Archive for December 2007
Recruiting and Selecting Your Team
One of the biggest challenges in any business, and in particular the health club industry, is building a great team. The easiest way to build a great team is to hire great employees, a practice that requires a systematic approach to recruiting and selecting the best available employees to serve on the team. This article examines this process and breaks it down into several logical steps….
Read MorePosted Message Spurs Stair Climbing
What would it take to get shoppers to use the stairs instead of the escalator? A team of British researchers recently discovered that healthy messages posted near stairwells attract people—and might even encourage them to opt for the stairs later in the day. The study appeared in the September/October issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.Nearly 82,000 pedestri…
Read MoreU.S. Citizens Living Longer
With all the talk about obesity and the very real health issues that stem from it, life expectancy rates in the United States are still at an all-time high, according to a recent study. The finding reflects a trend of increasing life expectancy that began in 1955, when the average American lived to be 69.6 years old, according to Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005, a report prepared by the…
Read MoreForced Repetitions Don’t Improve Strength Gains
There is much discussion over the most effective method for helping athletes improve maximal muscular strength. One theory is that forced repetitions—helping athletes perform repetitions after failure—can lead to improvements; however, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2007; 21 [3], 841-47) has found no evidence that …
Read MoreOlder Obese Have Better Heart Health, Worse Function
Cardiovascular health has improved in older obese people in the United States, according to a study in the November 7, 2007, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (2007; 298 [17], 2020–27). Recent research has suggested that this population may have grown healthier since the 1960s, with the prevalence of high cholesterol and high blood pressure declining. However, …
Read MoreSeeking the Summit
When IDEA member Nancy Norris was 4 years old, her mother did something that set her life in motion, literally. “She enrolled me in a dance school, and I fell in love with dance,” says Norris, who lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Dance fulfilled an exercise niche way before fitness was “cool,” and Norris danced and taught dance classes until age 37, when something new caught her attention: aerob…
Read MoreFitness Forums
CorrectionsIn the October and November–December issues, Jacki Sorensen’s name was misspelled. We apologize to Jacki and our readers.In the November–December Research column, we inadvertently omitted the subhead “Negative Risk Factor” from Table 2 on page 21. Without the subhead, the table indicated that HDL ?60 mg/dl is a risk factor for CAD, when a…
Read MorePatience is the Heart of Ethics
While fidgety children may be told that “patience is a virtue,” a University of Arkansas philosopher has found patience to be much more profound than simple, passive waiting. Rather, patience is “the living heart of ethics.” In a presentation to the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy last month, Irene McMullin discussed patience as a “neglected virtue,” little examined by philosophy or society at large.
Read MorePilates Equipment Liability and Safety, Part 1
Pilates continues to be among the fastest-growing exercise trends in the United States. All signs indicate that the Pilates fire will continue to spread. Typically, Pilates is practiced under a qualified instructor’s close supervision, and this has helped limit the number of Pilates-related accidents.
Read MoreAlcohol’s Effect on Health and Performance
Alcohol’s effect on health and quality of life has been on the public-health radar screen for decades. The notion that moderate alcohol consumption might even offer some health benefits was first explored as far back as the early 1970s.
Read MoreCuing for Calm
Despite our yoga-filled classes, people are still stressed out. We live in a society that rewards people for being go-getters, taking on extra work and being the best in all the ways that the American competitive edge manifests itself. Balance is hard to find, but find it, we must.
Read MoreYoga Lesson Plan 6: Body Appreciation
This yoga lesson plan will help you guide your students to celebrate their individual bodies. It's a great practice to try out yourself whenever you need a mood boost.
Read MoreTranscendental Meditation Helps Hypertension
People with high blood pressure may find relief from Transcendental Meditation, according to a definitive new meta-analysis of 107 published studies on stress reduction programs and high blood pressure
Read MoreTai Chi and Qigong Practice Boosts Flu Vaccine
Studies have shown that a discipline of consistent meditation improves immune system response. Now, new research suggests that tai chi and qigong practice may offer similar immunity-enhancing characteristics
Read MoreSample Class
Check out this great sample class
from the IDEA Article Archive on fine…
Helping Girls Help Themselves
?Throughout
childhood, most young girls are outgoing, self-confident, curious adventurers
interested in exploring the world and all it has to offer. Happy with
themselves and their place in the world, they interact positively with their
families and friends.
All this drastically changes as girls
approach their teen yea…
Girl Power
“Self-esteem isn’t everything; it’s
just there’s nothing without it.”—Gloria Steinem
Many women whom you train or teach
struggle with body image issues, eating disorders and inactivity. While most
try to change destructive behavior p…
Children & the Mind-Body Link
It is something of a modern paradox: Although kids today seem wiser to the ways of the world, their bodies are more unhealthy and deconditioned than ever. There are many demands on children’s attention these days; but, unfortunately, very few of these involve healthy levels of interactive play or connection to nature. The conveniences and “advances” of…
Read MoreHelp to Create a Wellness Program for Your Local Schools
In the fight against
childhood obesity, the school environment has received a good deal of attention
because of its potential to influence a large number of school-aged children
and their families. This school year, a new federal mandate went into effect that
requires school districts throughout…
Kids on the Move
?As kids’ fitness
instructors, our challenge is to help children develop active, positive
lifestyles. Integrating knowledge and activity will help convince children
that exercise is important to their well-being and increase …