Program Design Articles

BY SHANNON ( G R I F F I T H S ) FA B L E THE B IRST TEP CREATIVE WALKING PROGRAMS ENCOURAGE NEW EXERCISERS AND SERVE AS GROWTH VENUES. April 2007 IDEA Fitness Journal By mid-March, most of the "New Year's resolution members" have vanished. The beach-bound bodies, once focused on shaping up before spring break, have come and gone. This is the fitness industry's slow season, when group fitness cl...

prevention & postrehab b y A n d r e w C l a r k & P e t e r Tw i s t , M S c The Dynamic Warm-Up Structure a warm-up that prepares your clients' minds and muscles for vigorous activity. The next time you are at the gym or on the sidelines at a game, take note of what others around you are doing to prepare themselves for activity. Some people do nothing, simply commencing their activity of choic...

ebb by Petra Kolber Dance It Down Use smooth moves and music to usher positive energy into participants' lives. Last impressions are lasting impressions. Many times we put lots of thought and effort into our classes but forget that the last cherished moments participants share with us are during the cool-down. Even if your class doesn't go so well on a particular day, a terrific cool-down will ...

CLASS BY BECKY LANGTON, MA TAKE-OUT Sample Class: Riding the Wind This fartlek training approach increases anaerobic threshold and VO2 one interval at a time. Have you been looking for a way to challenge and prepare your indoor cycling class for a lively outdoor group-ride pace? "Riding the Wind" is perfect. This class is designed to increase the total capacity or gear you're able to maintain ...

CLASS BY FRED HOFFMAN, MED TAKE-OUT Sample Class: Core Circuit STATION 1: SQUAT WITH OVERHEAD PRESS AND HIP ABDUCTION Combine two popular fitness trends in one fun class. According to the 2005 IDEA Fitness Programs & Equipment Survey, 56% of respondents offer circuit classes, while 63% offer core conditioning. "Core Circuit" provides a great way to reap the benefits of both activities in a sin...

CLASS BY STACEY LEI KRAUSS TAKE-OUT Sample Class: Performance-Driven Indoor Cycling Eat your "cupcake" and have it, too! Have you ever eaten a cupcake from the Magnolia Bakery in New York? The cake itself is delicious--rich and flavorful. The icing is smooth and not too sweet. If you ate the cake alone, it would be a little dry; but if you ate only the icing, it would make you sick! Indoor cycl...

(part 2) By Peter Twist, MSc, and Gregory S. Anderson, PhD E ditor's Note: Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the March issue of IDEA Fitness Journal (2005; 2 [3], 56...

EBB BY KEN ALAN Well Hello, Cooldown! Appeal to older adults' love of show tunes. Many people enjoy Broadway music. Hello, Dolly! may be one of the best-known shows. The original Broadway cast album is hard to find, but the movie soundtrack CD is available in major music stores. The following cooldown is set to the motion picture recording with Barbra Streisand and Louis Armstrong. Top hat and ca...

CLASS BY LAURA SACHS TAKEOUT Route to Relaxation Teach breath control and awareness to stressedout participants. These days, it seems, we're all more familiar with feeling stressed than with feeling calm. Luckily for us, we're designed to relax. The breath is our route to relaxation, and our senses help to personalize the process. The heart lifts slightly when we inhale and drops slightly when w...

CORE BY LEIGH CREWS Activate and Initiate Use a systematic approach to core training. The core muscles support movement and help stabilize the spine. When designing a training program for the core, include exercises that activate the musculature and initiate movement in different ways, as happens during activities of daily living. This approach varies repetitive stresses and helps prevent injurie...