Apple's iWatch and HealthKit: What They Mean for Health and Fitness Pros and Their Clients

The fusion of technology and the fitness industry continues at warp speed. This brings both excitement and concern, with users around the world waiting for the release of the new iPhone 6, new iOS 8 and the closely guarded Apple iWatch. Rumors suggest the devices will be both fashionable and practical.
Wall Street has also been watching the buzz around the new Apple products, as this is the most significant event for Apple under the leadership of Tim Cook (and not Steve Jobs). With the introduction of HealthKit, it is also Apple’s attempt to make the iPhone not only the center of the user’s digital world, but also of his or her physical world as well.
The HealthKit framework within iOS 8 will offer more health and fitness functionality by linking devices with a user’s health information, using the iPhone as the central hub. Now users will be able to capture and monitor health and fitness information such as pulse, steps, blood pressure and sleep habits. These health measures offer a clear and current overview of a person’s overall well-being. While it is true that individual apps have been doing this for years, the new HealthKit will allow these health and fitness apps to sync data about the user’s health and fitness across a variety of wearables and apps, organizing them all into one dashboard application—the iPhone.
Within the fitness industry, excitement started a year ago when Apple hired fitness-industry expert and ACE Pro Jay Blahnik as one of the first of many hires specific to health and fitness. After years spent consulting with Gatorade, Nautilus, Schwinn and Nike, Blahnik was all in with Apple. In December 2013, Apple met with the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. governing arm of the federal government for all things medical, to discuss mobile medical applications, likely to ensure that HealthKit would not cross a regulatory line.
This is exciting news for our industry, so how can personal trainers and health coaches benefit from such technology? Here are three things I will be watching for in the weeks and months that follow the announcement:
Being Connected. Our world continues to become even more connected. It is through being connected that trainers and health coaches can engage with their clients, keeping them on the path to wellness. Through the new iPhone platform, clients will be able to share with you integrated insights into their daily lives (activity, sleep, steps, food, pulse rate, etc.) that wasn’t previously possible. No longer will you need to guess what your clients did outside of training or if they took your advice—it will all be there with a click of a button. How’s that for accountability? New business models for training and coaching will be developed to take advantage of this technology and the job of a trainer or coach will no longer be limited to inside the four physical walls of a gym, opening up new markets not only down the street but around the world.
Deeper Collaboration. We’ve seen that it takes a team to make a real difference in the lives of our clients. From trainer to physician, coach to nutritionist, the power of collaboration, being in sync and in real time, is one highlight of the new HealthKit. It will take time for each team member to understand his or her place in the overall HealthKit matrix, but what is exciting is the possibility of overall health for our collective clients. More teamwork between practitioners allows trainers and coaches to stay within their scope of practice and seek partnerships with others in the healthcare industry.
Proceed with Caution. Apple is late to the game with regards to fitness tracking, but many expect it to succeed where others have not. While Jawbone and FitBit do a good job of tracking activity, many consumers still see wearables as “unstylish” and the buzz of the wearable soon wears off with a sharp decline in use after just six months. A device has yet to emerge with enough authority to encourage mass adoption (not good if you are relying on this data). Apple could change that perception with their historic strengths in design and new hires in fashion, which means more people will be more inclined to wear a device and thus more health data will be collected.
As we share more personal and confidential information across the cloud, there will be more debate surrounding security and privacy with this type of information. Apple has taken steps to ensure our privacy, with requirements that apps using HealthKit not store information on the cloud and not share information without user consent. Of course, there will always be a risk when sharing data through the cloud, but does the benefit of sharing outweigh the concern over privacy? Or vice versa?
Remember, Apple is not the only kid on the block using smartphones for health. In the US, there are nearly 170 million cellphone users, 70 percent of whom use smartphones. Within the smartphone category, the iPhone is by far the most popular, with 42 percent of users, followed by Samsung at 28 percent, 7 percent for LG, 6 percent Motorola and 5 percent for HTC. However, when looking at the operating systems of these smartphones, Android takes the lead with 52 percent, Apple at 42 percent, and Microsoft, BlackBerry and others making up the remaining 8 percent (ComScore, 2014). The takeaway? If you only work with Apple, you will be missing out on 58 percent of the population that uses a smartphone other than an iPhone.
I am a believer in effective uses of technology and am excited about the Apple announcement, as well as the upcoming announcements from Microsoft and Google within the health and fitness space. New technologies and innovations like the iPhone, the Apple iWatch and HealthKit are not a magic bullet, but they can be a very powerful tool that, when properly implemented into trainers’ and coaches’ businesses, can lead to new clients, new revenue streams and new partnerships. These technologies will never replace a qualified and certified personal trainer or health coach. After all, clients hire us for our knowledge and accountability, but they keep us for our personality and ability to connect with them.

Source : By Ted Vickey Ted Vickey Ted Vickey, M.S., is the Senior Consultant - Fitness Technology for ACE. He’s been an ACE Certified Personal Trainer since 1992

Music Tames (or Revs Up) the Savage Exercising Beast

There's no doubt that music is powerful—in some cases, it has the ability to calm our senses and put us at ease; at other times, it serves to rev us up. For those who listen to music while working out, it can even make us push harder in our fitness routine than we would have without it. With all the modern technologies, including the ubiquitous iPod, which gives you access to an entire music library in the palm of your hand, using music during your workout has never been easier. And, it turns out, those who prefer to work out while listening to music may actually have an advantage. Studies show that music may aid almost every aspect of our workout, including pacing, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), explosiveness of movement, warm-up and lactate clearance during recovery. In fact, simply telling someone that music increases their enjoyment of exercise will enhance their enjoyment of exercise!

Get with the Beat!

According to a recent study, discussed in this New York Times article, our step frequency often changes with speed so that our bodies operate at maximum efficiency. Dr. Max Donelan, a professor at Simon Fraser University and co-author in the study, tried changing visual cues with projections on a curtain around a treadmill, and found that the step frequency briefly changed, only to quickly settle back to the normal frequency. The ONLY factor that helped exercisers maintain a fast step frequency was faster tempo music. Based on his findings, Dr. Donelan launched an iPhone app called Cruise Control that chooses the songs from your music library featuring a specified cadence. Another website, www.clickmix.com, does something similar, but from a song-selection standpoint, allowing the user to search for songs based on beats per minute and run time.
 

In an ACE-sponsored study, researchers Dr. Carl Foster and Dr. John Porcari of the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, reviewed the effects of music on exercise intensity and reinforced the idea that people will not only exercise to the beat of the drum they are listening to, they also enjoy exercise more, perceive it to be less taxing and often exercise harder as a result. In their review, the researchers quoted Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., from the Brunel University School of Sport and Education, who is a leading authority on music and exercise. "Music is like a legal drug for athletes," wrote Karageorghis. "…it can reduce the perception of effort significantly and increase endurance by as much as 15 percent." In his research, Karageorghis found three possible mechanisms for this improved exercise performance:
The tendency to move in time with synchronous sounds
The tendency of music to increase arousal
The tendency of music to distract the exerciser from the discomfort of exercise

Foster and Porcari have supervised several studies investigating the effect of music on intensity and generally find that the faster the tempo, the higher the individual's intensity and the more aroused they will become. "All things being equal," says Foster, "I think the stronger and more obvious the beat, the more likely you will follow it." Many experts in running claim an efficient cadence for almost all runners is between 170 and 180 steps per minute, which is pretty fast. Foster and Porcari believe the tempo or beats per minute should correspond to the heart’s beats per minute—running should have a tempo of 147-169 bpm, cycling should be set at 135-170 bpm, and power walking should be lower and more accurately set at 137-139 bpm.

It is common to see athletes listening to music on their headphones before a competition. In fact, Olympic swimmers and track athletes are famous for literally "tuning out the world" with their music. It has been shown to improve peak power output when delivered during the warm-up for the supramaximal Wingate test. Surprisingly, other variables such as heart rate, fatigue index or RPE did not show any difference (Jarraya et al., 2012). In another study from an Italian university, the researchers were testing if an arousal auditory stimulus could improve bench-press power. Researchers found that an auditory stimulus significantly improved power output (Murgia et al., 2012). Finally, a study on self-selected music (SSM) effects on explosive strength in a bench press and squat jump found SSM did not improve bench-press performance or increase jump height. However, it did improve the rate of force and take-off velocity. The RPE and mood scores for vigor, tension and fatigue were greater in the music condition. The researchers concluded that listening to SSM might be beneficial for acute power performance (Biagini et al., 2012).

In a study from Brazil, time to finish, heart rate, RPE and mood state were not significantly different when music was delivered before or during the 5km cycling time trial. However, the RPE may be slightly lower with music (Bigliassi et al., 2012). The effect of music was even tested on recovery from intense exercise. Music proved to be beneficial in the number of steps the person would take in recovering and this was associated with a faster lactate clearance and lower RPE. Like the other studies, there was no difference in mean heart rate during the recovery. A study by Whitehead and Knight (2012) found that simply creating an expectancy of enjoyment for exercise with music is all it takes to get people to actually enjoy the exercise experience more. Thus, the placebo effect may be very real with music and exercise.

In conclusion, music is beneficial for most of the psychological aspects of exercise and may be beneficial for short-term, power activities. While endurance performance is not enhanced, recovery and possibly step frequency may be increased with the right kind of music. The primary benefit of music seems to be that it helps us endure the pain and discomfort associated with exercise. Personally, I never listened to music for 25 years of working out and yet now I can hardly go running without it!

Source : By Mark Kelly Dr. Mark Kelly Mark P. Kelly, Ph.D., CSCS is an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise.

What is CrossFit training and is it appropriate for the average person?

CrossFit is an intense exercise program featuring dynamic exercises like plyometric jumps, and Olympic lifts while using non-traditional weightlifting equipment such as kettlbells, sand-bags, suspension systems or water-filled implements. The program is structured in such a way that participants are challenged to do a certain number of repetitions in a workout in a specific time frame; the more advanced CrossFit participants will actually compete against each other to see how fast they can complete the daily workout and post their results on the CrossFit website.

Due to the intensity and explosive muscle action of the exercises in a CrossFit workout, there are many benefits for the average exercise enthusiast; however, the intensity of the exercises which deliver the benefits could also increase the risk of injury if not done correctly. Before beginning a CrossFit program, work with a personal trainer to learn how to perform the movements required for the workout. An individual should first develop necessary joint mobility (especially at the ankles, hips and shoulders) as well as joint stability (particularly in the core region) to learn how to effectively perform hip hinge, squat, pushing, pulling and rotating movements. The explosive and plyometric exercises in a CrossFit workout require rapid lengthening and shortening of muscles so if a participant does not take the time to develop the necessary flexibility and movement skills first, the joints might not allow a full range-of-motion which could affect muscle tissue and cause an injury.

The many benefits of CrossFit training are due to the intensity of the exercises. High intensity, power-based exercises are effective for burning a high number of calories in a short period of time while simultaneously improving aerobic fitness and promoting the anabolic hormones such as testosterone, HGH and IGF-1 which are responsible for muscular growth and can actually have an anti-aging effect. CrossFit is an excellent workout program and is a great way for the experienced exercise enthusiast to add much-needed intensity and diversity to his or her program; however, it is not a recommended program for people just starting to exercise or returning after a long hiatus. It is highly recommended to work with a personal trainer and develop the necessary mobility, stability and movement skills before progressing to a challenging CrossFit workout.

Source : By Pete McCall, MS  McCall has an MS in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. In addition, he is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer (ACE-CPT) and holds additional certifications and advanced specializations through NSCA and NASM

TRX Moves for an Effective Warm-Up

In the rush to Do Work, trainers sometimes allow clients and athletes to skip the warm up. Warming up serves several critical functions and skipping it can have serious, negative consequences for your client or athlete and could possibly lead to injury.
TRX Senior Group Training and Development Manager Dan McDonogh has provided three mobility and flexibility movements that your clients can perform on the TRX Suspension Trainer to prepare the body for move and work. These exercises will help increase mobility in ankles, hips and hamstrings, as well as activate the posterior chain.

 TRX Overhead Back Extension

 1. Stand facing anchor, extend arms overhead in an “I” position
2. Keep legs straight and drop hips back
3. Pull on handles and drive arms up to return
 

TRX Overhead squat

1. Stand facing anchor, extend arms overhead
2. Lower hips down and back in a squat position
3. Drive through heels and push up to return

TRX Wide Leg Hip Hinge

 1. Stand facing the anchor with legs wider than shoulder width apart
2. Hinge forward from the hips, keep back straight
3. Return to standing

 Source : By TRX Training

The Coconut Oil Craze

 

Registered dietitian nutritionists, we enjoy watching food trends emerge and then seeing how long they last. From locally grown to gluten free to kale, we get a kick out of seeing the supermarket aisles exploding with innovative foods. And unless you’ve been hiding under, well, a coconut shell, you’ve likely seen that coconut oil is getting a lot of attention these days. What’s this craze all about and is it worthy of real estate in your fridge or pantry?

You may have seen the internet buzzing with claims that coconut oil protects against cancer and Alzheimer’s, dissolves kidney stones and will help you to lose excess body fat. But does it really?

The Coconut Advantage

Coconut oils do have benefits. As girls who love the flavor of coconut and remember pleading with our mom to let us have a virgin piña colada, and trading our Halloween candy for Mounds bars, we have to admit we’re pretty happy about this!

First, coconut oil has a high percentage of medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs. And although this may not mean much to you, it’s actually pretty cool (yep, we’re science nerds). Most oils consist entirely of long-chain triglycerides, or LCTs, and MCTs and LCTs are metabolized in the body differently. MCTs are more likely to be burned as fuel and they slightly raise metabolic rate. So they’re less likely to be circulated through the body and deposited in fat tissues.

And for candy manufacturers, coconut oil is as dreamy as sitting beachside on a tropical island sipping piña coladas. It stays solid at room temperature and doesn’t spoil quickly thanks to its super-high percentage of saturated fat. And let’s face it, that tropical flavor is pretty delicious to most discerning taste buds.

The Facts: The American Heart Association and Nutrition Researchers are Leaving Coconut Under the Shade of the Palm Tree

While coconut oil has no cholesterol and some of its fatty acids are different than the saturated fat found in animal products, it still contains more saturated fat—the main dietary culprit for raising blood cholesterol and clogging arteries—than butter. Yes, numerous studies have shown that coconut oil can raise LDL (your body’s bad cholesterol) and, according to nutrition researchers at Tufts, it induces atherosclerosis (heart disease), too. We know—this breaks our hearts too. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of 16 grams of saturated fat daily based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Include one-and-a-half tablespoons of coconut oil in your diet daily and you’ve already exceeded the recommendations. And a large percentage of coconut’s saturated fats aren’t the good MCT’s; roughly 40 percent of them are long chain, artery-clogging, saturated fats. Aw, man!

As for coconut oil and weight loss, there just isn’t research to support it.

So What Do You Do if You Really Like Coconut? While we (and especially our taste buds) remain hopeful that there will be more research to validate our affinity for coconut, at this time, we feel it would be unethical to recommend replacing any of your heart-healthy fats like olive oil for coconut oil, or to recommend adding it to your diet to assist with weight loss. Keep in mind, fat is fat, and coconut oil is still high in calories, which can quickly add up around your waist. However, consider using coconut oil as a condiment rather than your go-to oil or applying it liberally. Fortunately, just a little bit goes a long way in adding yummy flavor and texture.






Source: Tammy Lakatos Shames and Elysse (“Lyssie”) Lakatos, The Nutrition Twins®,

Get Results With Ropes

I’m always interested in learning about the latest fitness tools available. I try to keep an open mind and experiment with equipment before I pass judgement or consider adding it into my programming for my clients.
At the end of the day, we have plenty of options to get the job done. Grab a bar and some plates and you could accomplish most of your fitness-related goals. Grab a kettlebell and start swinging and you’ll see improvements. Or simply take yourself to the local park for sprints, pushups and pull-ups, and you’d be doing more than most.
One tool that has passed the test and is now a staple in my fitness toolbox is the heavy rope. Over the past couple years, they have increased in popularity and are now found in fitness facilities on a more consistent basis. Can you get a complete workout in with just the rope? Absolutely. All you need is your body, a little room and some motivation, and you’ll be good to go. With a little instruction, the addition of heavy ropes will challenge clients in safe, new ways and help them achieve their goals.
For many of my clients, I recommend full-body routines a few times a week. Couple that with some sprints and a diet of REAL food, and you are on your way to a healthier lifestyle. If it’s just you and your rope, you’ve got everything you need. I would recommend hitting a few of the major movement pillars (i.e., push, pull, level change, etc.) in your routine to ensure a balanced full-body approach.
Here is a simple template to get you started. Set up three stations as follows: Start with a rope movement, then perform a bodyweight movement and then finish with a second rope movement.
Circuit 1
Station 1: Rope: Double Rope Slams - 20 reps
Station 2: Bodyweight: Skater Plyos (lateral jumps) - 20 reps (10 per leg)
Station 3: Rope: Rope Inverted Rows - 15 reps
Repeat this routine three times with little rest and then rest for two to three minutes before starting circuit #2.
Circuit 2
Station 1: Rope: Reverse Lunge Waves - 10 lunges per leg
Station 2: Bodyweight: Push-ups - 10 reps (add a clap if too easy)
Station 3: Rope: Vertical Rope Pulls - 2 lengths of the rope
Repeat this routine three times with little rest and then rest for two to three minutes before starting circuit #3.
Circuit 3
Station 1:Rope: Grappler Slams - 20 total (10 per side)
Station 2: Bodyweight: Squats - 15 reps
Station 3: Rope: Plank Rope Pulls - 20 total (10 pulls per arm)
Repeat this routine three times with little rest between stations.
Looking at the movements, you’ll see that we hit all three planes of motion, upper-body pushing and pulling, lower-body variations, and movements that challenge both your strength and conditioning to ensure a well-rounded workout.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS

Circuit 1
Double Rope Slams

Begin facing the anchor point in an athletic position while holding an end of the rope in each hand. Lift the ropes up and explosively drive them down into the ground. Be sure to use the entire body when performing the movement. Do not just “arm” the exercise. Maintain a neutral spine throughout and bend the hips and knees while slamming the rope.
Skater Plyos (lateral jumps)

Begin by pushing off your left leg and jumping laterally to the right. Land softly under control on your right leg while the left hand reaches toward the ground in front of the right leg. Next, push off the right leg to jump back to the left (starting position). Land on the left leg while the right hand reaches out in front of the left leg. Continue this side-to-side movement for the appropriate number of reps.
Rope Inverted Rows

This movement is very similar to an inverted row exercise you’d do with a suspension trainer (TRX for example). Hang the rope over a vertical anchor (tree branch or pull-up bar) and face the anchor point. Walk your feet down toward the anchor point so your body is angled about 45 degrees from the floor. Keep your eyes on the anchor point and begin by flexing at the elbows and pulling your body up. Be sure to keep your shoulders down and back the entire time. Once your hands are just about in line with your chest, slowly extend your arms to return to the starting position.
Circuit 2
Reverse Lunge Waves

Face the anchor point in an athletic position while holding an end of the rope in each hand. Begin by creating “waves” with the rope by alternating your arms in a quick up-and-down wave or drumming fashion. While performing this wave movement with your arms, do alternating reverse lunges with your lower body at the same time. Maintain a neutral spine and keep your eyes on the anchor point throughout the movement.
Push-ups

Begin in a traditional pushup position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and your elbows at a 45-degree angle from your body. Lower your entire body down under control and then push back up to the starting position. Maintain a neutral spine and keep your body engaged throughout the exercise to ensure proper form.
Vertical Rope Pulls

With the rope secured around a vertical anchor (tree branch, pull-up bar, etc.), assume an athletic position and begin by reaching up with one arm and pulling the rope toward the body. Alternate these vertical pulls for the desired number of reps.
Circuit 3
Grappler Slams

Face the anchor point in an athletic position while holding an end of the rope in each hand. Begin by lifting the ropes up, rotating your shoulders and hips right, and slamming the ropes down on the right side of your body. As you lift them back up, rotate your body left, creating an arc pattern with the rope, and slam them down on the left side. Continue this rotating pattern for the appropriate number of reps.
Squats

Take a slightly wider than shoulder-width foot position, with your toes pointed out slightly. Upon descent, keep your chest up, abs braced and push your butt back as you think about opening your knees. Keep your head position neutral (eyes looking forward) throughout the movement. Squat down as low as you can without breaking form (no lumbar flexion) and then return to the starting position by driving your hips through and standing up tall.
Plank Rope Pulls

Assume a plank position facing the anchor point, extend one arm and pull one end of the rope toward your body. Balance on the opposite arm and repeat this pulling movement on the opposite side. Continue alternating arm pulls for the desired number of reps.

Source :  Doug Balzarini, C.S.C.S., MMA-CC, is the owner of DB Strength, which provides fitness training, education and resources. He is the strength & conditioning coach for Alliance MMA
 

10 Tips for Surviving Holiday Parties

Holidays can cause havoc on your diet because most holiday gatherings include indulgent foods and drinks. In fact, the average weight gain between Halloween and New Year’s is 8 pounds. But surviving the holidays can be made a whole lot easier by employing the following survival techniques:
Where’s the beef? Protein helps to stabilize your blood sugar and make it easier to avoid hunger cravings, so eat a small amount of lean protein like turkey or chicken before you head out to a party. And be sure to reach for the meats, shrimp and seafood—in fact, 26 medium shrimp cocktail contains just 200 calories. 
Crack up. Dips that are creamy or cheesy are already high in calories and fat, but if you just can’t skip them, dip with vegetables instead of higher-calorie crackers or breads. Just a taste may be enough to satisfy that craving. 
Chew on it. Gum may be a good way to keep yourself from picking at foods when you’re really hungry. Plus, chewing gum before you walk into a party will give you fresh breath and may delay your first bite or beverage. 
The glass is half full. Most social gatherings offer high-calorie alcoholic beverages like egg nog, cordials, margaritas and martinis. Wine and beer are lower-calorie options; mixers like club soda and water and condiments like lemons and limes can also help lower calorie totals. Even better: Alternate each alcoholic drink with a large glass of water to cut calories in half and keep you feeling full.
Plan ahead. Consider what you eat earlier in the day or even the day before a big celebration. Planning a lighter lunch or breakfast can help balance out the calorie overload from an upcoming celebration.
Get in some extra workouts. Knowing that this time of year is busy, it can be easy to justify skipping your workouts. But keeping them consistent or adding in an extra workout may be just what you need to stick to your health goals. Even 20 minutes of walking can burn off an extra 100 to 150 calories, which may be enough to help keep extra pounds from creeping on during the holidays.
Sleep in. Sleep deprivation can have a huge impact on your waistline. That’s because lack of sleep increases gherlin, which is a hormone that makes you hungry and limits the secretion of leptin, which helps burn fat. Be sure to get enough sleep following late-night celebrations by sleeping in or taking a short 20-minute catnap to catch up.
No loitering. A good way to eat less at a party is to stay away from the food. Simply stay out of the kitchen and choose to socialize away from the buffet. Walking just a few steps away can help prevent you from the mindless grazing that often adds up to lots of extra calories.
Opt in. It is good form to bring a holiday hostess gift, so why not bring the gift of healthy appetizers? Great options include shrimp cocktail, hummus with green and red peppers, and a plate filled with fresh berries, grapes and hard cheeses.
Take just one bite. It can be hard to pass up those holiday treats, cookies and pies, so take a smaller slice or just a bite. It will give you the satisfaction that you’re looking for and the first bite usually tastes much better than the last.

Source :  acefitness.org/Andrea Metcalf