Archive for September 2013
Women’s Hormones & Athletic Performance
Does estrogen affect muscle damage and repair? How does hormone replacement impact performance? Is weight gain during menopause inevitable? Learn the answers to these and other questions related to women, hormones and exercise.
Read MoreWorking With Overweight Clients
How can the Pilates industry be more welcoming to clients who are overweight? We asked instructors how they create a comfortable and beneficial experience that keeps clients of all sizes coming back for more.
Read MoreMiniball on the Mat: Core Stability Creates Flexibility?
Pilates is touted as one of the most successful methods for increasing core stability and flexibility.
Read MoreGrowing the Pilates Market
Ken Endelman has not taught a single class in his 37-year Pilates career, but the Pilates world would not be the same without his leadership and contributions. In 1976, when Endelman was working as a furniture designer and craftsman in Los Angeles, a prospective client asked him to build a reformer—something with which he was completely unfamiliar.
Read MoreKeeping Aerialists Flying Safely
Aerial, circus and acrobatic arts have recently seen an explosion of interest, thanks in part to the popularity of performance companies like Cirque du Soleil®. Combine this curiosity with the fun and variety that an aerial-based workout provides, and it’s easy to see what makes this an exciting fitness genre.
Read MoreA Personal SWOT Analysis
As a Pilates instructor, you’re continually striving to enhance your clients’ well-being. But now and again, you must take some time to do a little soul-searching and assess what is best for you. What are your needs, wants, goals and aspirations? Maybe you’re ready to further your education or you’re eager to work with a new market.
Read MoreThe Benefits of self myofascial release
“Digital Distractions” Feature Earns Applause
Shirley Archer, JD, MA, has written another high-quality article (“Digital Distractions,” June). The piece had a thoughtful premise; it had a clear research focus; it was well-organized; and it provided stimulating discussion as well as a variety of insights and perspectives.
Read MoreThree Easy Ways to Build Your Own Website
The Internet has given consumers one of their most powerful resources: the ability to research a product and poll their friends about it online before making a purchase. Not having a website means that you are potentially missing out on that online search traffic. As a personal training business owner, not only do you need to be online, but you’ve got to present yourself in the best light possible.
Read MoreFit For Driving
Driving isn’t a sport for most of us, yet it does require strength, motor skill, joint mobility and fast reaction time. Chances are you aren’t offering functional exercise training for “driving skills,” but if you work with a senior population, you should be.
Read MoreSmall-Group Secrets: One-Size-Fits-All Program Design
How can two full-time personal trainers with six part-time colleagues generate annual gross revenues in excess of $850,000?
Just ask studio owner Frank Nash.
Frank Nash Training Systems in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a 5,500-square-foot facility that specializes almost exclusively in small-group training. SGT is a training system that allows up to a dozen clients to work with a personal trainer during a shared workout session. It’s also the subject of an ongoing IDEA Trainer Success series.
Pilates Blending
“Pilates has changed,” says Nora St. John, MS, education program director for Balanced Body®.
Today, she explains, many Pilates teachers are well educated in biomechanics. “An understanding of both anatomy and the mind-body connection makes you a better teacher and certainly a better problem solver.
“In the best situation, Pilates is taught with the idea of, ‘Who is the client in front of me? What are his or her goals? How can I use this environment to help the client achieve those goals?’ I think this is a good contemporary view of Pilates.”
Spotlight on Detox Diets
It may seem like everyone you know has tried a detox diet lately. Although regimens vary, these diets generally involve a juice fast lasting days or weeks and often include a “cleanse” with limited food and/or “detoxifying” supplements. Serving up a small allotment of calories can produce dramatic weight loss, which makes detoxing tempting to typical dieters.
Read MoreCreative Ideas That Inspire
At Unique Health & Fitness Club in Farmingville, New York, members who are new to exercise or need something with a slower pace can attend Zoga. This class combines modified Zumba® basics and simple yoga poses into a relaxing option for beginners and older adults.
Read MoreSample Barre Class With Strength & Cardio Intervals
Take your barre class to the next level by adding equipment and intervals, and bring new life to your tendus and passés! Students will gain postural and body awareness while increasing their strength and cardiovascular health. This class touches on all levels and is fantastic for cross-training.
Read MoreHow to Make More Money With Branded Merchandise
Want to make your business more visible? Want to brand yourself as an expert in your community? Want a simple way to market yourself so you can make more money? If your response is yes, then brand recognition could be your answer.
Your training style, your logo, your written material, your workshops—essentially, all things business-related—are part of your business platform. They help brand you as an expert in your community, and for some of you, even as an expert in the world.
Brand Visibility
Read MoreShare the Savasana!
Many yoga teachers consider savasana—also known as corpse pose or relaxation pose—both the easiest and hardest of all postures. Why? On the one hand, the point of the pose is to relax deeply and fully in a supine position with arms and legs gently rolled out to the sides.
Read MoreThe Art and Science of Pricing
Pricing your personal training services can be a confusing endeavor. In fact, it may be one of the most difficult issues you face as an entrepreneur. This article demystifies the process by describing three ways to set your fees: market-based, income-objective-based and value-based. Here you’ll learn about the different approaches and explore the pros and cons of each.
The Market-Based Approach
Read MoreUsing LinkedIn for Financial Success
LinkedIn calls itself the world’s largest professional network. Launched in 2003, it has over 225 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. LinkedIn can be a very effective marketing and networking tool for your business if you follow these basic steps.
Develop a Client-Focused Profile
Read MoreHow to Set Goals and Build Your Business
You work with clients every day, helping them set goals so that they can see results. Do you give the same treatment to your business? If you’d like to improve your financial bottom line, use this six-step breakdown on now to take what you already know about setting goals and apply it to growing your business.
Read More