The Most Effective Ways Of Promoting Physical Exercise For Adults

Pedometers and mass media campaigns are the most cost-effective ways to promote exercise among adults, according a study in Australia.

Considered as a package, researchers at the University of Queensland also conclude that six methods of intervention could reduce death and illness from heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes in Australia, with an overall cost saving for the health sector.

The World Health Organisation recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity – which could just be brisk walking – five times per week.

Linda Cobiac and colleagues at the University of Queensland reviewed the medical literature to identify a range of interventions to promote physical activity and transport use in adults, which had evidence of effectiveness and which were suitable programs to implement in Australia. They then calculated the cost-effectiveness of six interventions. 

These included:

- TravelSmart – a program that targeted households in Australia with information about walking paths, bus timetables, and offered incentives to reduce reliance on the car

- general practitioners (GPs): the standard practice amongst GPs in Australia to screen and prescribe physical activity to inactive patients who visit them, as well as the practice of GPs referring patients to counselling sessions with an exercise physiologist at their local general practice

- Internet advice on physical activity

- the promotion of pedometers in the community

- and a mass media campaign that promoted physical activity and community events and activities.

To assess cost-effectiveness of different physical activity programs that are suitable in an Australian context, the researchers were able to compare these six interventions. They calculated the health outcomes of each intervention in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) – the number of healthy years of life lost as a result of premature death or illness – through already published data on how physical activity causes heart disease, stroke, colon and breast cancer, and diabetes. 

Offsetting the financial cost of each intervention against the number of years of death or injury (or DALYs) that the intervention averted, they concluded that the program promoting the pedometer as a motivational tool for physical exercise and the mass media campaign were the most cost-effective. 

The GP practice of referring patients to an exercise physiologist was the least cost-effective, especially if time and travel costs were considered.

Only the pedometer program and the mass media campaign of the six interventions resulted in an overall cost-saving, but the researchers stress that if the six interventions are considered together "it is likely that the package of interventions would not only be cost-effective by very likely cost-saving to the health sector." 

Source: Science Daily, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090713201433.htm

Wellness Study: Previous Exercise Helps Stroke Patients Recover Faster

Personal Trainers are at the forefront of a new movement: the age of
wellness.

More people, and through a national debate on health care reform, are
talking about health and wellness. The studies have proven again and
again that exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps achieve
wellness. Though some disease may not be prevented, a lifestyle full
of healthy behaviors and activities has proven its rewards.

Take this as an example:
According to a Mayo Clinic national study, a person who has exercised
regularly prior to the onset of a stroke appears to recover more
quickly.

In the July 2009 issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery &
Psychiatry, the researchers reported that stroke patients who had
previously exercised regularly before a stroke occurred were
significantly more likely to have milder impairments and, thus, were
better able to care for themselves, compared to patients who rarely
exercised.

Source: Science Daily, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
2009/07/090716164342.htm

Study: Progressive Resistance Strength Training Helps Older People In Daily Life

From ScienceDaily.com:

Progressive resistance strength training not only helps older adults
become stronger but also makes their everyday life easier, a Cochrane
Review suggests.

Muscle strength decreases naturally as people age. This reduction in
muscle strength could affect older adults carrying out daily
activities. Progressive resistance strength training is a type of
strength training that uses free weights, exercise machines, or
elastic bands to strengthen muscles. Key to this type of this
exercise is adjusting the resistance, or weight, according to the
person's progress. This exercise can be prescribed to help older
adults gain the strength necessary to carry out everyday activities
such as walking, climbing stairs, bathing or doing housework.

"Older adults seem to benefit from this type of exercise even at the
age of 80, and even with some type of health condition. The data
support the idea that muscle strength is largely improved after the
training, and the impact on older adults' daily activities can be
significant. Simply having enough strength to do things such as
carrying groceries would make a difference for seniors" says lead
researcher Chiung-ju Liu of the Department of Occupational Therapy at
the Indiana University at Indianapolis in the US.

The 121 trials reviewed in the study involved 6,700 people over the
age of 60, who trained two to three times a week. Training produced a
large improvement in muscle strength, a moderate to large improvement
in doing simple activities such as getting up from a chair or
climbing stairs and a small but statistically significant improvement
in doing complex daily activities, such as bathing or preparing a meal.

Severe adverse events were rare and most reported events were muscle
soreness and pain.

"We recommend older adults work with a health professional or an
exercise professional to do progressive resistance strength training"
says Liu. Because the long-term effect was not assessed in most
trials, the Cochrane Researchers did not know how long the effects
could last.
-----------------------------

AFAA's Osteoball Training for Bone Health is a resistance training
program that helps individuals regain muscle and bone strength. More
details can be found at http://www.afaa.com/osteoball

Career in Personal Training

"Employment of personal fitness professionals is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. An increasing number of people spend more time and money on fitness, and more businesses are recognizing the benefits of health and fitness programs and other services such as wellness programs for their employees." - U.S. Department of Labor

Who hires Personal Fitness Trainers?

Private health clubs

Schools and colleges

Professional athletes

Actors

Dancers

Medical facilities

Nonprofit health programs

Police departments

Fire departments

Athletic teams

AFAA Personal Trainer Certification in Six Easy Steps

Here's some basic steps to follow to become an AFAA Personal Trainer. Source: EHow.com

1. Step 1

Learn CPR. All AFAA-certified personal trainers must also be certified to administer CPR.

2. Step 2

Register for the certification workshop as early as possible so you can receive the study guide and review what will be required for certification.

3. Step 3

Order the textbook Personal Fitness Training: Theory and Practice from the AFAA. This is the text used for the class as well as being an excellent resource for you later on.

4. Step 4

Study. The workshop comprises three days of lectures and practical exercises followed by the certification exam. By learning as much as possible before the workshop begins, you can concentrate on the material presented at the workshops.

5. Step 5

Take up weight training. Experience in weight training and the use of weight room equipment is strongly recommended.

6. Step 6

Attend the workshop and take the certification exam.

To see the full article, click here. Or to get certified, click here.

AFAA on Facebook and Twitter

AFAA is proud to introduce its online presence with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

AFAA -- the world leader in fitness certification, continuing education and Telefitness education -- has always been committed to great customer service and a reputable fitness education through workshops and e-learning (AFAA's new Distance Education Center and E-AFAA.com).

Expect to see AFAA's latest announcements on services and products through our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Click here to follow our conversations on Twitter or go to: twitter.com/afaa_fit

Click here and become a fan of AFAA on Facebook.

And if you are a Personal Trainer certified with AFAA, drop us a line.

Personal Trainer Certifications go bilingual

For the first time ever, AFAA is offering Personal Trainer Certifications in Spanish.

As part of AFAA's premier $99-a-day, per-program event, APEX September 2009 now includes several workshops presented in Spanish in Florida and California. APEX en Español will be on the weekend of September 18, 19 and 20 at the following locations:

Personal Fitness Trainer Certification (workshop locations and dates)

Bally Total Fitness, 13069 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, CA on Sept. 18, 19 and 20

Bally Total Fitness, 1901 West 39th Street, Hialeah, FL on Sept. 18, 19 and 20

Primary Group Exercise Certification (workshop locations and dates)

Fairfield Family YMCA, 4949 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA on Saturday, Sept. 19

Fairfield Family YMCA, 4949 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA on Sunday, Sept. 20

Bally Total Fitness, 8851 SW 107th Ave., Miami, FL on Saturday, Sept. 19

Bally Total Fitness, 8851 SW 107th Ave., Miami, FL on Saturday, Sept. 20

For more information, visit http://www.afaaapex.com or call us at 800-446-2322.