Equipment
Overcoming Pain to Stay in the Fitness Game
More and more people choose exercising at gyms and studios to stay healthy. The trend is occurring across the age spectrum, from baby boomers to millennials. Americans choose the convenience, expertise, and comradery found at gyms and studios to stay at their fitness best.
Get Your Fitness Business Ready for the Holidays
Whether youโre getting your first frost warnings or temps have dropped from 100 degrees to a balmy 95 where you live, summer is just about over.
That means itโs time to plan for the holidays at your fitness business and the ensuing new yearโs rush.
Minimalist Shoes and Stronger Foot Muscles
Minimalism is trending in many areas of life, including athletic shoes, with many fans touting numerous benefits. But does the evidence support the hype? Yes, according to research findings published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2018; doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000001751). Walking in minimalist shoes is as effective as foot-strengthening exercises and may result in better compliance than doing specific exercises.
2019 IDEAยฎ World Convention: Igniting Passion With Purpose!
Purpose, passion and people! The fitness industry is all about forging relationships that lift others up. Fitness professionals have energy to spare, and they are dedicated to mentoring new generations of pros, networking with peers, and motivating clients and participants every day.
Variable Resistance Training With Deadshifts and Deadlifts
Itโs 2 a.m. Your 3-month-old son is screaming at the top of his tiny lungs, waking up everyone in the household. Begrudgingly, you get out of bed and zombie-walk over to your sonโs crib in the next room. Your body aches, you havenโt slept in days, and now you must bend over to pick up a squirming child in the dead of night. Unfortunately, your sonโs not a great strength coach and doesnโt allot enough warmup time to prepare your body for a deadlift.
Have a Ball Workout
This fun format incorporates exercise balls into cardiovascular and strength intervals. Each 8-minute round uses either a stability ball or a medicine ball, 4 minutes of high-intensity cardio training (combined), and about 4 minutes of strength-focused work (combined). For those who also enjoy a core challenge, this class delivers.
SMR Trends: Adopting Vibration Technology
The body of evidence in favor of self-myofascial release (SMR) techniques has been steadily growing. Research has shown that SMR can increase joint mobility and range of motion and reduce muscle soreness. It is used by personal trainers, athletic trainers and physical therapists alike to prevent and treat injuries in clients.
Stretching Using Suspension Equipment
When it comes to integrated stretching, the TRXยฎ Suspension Trainerโข is a helpful tool. Stretching can often feel somewhat passive; however, the game changes when you hold straps or attach them to your feet. Our bodies move in patterns, not in isolation, so why not enhance that concept and include this equipment in your cooldowns?
Fitness Equipment for a Better Club or Studio
Whether youโre the owner of a large gym, a small-studio entrepreneur, a mobile personal trainer, or a yoga or Pilates specialist, a basic tenet of keeping your edge sharp with clients is to shake things up frequently enough that they (and you!) donโt get bored. Certainly, that means changing your programming regularly, but it also means looking at your equipment with fresh eyes and considering some new tools for experimentationโall while being judicious about your budget.
A Dynamic HIIT Workout With Sand Bells
More flexible and variable than dumbbells or kettlebells, sand bells are sand-filled disks that can be lifted, slammed, tossed, curled, or flipped like a heavy pancake. The following playful workout mixes high-intensity cardio and strength training with two levels of progression, creating a user-friendly class for any participant.
Sand Bell HIIT Details
FORMAT: strength and cardio conditioning
TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes
Build a Better Club or Studio
Whether youโre the owner of a large gym, a small-studio entrepreneur, a mobile personal trainer, or a yoga or Pilates specialist, a basic tenet of keeping your edge sharp with clients is to shake things up frequently enough that they (and you!) donโt get bored. Certainly, that means changing your programming regularly, but it also means looking at your equipment with fresh eyes and considering some new tools for experimentationโall while being judicious about your budget.
Sample Class: Sand Bell HIIT
More flexible and variable than dumbbells or kettlebells, sand bells are sand-filled disks that can be lifted, slammed, tossed, curled, or flipped like a heavy pancake. The following playful workout mixes high-intensity cardio and strength training with two levels of progression, creating a user-friendly class for any participant.
Sand Bell HIIT Details
FORMAT: strength and cardio conditioning
TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes
Time for New Equipment?
Evolve Fitness in Halifax, Nova Scotia, took a huge step this past summer, going from 2,400 square feet to 21,000 square feet. That meant a lot of additions, including new equipment. โIt was an eye-opener, for sure,โ said co-owner Matt Benvie about the process. Benvieโs experienceโalong with the wisdom of countless other fitness facility and studio ownersโreveals some good lessons for any fitness entrepreneur who wants to add new equipment, whether itโs for a big-box gym or a small studio and whether youโre buying in bulk or buying just a few pieces.
Question of the Month
When you offer training advice to clients, are you discussing the significance of sleep? If yes, are you using sleep trackers and monitoring results? Please describe how you are educating clients regarding the role of sleep in effective training and weight management and share any success stories you have had.
Share your responses with executive editor Joy Keller, jkeller@ideafit.com.
Pilates for Recreational Athletes
Professional athletes of all kinds have discovered that adding Pilates to their training can improve performance, reduce injury, speed recovery, and help their hardworking bodies stay balanced and healthy (Caple 2016; Knowlton 2016; Saxon 2016). Pilatesโa whole-body exercise system that can help you develop strength, functional flexibility, coordination and balanceโcan offer those same benefits to recreational athletes. A well-rounded program, particularly one offered in a fully equipped Pilates studio, can do wonders for athletes of almost any age, ability or sport.
The Long-Term Benefits of Pedometer Use
Studies show that tracking daily steps with a pedometer leads to higher activity levels. A new report out of the U.K. suggests the practice can inspire people to take more steps for many years.
The report included data from two separate 12-month studies; one involved inactive adults aged 45โ75, while the other featured older adults aged 60โ75. In the first, participants were assigned to one of three 12-week pedometer-based interventionsโconsultation with a nurse, support by mail or no consultation. In the second, there was no mail support group.
Activity Tracker Usage Improves
The initial findingโthat people stop using their fitness trackers after the first 6 monthsโseems to be evolving. In a new study by insurance company Humana, 80% of participants in a structured program were still using activity trackers after 6 months. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia found that game design elementsโsuch as points, levels, badges and financial incentivesโhelped to keep users active.
Learn, Connect and Thrive at the IDEAยฎ World Convention
Education is the foundation of the IDEA World Convention, but this fitness event offers plenty more than stellar instruction. For Jonathan Bernath, publicist-turned-personal-trainer, itโs where he discovered the โfitness familyโ that would guide him in his new career.
How to Find Your Epic
The fitness industry is a rewarding and inspiring place to be. However, itโs not without its challenges, and getting ahead with passion alone can be difficult. The most successful fit pros know that to build an epic life and career, they must invest in education and learn from those whoโve been there and done it.
Vibration Boosts Effects of Foam Roller
Traditional foam rollers have become widespread in the fitness setting. Recently, some manufacturers have added vibration technology to their products. Does the added element provide any extra benefit? Researchers from California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, California, the National Academy of Sports Medicine in Chandler, Arizona, and Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, wanted to find out.