Archive for September 2008
Brain Changes Affect Mobility in Older Adults
Balance and gait disorders in older adults may be directly related to changes in the brain, according to a research report published in the March 18 issue of Neurology (2008; [70], 935โ42). The 3-year study
involved 639 men and women aged 65โ84 who were given brain scans and balance and walking tests. The scans revealed age-related, white-matter changes in all the participants. The changes were mild in 284
subjects, moderate in 197 subjects and severe in the remaining 158
A Second Chance at Health
Our industrialized world presents numerous opportunities to indulge. Humans wrestle with increased levels of saturated fat and salt, decreased levels of fiber and exercise, widespread use of alcohol and tobacco, and higher consumption of calorically dense food. These factors, when combined, result in a mismatch between the genes carried forward from our evolutionary past andโฆ
Read MoreGiving Back
Yvonne Jones, department head of health and fitness at Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA in Encinitas, California, describes herself as a โposter childโ for the mentoring concept. In 14 years, Jones went from being a student in the back row to being instructor, coordinator, supervisor, director and then department head.
Read MoreOff-the-Chart Classes
MVP Athletic Club in Rockford, Michigan, offers Back Splash for members who have issues with back pain. According to the online schedule, this aquatic-based class is designed โfor the individual with a history of back pain or a recent injury. It covers the principles of stabilization, flexibility, strengthening and conditioning.โ IDEA presenter Patrick Goudeau createdโฆ
Read MoreSports Nutrition for Young Athletes
Young athletes are often grossly misinformed about sports nutrition practices and easily influenced by outsiders, especially their peers. Without a proper diet, these athletes may not have enough energy to compete in sports and may have deficiencies that can lead to illness or fatigue.
Learn what these competitors need to perform at their optimal levels from Pamela M. Nisevich, MS, RD, LD, a clinical dietitian at Dayton Childrenโs Medical Center in Ohio, where she specializes
in pediatric clinical nutrition, and the founder of Nutrition for the Long Run.
Sample Class: Sneaker Camp
Indoor boot campโstyle classes have exploded in popularity recently because they offer a fun, demanding atmosphere that generates results. Often, members or clients who want tough cardio workouts can be found in the indoor cycling room or at outdoor boot camps, leaving the group exercise studio for the choreography lovers. Not anymore! Sneaker Camp takesโฆ
Read More2008 IDEA Award Recipients: Passion, Perseverance & Pride
Winners of the 2008 IDEA Health & Fitness Inspiration Awards have pushed past boundaries, inspired others and achieved greatness. PJ OโClair 2008 IDEA Program Director of the Year Like many who enter the fitness industry, PJ OโClair has firsthand experience of the tremendous benefits of a well-planned exercise program. โI had a bad spinal injury,โฆ
Read MoreChasing Pheidippides: The Science of Endurance
From the time the ancient Greek runner Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greeksโ victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon, humans have had a compelling interest in endurance activities. Indeed, humans have repeatedly tried to push the limits of endurance. From the 50 marathons in 50 days and the 300โฆ
Read MoreHave you ever set and achieved a career goal that you thought was out of reach?
About 1980 I began teaching group fitness classes, and 12 years later I started personal training. At that time degrees in exercise science were rare; I had only a bachelorโs degree in business administration plus fitness certifications. I always felt I needed additional education in the exercise field to be a better trainer. About 8โฆ
Read MoreIDEA World Fitness Convention
When 4,500 fitness and wellness professionals, product exhibitors, expo guests and expert faculty from more than 60 countries converge in one place to learn, network and share, the result is nothing short of combustible. Another IDEA World Fitness Convention may be over, but the chain of energy unleashed by this yearโs fitness event (July 8โ12)โฆ
Read MoreThe Warrior and Grace
Subject: Clay and Elizabeth Burwell
Company: High Performance
His Story. At the age of 16, Clay Burwell was introduced to the world of boxing, which he believes laid the groundwork for what would eventually become a rewarding personal training career.
Read MoreSweat Couture: A Userโs Guide to Performance Apparel
Thereโs no red carpet for fitness fashion and no Project Runway for gym clothes. But the nearly $30 billion sports apparel scene is hot anyway, driven by active consumers (Baby Boomers especially) and a lot of people who just want to look active. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) notes in its 2008 State ofโฆ
Read Morecashew chicken and broccoli salad
Hereโs a salad that can be made all year long and will appeal to both kids and adults. It is quick to fix and colorful enough
to perk up any dinner table spread.
2 tablespoons (tbs) seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbs mirin (a sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 teaspoon (tsp) fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp dark sesame oil
resource for diabetic recipes
Itโs no secret that fitness professionals are seeing an alarming increase
in the number of clients with diabetes. To help your diabetic clients eat more healthful foods, suggest they check out www.diabeticrecipes.com. This site is a great resource for anyone who is a diabetic or even just cooks for one on occasion. recipe for health
the magic of maple syrup
Does anything say autumn more than thick, sweet sap dripping from a maple tree? Did you know that maple syrup is graded into four categories by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure certain standards and practices? Grades are based on the color of the syrup, not the flavor: the lighter the hue, the moreโฆ
Read MoreBusiness Card Basics
Quickโwhatโs 3.5 x 2 inches, made of paper and a key part of your business? If you said your business card, you are correct! With the proliferation of Internet and other technologies, you may wonder if the paper business card is going out of style. โNever!โ says health, fitness and technology expert Biray Alsac, MS,โฆ
Read MoreStress Accelerates Aging
There is a direct link between prolonged stress and a weaker immune system, resulting in higher susceptibility to illness and disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The study showed that cortisol, released when the โfight or flightโ response is stimulated, wears down the immuneโฆ
Read MoreItโs Simple: Flow to Health and Happiness
One of my favorite stories from the best-selling book Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD (say Chick-SENT-me-high a few times to get it down) is the account of a woman with severe schizophrenia, who had been hospitalized for 10 years in the Netherlands without improvement. Her medical teamโฆ
Read MoreA Wet Wind-Down
Incorporating the noodle is one of my favorite cool-down strategies for a water class. Itโs fun to use the noodle individually orโwhen you want to foster sociabilityโwith partners. Water Walking (not pictured). Just as itโs vital to warm up the body at the start of a workout, itโs extremely important to cool down at theโฆ
Read MoreSports & Energy Drinks: Answers for Fitness Professionals
Fitness professionals routinely field questions from clients concerning the use of sports and energy drinks. Sports drinks are designed to be consumed before, during or after exercise. As the name implies, energy drinks have arisen to deliver a proposed โjoltโ of energy to a personโs daily life. This article will provide background content, helpful information and contemporary research about sports and
energy drinks.