Archive for September 2010
Dance-Inspired Classes Big in Venezuela
What programs are popular in Venezuela? โIn the mind-body segment, yoga and Pilates are the strongest trends, with Yoga Plus, Neo Pilates, Yogashala and Zona Pilates the most known programs,โ explains Yordi Arteaga, director of Fitness & Marketing Consulting, creator of Functional Training System and a personal trainer, a presenter and a postrehab specialist in Caracas.
Read MoreEvaluating Ergogenic Aids
Dietary supplementation is widespread, especially among professional and recreational athletes. Have you been thinking about supplementing to enhance your athletic performance? Are you aware of the scientific research and safety concerns regarding some popular performance-enhancing ergogenic aids?
Read MoreWaist-to-Hip Ratio, Waist Circumference and BMI
The Ab Circle Proยฎ
Achieving six-pack abdominals is a goal for many exercisers. To address this desire, many companies have developed equipment to target this area. One such tool, the Ab Circle Pro, offers interested consumers another method for tightening the midsection. Users kneel on the circular โtreadmill for the abdominalsโ and swing hips and knees back and forth.โฆ
Read MoreIDEA Member Urges Kids to โTri Harderโ
According to the Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, 2008, engagement in outdoor activities by youths aged 6โ17 dropped 11% in 2007 over the previous year. The National Wildlife Federation states that American children spend 53 hours per week plugged into electronic media. IDEA member Rosemary Hohl wants to change that.
Read MoreWellness Coaching on National Agenda
The National Institute of Whole Health (NIWH) and Wellcoachesยฎ Corporation have teamed up to address a โmissing linkโ in the healthcare reform law. The โgap was created by the omission of critical wellness and disease prevention practices and policies that would foster sustainable lifestyles which improve mental and physical health and lower healthcare costs,โ statedโฆ
Read More$250 Million for Prevention and Public Health
On June 18, the United States Department of Health and Human Services announced a new investment of $250 million for disease prevention activities. This is the second allocation in 2010 from the Prevention and Public Health fund. Of that investment, $126 million will go toward federal, state and community initiatives, including obesity prevention and fitness programs.
Read MoreYoung Active Females May Avoid Age-Related Dementia
Engaging in physical activity can improve young girlsโ self-esteem, physical health and social skills. A recent study suggests that regular physical activity in youth may also safeguard against dementia in later years.
Read MoreIn a Rut? Revitalize Your Fitness Career
Do you feel that your career has stalled? Have you grown complacent and unmotivated? You may be in a career rut. While career opportunities abound in the fitness industry, even the most rewarding jobs can lead to boredom or burnout. But donโt give up hope. Sherri McMillan, MSc, owner of Northwest Personal Training in Vancouver, Washington, offers the following suggestions for revitalizing your career:
Read MoreSmart Fitness?
Do you have a client who struggles to meet weekly physical activity goals or to lose weight? A simple telephone call may be just the thing to jumpstart his success. Several studies point to the benefits of telephone interventions in such cases. One study, published in the November 2007 issue of Health Psychology (26 [6],โฆ
Read MoreLeg Strength = Independent Living for Older Adults
Older adults who wish to remain physically independent should improve leg strength, advised researchers from Wake Forest University and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. The recommendation was based on two studies performed by the same group. The first study evaluated physical function in 230 retirement communityโdwelling adults. Many of these residents were found to have lower-limb strength deficits, and the researchers were concerned that these deficits might negatively affect mobility.
Read MoreStrength Training Best for Flexibility?
Flexibility improves range of motion and reduces wear on soft and hard tissue. Much research has emerged touting various best practices to improve flexibility. A study presented recently at the American College of Sports Medicineโs 57th Annual Meeting in Baltimore suggests that resistance training, in some cases, may beat static stretching for enhancing range ofโฆ
Read MoreInexperienced Female Endurance Athletes at Risk
Endurance events such as marathons and triathlons are gaining popularity as more people recognize the benefits of physical activity. However, physicians at Loyola University Health System have issued a warning for inexperienced female endurance athletes. The physicians are concerned that many women athletes are ill-prepared for these events, which they say can lead to serious health risks like menstrual irregularity, fertility issues, stress fractures and osteoporosis.
Read MoreUrban Cycling Healthier Than Driving
Concerns over car exhaust inhalation and traffic accident risks may seem cause to avoid bicycling in urban areas. However, a recent study suggests that the benefits may outweigh those risks. The report was published ahead of print in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (doi:10.1289/ehp.0901747).
Read MoreFitness Industry Continues Growth
According to a monthly survey published by the International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), U.S. health clubs continue to flourish despite economic woes. The survey compared data collected in April 2009 and April 2010. โYear-to-date, total revenue, membership dues revenue, and non-dues revenue were about the same or better for the majority of respondents,โ according to an IHRSA press release. More than half of the survey respondents anticipated that their revenues would increase in subsequent months.
Read MoreAnatomy of a Profile
The IDEA FitnessConnect directory is now available to more than 16 million fitness- and health-oriented consumers through sites like www.ideafit.com, FitnessMagazine.com, SparkPeople.com, Active.com, and ihrsa.com
Read MoreHealing Wounded Warriors
โVeterans are the light at the tip of the candle, illuminating the way for the whole nation. If veterans can achieve awareness, transformation, understanding and peace, they can share with the rest of society the realities of war. And they can teach us how to make peace with ourselves and each other, so we never have to use violence to resolve conflicts again.โ โThich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese monk and author (b. 1926)
Read MoreSample Class: Partner-Ball: The Every Class Solution
Would you love to use the stability ball in your next fitness class, but youโre short on equipment? Are you itching to challenge participants with something new, but youโre too busy for special training? Are you worried that people will cringe at the idea of holding hands with a partner? If you said yes to any of these questions, then Partner-Ball is a perfect solution, no matter what format you teach.
Partner-Ball Details
format: balance and core class using stability balls Total Time: 40 minutes
Read MoreRestoration and Relief
As your class completes its final repetition, you look out at the 30 mounds of trembling muscle and think, โShould I let them leave like this?โ Of course not! Your students would be exiting in worse condition than when they entered if you didnโt spend some quality time bringing down their heart rates and stretching their warm muscles. If participants leave before the hour is up, they leave with much more than they bargained forโshortened muscles, overstimulated sympathetic nervous systems and elevated blood pressure, breath and heart rates.
Read MoreMore Than Just Legs: Refining the Ride
When people want to explain how simple something is to learn, they often say, โItโs like riding a bike!โ But is riding a bike really that simple? If you think so, and youโre an indoor cycling teacher, you may be neglecting crucial form cues that would help students enjoy a more efficient, injury-free ride. This sagittal plane activity isnโt as cut-and-dried as it may seem. There are many opportunities for misalignment, discomfort and poor form. A good way to approach form cues is by addressing the body in four zones, from head to toe.
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