January 2015 - IDEA Health & Fitness Association

Four Web-Based Tools for Your Fitness Business

By Amanda Vogel, MA | January 22, 2015 |

You can keep your fitness business afloat with low-tech basics—email, a clipboard, a pen—but in 2015, you probably don’t want to if you hope to grow and remain relevant in most corners of the fitness industry. Taking advantage of Web-based tools designed specifically for fitness professionals can help you stay ahead of the competition, save precious time and rev up revenue, all while helping your clients or members get more out of their health and fitness programs.

Here are four Web-based tools for making that happen:

GroupEx PRO

Enabling Success

By Cedric X. Bryant, PhD | January 22, 2015 |

Michele Stanten, a walking coach and ACE Certified Professional, has been motivating people to be more active for over 20 years. As the former fitness director of Prevention magazine, she cre- ated a marathon walking program that helped thousands of readers to walk full and half marathons and, perhaps more importantly, to transform their lives. Now a freelance writer and walking coach, Stanten is the author of Firm Up in 3 Weeks and Walk Off Weight, coau- thor of Walk Your Butt Off! and creator of MyWalkingCoach.com.

Training Your “Occupational Athletes” for Success

By Peter Davis, CEO | January 22, 2015 |

The American workplace is not exactly the safest place to be these days. We are either sedentary desk jockeys who hear almost daily that sitting is the new smoking, or we are laboring, lifting, twisting, and performing repetitive tasks, all of which can lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). How can you prepare the occupational athletes among your clientele to work safely and to avoid injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff disorders and back
strains?

7 Possible Causes of Overtraining

By Trisha VanDusseldorp, MS | January 22, 2015 |

Conducting primary research studies on the causes of overtraining is difficult because it’s unethical to induce overtraining syndrome, which can damage a person’s performance for months. Kreher and Schwartz (2012) reviewed previously published overtraining research and summarized seven hypotheses (see Figure 5) for mechanisms that cause overtraining syndrome.

HYPOTHESIS #1: AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IMBALANCE

10 Ways to Prevent or Combat Overtraining in a Client

By Trisha VanDusseldorp, MS | January 22, 2015 |

A client who develops overtraining syndrome needs to return to a healthy state as fast as possible. While there is no magic cure for overtraining, these 10 preventive strategies for nonfunctional overreaching and overtraining syndrome, from Kreher and Schwartz (2012), should prove helpful:

Asymmetrical Bar Training

By Pete Holman, MSPT | January 22, 2015 |

Asymmetrical bar training (ABT) can help clients enhance their sense of balance while improving their core strength and rotational power.

Marketing Training Services to Youths

By Bill Rom | January 22, 2015 |

Did you know that throughout the United States there are currently more than 35 million active athletes aged 5–18 competing in youth sports (Statistic Brain 2014)? That means there is a growing opportunity for personal trainers to offer services in a new way.

Body Image: The Impact of Social Media

By Amanda Vogel, MA | January 21, 2015 |

If you regularly use social media such as Facebook and Instagram, you will have noticed posts plugging fitness by way of body-conscious photos and memes meant to get people moving. For example: a picture of a gorgeous bikini-clad woman with the caption, Today I will love myself enough to exercise. However, evidence that this type…

All About Overtraining

By Trisha VanDusseldorp, MS | January 21, 2015 |

Personal trainers regularly monitor clients’ physiological and psychological responses to progressive overloads during a training program. After sufficient recovery from training fatigue, the body compensates by building strength and improving performance. However, chronic overtraining often leads to physiological and psychological symptoms that impair performance and delay full recovery for weeks or more (Meeusen et al. 2013).

Top 8 Motivational Instagram Accounts to Follow

By IDEA Authors | January 19, 2015 |

Do you find that looking at positive pictures and visualizing your goals help you achieve them? If so, there is no better way than to use Instagram as a healthy source of motivation. Whether you’re focused on a healthy, holistic lifestyle, or pushing yourself to lose a few pounds, one, if not all, of these accounts will speak to you!

Boost Your Immune System

By Joy Keller | January 19, 2015 |

boost your immune system

Immunity is more than a buzzword; it’s a gateway to a happier, healthier life. If you’re answering questions about vitamin D, zinc and elderberry juice, this infographic may come in handy. Share this information with clients, participants, friends and families so that a larger community shares the benefits of strong immunity.

Creative Ideas That Inspire

By Jessica Cline | January 19, 2015 |

DynaSpin, found at Fitworks in Beaver-creek, Ohio, combines Spinning® and dynamic movements into an inclusive, full-body workout. The class starts with 30 minutes of indoor cycling before segueing into 30 minutes of dynamic movements that utilize fitness toys, including BOSU® Balance Trainers, battle ropes, TRX® Suspension TrainersTM and more.

Located at the Om Factory in New York City, Budokon® Yoga blends martial arts and yoga to incorporate more strength and agility. The class follows a hatha style, but works with an athletic flow.

Sample Class: Add It Up!

By Pamela Light, MA | January 19, 2015 |

There are several ways to define “functional training,” but essentially it involves moving the body through different planes of motion while working multiple muscle groups and challenging balance. While complex moves are perfect for one-on-one training, teaching functional movements to a large group is also possible with a straightforward strategy that allows for modification.

Lifestyle Medicine: An Emerging Medical Specialty

By Megan Senger | January 19, 2015 |

Fitness and wellness professionals know the importance of building a strong referral program with allied health professionals, such as physicians, but making connections is not always easy. Personal trainers, for example, have worked hard to gain trust from the medical community.

Entering a World of Wellness

By Joy Keller | January 19, 2015 |

Wellness is an umbrella term that covers many dimensions, including physical, social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational and intellectual well-being. Like other wellness professionals, you probably strive to provide comprehensive programs that inspire clients to reach their goals while staying connected to life during that transformation. This year, focus on transforming yourself at the IDEA World Fitness Convention, July 15-19, at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles.

Excessive Thoracic Kyphosis: More Than Just Bad Posture

By Justin Price, MA | January 19, 2015 |

Excessive thoracic kyphosis (ETK) is a disproportionate forward rounding or curvature of the middle and upper back, also known as the thoracic spine (Kendall, McCreary & Provance 2005). ETK is an extremely common musculoskeletal imbalance brought on by prolonged time in some postural positions; exercise and/or activity choices; environmental factors; myofascial dysfunction; intolerances to food and/or other allergic reactions; and psychological stress.

How to Set and Keep Healthy Professional Boundaries

By Cathie Ericson | January 19, 2015 |

Most fitness professionals have seen and heard it all when it comes to boundaries. The very nature of the profession can lend itself to an intimacy you don’t see in other industries. Besides the physical closeness, personal trainers who approach wellness from a holistic viewpoint often fill an emotional need for clients.