will trap most of the grease and food particles.
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Read MoreKids’ Health Caution: Cashew Nuts
By now, most people know that peanut allergies are a very real concern, especially among children. But parents and educators need to be aware that kids may react more severely to another potential allergen: cashew nuts.
A recent study in the journal Allergy (2007; 62 [8], 913-16) alerts parents, educators and consumers to this very real risk. Researchers studied 47 children…
Read MoreSample Class
Check out this great sample class
from the IDEA Article Archive on resisted core training! As an IDEA e-member, all of the sample programs in our archive are free to you!
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A Holistic Approach to Health
Treadmills, free weights, resistance training machines—your facility has it all. You offer everything anyone could want in terms of achieving an optimal physique. And certainly, physical fitness is vital to overall health, but it is not the whole story. Multiple factors affect well-being. By embracing them, you can transform your facility into more than just a place to work out. Speci…
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