By Brad Dieter Over the last 10-15 years, there has been a lot of discussion about the role that fructose plays in many of our chronic health issues, including obesity, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and many others. However, most…
By Dana Bender Exercise adherence and commitment vary from individual to individual. Some people have an easy time making exercise a regular habit, while others struggle to stay consistent and need a behavioural change. Some struggle due to barriers in…
By Alexandra Williams As a fitness professional, you’re likely familiar with exercise-induced asthma (EIA) or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), which can cause symptoms like wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath or a tightness in the chest—particularly in cold, dry air. This type…
By Angie Miller MS In the gym, we expect to use our body’s full range of motion. In life, we’re entitled to a full range of emotions, too. Provided we’re able to express and manage our emotions appropriately, this is…
By Ryan Halvorson It’s a scene many personal trainers know well. You’re working with a client who feels defeated and wants to quit, and you have to show a little tough love. Chris Powell specializes in this. “Every time you…
By Sohee Lee There has been a growing interest in personal fitness over the past few decades, and with high-speed access to information, images, and other people at our fingertips, this comes as no surprise. Since the dawn of the fitness industry…
By NASM According to listener feedback and requests, a discussion on over- and underactive muscles was the most popular request. This is part 1 of 3 episodes where this topic will be discussed. This episode will cover two common movement…
By Tony Nunez This is part 3 of a 3 part Q&A series that answers: What does current research tell us about aerobic fitness and metformin, strength training recovery times, and obesity intervention methods? Part 1: Can metformin have a negative impact…
By Brad Dieter In an era of catchy blogs, celebrity diets, and access to all of the world’s information at your fingertips, managing a client’s expectations for safe and healthy weight loss can be a challenge. Despite these challenges, the…
By Sean Greeley If you’re like most newly certified personal trainers, you’re uncomfortable thinking about how to market yourself to generate leads and build up a client base. That’s because fitness is your passion … and suddenly fitness has become…
By Maria Luque Stephanie is your newest fitness client. She’s 42 years old and works 50 hours a week as a certified public accountant. She would like to quit smoking, give up junk food and get active—all the foundations of…
By Pete McCall Thanks to social media, the explosive popularity of studio-based group workout programs, and the fact that many top actors work with a personal trainer to develop the sculpted physiques you see in the movies, many people are…
By Dana Bender With the growing utilization of technology in both personal and professional life, there seems to be less time to “just be” without a plethora of stimuli around us. Between computer use at work, smartphone use in our…
By Sean Greeley The strength of your business is equal to the strength of your network. Here’s what I mean… Many fitness professionals and personal trainers invest huge amounts of time learning their craft. They work hard to get certified,…
By Kat Barefield Lifespan, Healthspan and Playspan Humans are living longer than ever before with the help of modern medicine, science, technology, and access to adequate nutrition. Although the human lifespan can now extend past the century mark, healthspan, which…
By Fabio Comana Mention the term ‘metabolism’ and it captures attention given how obsessed many of us have become over calories. As a certified personal trainer, this is a topic you may get asked about from time to time. To the…
By ALEXANDRA WILLIAMS While away from home, it can be harder than ever for clients to stick to the healthy eating goals of their weight loss program. One way fitness professionals can help people stay on track is to suggest dietary…
By Kyle Stull Proper assessment and training of the foot musculature are vital to optimal health. Given that the feet are our foundation and interact with our environment daily, it affects the whole body if they hurt. The American Orthopaedic…
By Brad Dieter PROTEIN AND WEIGHT LOSS: HOW MUCH PROTEIN SHOULD YOU EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT? Decades of scientific research on weight loss has uncovered a few key pieces of information on what helps people successfully lose weight. First, we…
By JOSEPH WEISS , DANIELLE WEISS Each of us has held beliefs—obtained through observation, experience or even formal education—that were later found to be wrong. In fact, medical schooling begins with a warning: “Half of all that you will be taught…
By Dana Bender SELF-TALK IN ATHLETES AND EXERCISERS: 4 STEPS TO REWIRE YOUR THOUGHTS There is a lot to think about during exercise such as maintaining proper body mechanics and posture, controlling effort and force, and breathing properly. These efforts…
By LAURA QUAGLIO , ANDREA LEONARD , ANNA SCHWARTZ Cancer is serious business. It is second only to heart disease as Americans’ leading cause of death, and more than 1.7 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed this…
By Alexandra Williams After 15 days of supplementation with a combination of peanut husk extract (luteolin) and mango leaf extract (mangiferin), a group of healthy male university students from Spain showed improvements in exercise performance, including increases in brain oxygenation…
By Shirley Archer What do you do when life throws you a curveball? Let’s say your program design doesn’t fit a client’s current mood or your class has participants with wide-ranging ability levels. If you’re Michael Piercy, MS, NASM-CPT, CES,…
By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA Cyclist can be prone to ITB Syndrome IT BAND SYNDROME: SYMPTOMS, RISK FACTORS, EXERCISES The warm summer weather is the perfect setting for people to get outdoors and participate in the activities they enjoy…
By Scott Keppel With the holidays here, time is of the essence. Both figuratively and literally. As a husband, father of 3 and business owner I get that finding time to get workouts in can be a challenge. The following…
BY JENNIFER KLAU, PHD Being a little low on water is a bigger deal than most people think. Here’s research to prove it, plus a physiology review to explain why even a 2% deficit can affect mental and physical well-being…
By Brad Dieter IS SUGAR REALLY BAD FOR YOU? Sugar has been in the headlines of popular media sites, the tagline of diet books, and the sole focus of many blogs over the last decade. Despite recent interest from mainstream…
Before you help your clients achieve their goals, you have to establish what their starting point is. NASM’s Optimum Performance Training Model – or OPT™ -does exactly that. The OPT™ model. It’s one of the fitness industry’s first training systems…
By Julia Malacoff and Jennifer Nickle From ruining your progress to making you feel like a failure, food cravings aren’t your friend (no matter what they say). In this article, we break down the real reasons you can’t stop over-snacking,…
By John Berardi, Ph.D. Work stressing you out? Life in general? Having trouble staying consistent with your exercise and nutrition plan? If so, this article is for you. Why do most guys tend to get weaker, fatter, and less healthy…
By Geoff Lecovin KETOGENIC DIET: SHOULD YOU JOIN THE KETO KRAZE? In this article you will learn: What constitutes a ketogenic diet? Ketogenic diet foods/sample meal plan Potential health benefits of the ketogenic diet Potential adverse health effects of the…
By Alex Picot-Annand Effective ways to deal with negative peer pressure and sabotage. Changing your eating and exercise habits is hard enough. Getting loved ones to support your healthy lifestyle changes? Prepare to grit your teeth. The company you keep…
By Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D. How to solve the two biggest health and fitness problems most women face. Feeling overworked and under-appreciated? Having trouble staying consistent with nutrition and fitness because of life’s demands? Wondering if you’ll ever be able to…
By Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D. It’s not about busting your butt to get a gym body. It’s about being capable, confident, and free. To most people, healthy movement = exercise. As in cardio, crunches, and fitness models. But moving your body is…
By Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D. Diet challenges are usually all about what you can’t eat. But what if you could see huge results from a self-experiment that doesn’t make any foods off-limits? Instead of focusing on what you eat, our 30-day…
By Amanda Vogel MA Ever wonder how some fitness professional get the opportunity to be featured and quoted as experts in magazine articles, on TV and on popular blogs? Developing relationships with journalists and producers to gain publicity is easier…
By Andrew Payne Do you have trouble losing body fat, yet seem to gain it after even the smallest slip up with your diet? Or does it feel like you can eat for days without gaining an ounce? It could…
By NASM May is National Military Appreciation Month. We asked our NASM-CPTs who served in the armed forces to tell us their stories. Here’s one of them. Arlo Doyle The Kilted Comeback Kid In April of 2001, Arlo Doyle joined…
By Danny Lennon In this article: What is the Mediterranean Diet? Mediterranean Diet Foods Mediterranean Diet Nutrient Profile Daily Food Servings Mediterranean Lifestyle Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet Mediterranean Diet and Weight Loss Take-Home Points Should You Adopt the…
BY OLIVIA ELLIS, MS Follow these steps to enhance the class experience using the power of emotion. We’ve all been there: You’re teaching a well-designed class with a killer playlist, and your expectation is that everyone is going to be…
BY CANDICE DYER The SoheeFit studio in San Diego is a gleaming, modern and welcoming fitness center with upbeat music. One thing is noticeably missing, though. There is no cardio equipment. That’s because owner Sohee Lee, MS, typically ends up…
9 reasons eating well isn’t as straightforward as we’d like it to be. By John Berardi, Ph.D. From a certain perspective, nutrition science can seem like a mess. From another, it illustrates the very nature (and beauty) of the scientific…
By NASM Early to bed and early to rise? This sleep pattern may not make you wealthy or wise (as the saying goes), but it does seem to be linked to better health. Early risers not only have healthier eating…
By Brian St. Pierre, M.S., RD, CSCS and Helen Kollias, Ph.D. Academic studies aren’t going to top any “best summer reads” lists: They can be complicated, confusing, and well, pretty boring. But learning to read scientific research can help you…
By Brian St. Pierre, M.S., RD, CSCS and Helen Kollias, Ph.D. Academic studies aren’t going to top any “best summer reads” lists: They can be complicated, confusing, and well, pretty boring. But learning to read scientific research can help you…
By James Heathers, Ph.D. Forget heart attacks and skinny jeans. This is why weight loss is important. Avoiding heart disease and looking ‘fab’ aren’t always great reasons to lose weight. However, here are 5 immediate and significant ways your life…
By Geoff Lecovin Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” was identified in the 17th century by Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson when they discovered the causative factors of rickets. Circa 1920, Sir Edward Mellanby worked with…
By Amanda Boyer MS, RDN, CD, NASM-CPT First and foremost, the pursuit of health is an individual choice and will look very different from person to person. Second, nutrition and movement are just two tiny pieces to the big pie…
If you’re interested in becoming a Nutrition Coach, give yourself a pat on the back. You’re entering the field at the right time. Nutrition is a hot topic these days – especially in the fitness world. There is such an…
By NASM With fad diets flooding the marketplace, obesity and heart disease numbers rapidly increasing, and more confusing food choices than ever before, Nutrition Coaches are in particularly high demand. This is an exciting, rewarding career for people who love…
By NASM With the release of NASM’s new Nutrition Certification, over the coming weeks and months we will be sharing recipes for some of our favorite delicious and nutrition meals. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or follow a less restrictive diet,…
By Amanda Vogel MA There’s nothing wrong with delegating your social media posting to someone else. Just be sure that person or agency is qualified. When hiring someone to help you with your fitness brand’s content and direction on social…
From lack of know-how to fear of failure, there are plenty of reasons coaches struggle to develop an engaged social media following. But it may not be as complicated as it seems. Try this simple but effective advice from Precision…
By Amanda Vogel You’ve likely heard of social media influencers: people who post frequently and have audiences in the hundreds of thousands or millions. These folks often garner a lot of attention and can command large paychecks to promote brands and…
By NASM Desk-bound employees can develop a hunched posture that saps energy and strength. Here’s a safe-for-the-office routine that can help. For many people, nine-hour workdays are the minimum—and lunch breaks are short or taken at the desk. Even if…
By Kathy Popplewell As a fitness professional you are in a great position to become a community leader, with the ability to rally people in your area to a common cause while helping them improve their quality of life. in…
By Josh Elsesser Running a fitness business is a unique venture. Whether it’s a personal training company, a fitness studio, boot camp or a full-service gym, there are aspects to running a business in the fitness industry that is specific to the…
How to solve the two biggest health and fitness problems most women face. By Krista Scott-Dixon Feeling overworked and under-appreciated? Having trouble staying consistent with nutrition and fitness because of life’s demands? Wondering if you’ll ever be able to find…
![Sweet potatoes vs. potatoes: Which are really healthier? [Infographic] :](https://opstudiohk.inetasiapreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/image.png)
Let’s get to the bottom of this never-ending debate. By Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD, CSCS Sweet potatoes vs. potatoes: A nutritional debate fueled by misinformation, baseless ‘superfood’ obsessions, and carbohydrate phobias. Here’s how these tubers compare — and why…
By Geoff Lecovin Whether you’ve just finished a HIIT workout, completed a CrossFit WOD, hit your PR or finished a triathlon, your focus should move from performance to recovery. This involves: Refueling Repairing Rehydrating Revitalizing Evidence-based strategies to enhance the…
By Amanda Boyer MS, RDN, CD, NASM-CPT Twenty nineteen is upon us and New Year’s resolutions are on many people’s mind. It is common that goals are oriented around body shape or weight loss, which we have found can sometimes cause…
By AMANDA BOYER, MS, RDN, CD, NASM-CPT Health is so much more than how much a person weighs or their BMI. To further understand this approach to health, Health At Every Size® (HAES®), written by Linda Bacon, explores this growing…
by Dr. David Tiberio Kerrigan DC, Todd MK, Della Croce U, Lipsitz LA, Collins JJ. Biomechanical gait alterations independent of speed in healthy elderly: evidence for specific limiting impairments. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 199879:317-322. The purpose of this study was…
By Fabio Comana We all know a well-structured and consistent exercise program combined with a healthful diet can help all of us shed unwanted pounds and achieve our ideal body type. But do we need to push ourselves in the…
Here are better ways to transform your diet. By Brian St. Pierre, RD, CSCS, CISSN Lots of people looking to improve their eating think meal plans are the answer. The only problem? Meal plans usually suck… and they rarely last…
By Emily Bailey Meet three of today’s superfood darlings: açai berries, beetroot juice, and curcumin. What does the research say regarding their impact on athletic performance, recovery, and overall health? Here’s the delicious news. “Superfood” has been a buzzword for…
By Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon, Dr. Helen Kollias, Jennifer Broxterman, MSc, RD, and Pamela Ruhland Hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, brain fog: Menopause can make you wonder if your body is totally cuckoo. But what many women don’t realize is…
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS Are you motivated by someone telling you what to do or are you more motivated to do something when it is your own idea and choice to do it? You probably agreed…
By Scott Keppel Just like a fitness training program, planning and a committed focus are key to achieving your personal success. In today’s fitness world (or the world of social media), you can’t go anywhere without hearing something along the lines…
By NASM The terrain has changed; leaves have fallen, the weather is colder and for many, snow is covering the ground indicating that winter is really here. For those who enjoy exercising outdoors, your activities may have become somewhat limited…
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS The physiological demands of exercising in the cold are a bit different than that of a more mild climate. The body tries to maintain a temperature of 98.6oF while it’s losing heat and moisture…
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS With Some Simple Planning You Can Be Ready for Success! It’s hard to believe that 2018 is quickly coming to a close as we focus on the hustle and bustle of the…
By BRIERLEY HORTON, MS, RD Despite the overall trend toward cleaner eating (little to no processed foods, limiting or eliminating “bad” foods like sodium and sugar, etc.), as well as our general desire for quality ingredients (such as organic, humanely-raised, etc.),…
By Scott Keppel With the holidays here, time is of the essence. Both figuratively and literally. As a husband, father of 3 and business owner I get that finding time to get workouts in can be a challenge. The following…
By KANDI STULL Advertisers market their products to fight that 2:30 crash. Coffee chains promote their afternoon caffeinated happy hours to help get you through the day. Some cultures even have an after-lunch siesta to combat fatigue. What if there…
By Jennifer Broxterman, MSc, RD Forgetting things, feeling incapable, grappling with loneliness, and maybe not enjoying daily life? Aging is inevitable, but these symptoms don’t have to be. Whether you’re noticing them in yourself, or coaching someone who is, here’s…
By Sean GAGNON If you’re reading this article, congratulations. You either have a team or are looking to grow one. As many will tell you, one of the key things you can do to move from operator to owner is…
By KEN MILLER, MS, NASM MASTER INSTRUCTOR, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, GFS For as many ways as there are to challenge the body in a workout, how many ways do we think about approaching our warm-up routine? How well prepared are our…
BY STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS Bringing your pet dog to work, or anywhere for that matter, seems to have become the norm. But what about the fitness realm? Have you thought about bringing your dog to the…
By Mike Bracko The media and some research scientists seem to take perverse pride in talking about the so-called “obesity epidemic” and the percentage of the population who are over-weight, obese, and physically inactive. However, there are researchers who indicate…
By Mike Bracko Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness (National Institute of General Medical Sciences, 2018). They regulate periods of sleepiness and wakefulness through day/night. Circadian rhythm…
By Brierley Horton, MS, RD People choose to “go vegan” for a variety of reasons—perhaps they aspire to be Tom Brady (or at his level of fitness), or land on veganism for ethical concerns around eating animal products, or the…
By Geoff Lecovin Are you looking for that competitive edge? You might consider ways of stimulating your nervous system. The central governor model is based on the premise that the nervous system strives to maintain homeostasis to minimize mental and…
By AMANDA BOYER, MS, RDN, CD, NASM-CPT You may have heard the phrase “intuitive eating” thrown around in the health and fitness realm as it’s gaining attention and a bit of popularity. As a non-diet dietitian, I couldn’t be happier that…
By JOSH GONZALEZ When it comes to worldwide popularity soccer is at the top of the fan and participant lists. Soccer is a sport that requires all the physical attributes; strength, speed, endurance, agility and mental fortitude. Fitness training for…
By Wayne David Clark As fitness professionals we sometimes tend to neglect our own bodies in favour of helping others achieve their goals. We become so focussed on the needs of others, that our own needs tend to be…
By GEOFF LECOVIN Moderately elevating a client’s heart rate during physical activity is a goal of most exercise programs, but what about when a client has AFib? Here’s some information on what you should know. WHAT IS ATRIAL FIBRILLATION…
By John Berardi, Ph.D. Everyone in health and fitness eventually hits the same wall: Time. Specifically, they run out of it. They start feeling like there aren’t enough hours to coach clients, manage their businesses, and keep an eye on…
By John Berardi, Ph.D. If you’re new to health, fitness, or nutrition coaching you’ve probably worried — at least a little — about how you’re going to get clients. Especially in this age of paid search, Facebook ads, and more…