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Making News
Core conditioning has quickly become a major component of many athletic training programs; however, recent research questions the validity of claims that it enhances athletic ability. The Indiana State University study tested the core strength of 29 NCAA Division I football players and compared the results to the athletes’ abilities in three strength variables and four performance variables.
Mom always said that when she was young she had to walk 5 miles to and from school, uphill both ways. The same can’t be said for kids these days. As confirmed by a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2007; 32 [6], 509–16), trends in school travel have not kept up with the rising rates of childhood obesity.
If you train clients who have multiple sclerosis (MS), your programming may be a primary way to help them avoid coronary artery disease (CAD). Researchers found that during an 8-week aerobic cycling regimen, people with mild to moderate MS improved their cardiovascular fitness and reduced their risk for CAD.
Which is better for reducing fat: long bouts of exercise, or breaking physical activity into smaller sessions with an added rest period? According to a recent study in the June edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology (2007; 102, 2158–64), taking a break in the middle of a workout may metabolize more fat than exercising without stopping.
While it may not be exactly fair, older adults who exercise are viewed more favorably than their sedentary cohorts, according to an article published in the June issue of the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology (2007; 29 [3], 333–47). British participants—180 men and 180 women—were randomly recruited from a busy shopping center and provided one of three written descriptions of a 65-year-old individual.
Overweight adults are significantly more likely to sustain injuries that require medical treatment than their normal-weight peers, according to a study in the May/June issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion (2007; 21 [5], 460). The risk is nearly twice as high for the extremely obese.
Pregnancy is an ideal time to start an exercise and fitness program, particularly for women who are obese. This is one conclusion of a small pilot study published in the June issue of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (2007; 32 [3], 596–601). Researchers examined two groups of pregnant women who were obese and had gestational diabetes.
Video Game Ups Ante on Active Play
Nintendo has taken Donkey Kong up a notch or two. One of the company’s latest product concepts, revealed during the E3 Media & Business Summit in July, might just put some personal fitness trainers out of business (or be a new profit center). The Wii Fit™ Balance Board (name not final) is a pressure-sensitive controller that users manipulate with their feet. The device not only simulates yoga, hula-hooping, soccer and other activities but also “promotes communication about health among family members.” The board measures and records a player’s weight and body mass, and users can review one another’s progress.
Entrepreneurs Donate Fitness Services
When Janet Carr and Tracey Pager bought their Contours Express women’s gym franchises in Spring Hill, Ridge Manor and Brooksville, Florida, they wanted to help women achieve their fitness and weight maintenance goals and make a living wage while exercising their passion for fitness.
“We were doing quite well with our three gyms, but we saw groups of women who really needed our services and products and could not afford to pay the $32-per-month fees,” said Carr. As part of their show of thanks to the community for their business successes, the partners set out to bring fitness to some of the neediest women in the area. Once every week the pair visits ARC (the Association for Retarded Citizens) in Spring Hill and Brooksville. Then on a second day each week they invite the group to come to their gyms in Brooksville and Spring Hill. All services are free.
Carr and Pager also invite women from The DAWN Center, a domestic and sexual violence shelter in Spring Hill, to come to their gyms a couple of times per week, at no charge. The pair plans to expand their outreach. “The happy and now healthier paying members in our gyms pay the bills and [cover] our personal needs, so we really feel lucky to be able to give back to the community in this way,” said Pager.
Paris Offers Communal Bicycle Program
Thanks to a new self-service “bicycle transit system,” Parisians and tourists now have an added convenience that will help them explore the City of Light’s 230 miles of cycling lanes.
The French capital debuted its eco-friendly communal bicycle program, called “Velib,” in July. Users pick up and drop off the bikes at 750 locations throughout the city. Currently there are 10,648 bikes available for use, but this number is expected to grow to more than 20,000 by the end of the year, with stations positioned approximately 900 feet apart. Paris officials are hoping to draw on the experience of smaller-scale rental programs in other cities, like Stockholm, Sweden and Berlin.■
How long has it been since you’ve practiced your cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills? Recent findings show that the majority of people untrained in CPR, and even many trained emergency personnel, do not push with enough force.
A small study published in the June 5 issue of Neurology (2007; 68, 2003–2007) found that individual strength training programs should be designed for people with early-stage ALS to allow them to maintain their independence and function for as long as possible.
