IDEA Health & Fitness Association - Anatomy/Kinesiology

Walking Speed: A Powerful Predictor of Functional Health

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 19:52:11 +0000

Thanks to a spike in pace-related research over the past decade, we now know that walking speed is a significant vital sign for older clients. Study findings have associated slow walking speed with a heightened risk of mortality in older adults, while brisk walking has been linked to better health (Franklin et al. 2015). These are important insights because, until recently, researchers had no idea that walking speed was such a strong vital-sign predictor. Connections between walking speed and health improvements make a persuasive case for helping older clients pick up the pace.

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Spotting and Fixing Flaws in Walking Biomechanics

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:29:23 +0000

Participating in a program of regular exercise is a good idea at any stage of life, but particularly as we get older. Exercising frequently and consistently has many documented benefits, including promoting good health, preventing disease, enhancing mental health and physical capacity, aiding recovery from injury and illness, minimizing the effects of aging, and improving one’s ability to handle the physical demands of life (Bird, Smith & James 1998).

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Two Research-Based Reasons Not to Skip Leg Day

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 19:28:53 +0000

High-Volume Lower-Body Workouts Contribute To Upper-Body Strength

Can lower-body resistance training produce improvements in upper-body maximal strength? That was the question posed in a study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2018; 32 [1], 13–18).

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Secrets of Muscle Growth

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:31:12 +0000

Muscle growth is often a goal for people seeking guidance from qualified fitness professionals. Recently, researchers from the University of Cumbria in Lancaster, England, reviewed relevant scientific papers to find best practices for achieving that goal.

The review authors looked at several primary factors associated with muscle hypertrophy: training volume, load, training frequency, training to momentary muscle failure, exercise variation, contraction type, exercise order, repetition tempo and interest recovery. Here’s a sampling of the conclusions:

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Learning About Lymph

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 18:35:57 +0000

Any routine visit to the physician includes the familiar cold-hands-­under-the-earlobes lymph node check. But how often do you think about what the doctor is checking for or how important the lymphatic system is? And have you told your clients that physical activity plays a key role in supporting this crucial ­system?

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Smoking and Musculoskeletal Injury Risk

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 19:32:03 +0000

Researchers have identified more reasons to quit smoking and to alert any clients who do smoke. A recent research review on smoking and musculoskeletal injury risk in military trainees found that for those who smoked, injury risk was 31% higher for men and 23% higher for women. The risk grew as smoking levels increased. For example, among the heaviest smokers, risk increased up to 84% for men and up to 56% for women.

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Shoulder Blades: The Right Moves

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:55:31 +0000

The shoulder blades, or scapulae, are critical links in the kinetic chain from the waist through the shoulders, up to the neck and down to the fingertips. Abnormalities in the position or movement of the shoulder blades—technically called scapular dyskinesis—can trigger pain and discomfort, especially among people who spend long hours sitting and using computers.

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Programming to Prevent ACL Injury

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:09:20 +0000

Your new client, 16-year-old Alexis, is a competitive athlete who wants you to design a fitness program that will help her prevent a second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. She partially tore her ACL while playing soccer and rehabbed it with a physical therapist, who cleared her to play again. Alexis returned to spring softball without an issue, but she would like to be as fully prepared as possible for the upcoming fall soccer season. She hopes to be recruited to play in college, but her parents are concerned she will sustain another ACL injury, perhaps a more severe one.

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Range of Motion: Full or Partial?

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 19:53:55 +0000

Research shows there’s a time and place for both full and partial range of motion in resistance training program design.

Some training systems purposely use partial ROM for various exercises. Moreover, certain surgeries and orthopedic injuries require partial-ROM movements during rehabilitation (Pinto et al. 2012). It seems natural for personal trainers to wonder which is superior: full ROM or partial ROM? ,/p> Two studies comparing the benefits of partial ROM and full ROM give a clearer view of the landscape.

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Getting to the Bottom: The Ischial Tuberosity

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 20:22:35 +0000

The posterior aspect of the body, along with its muscles, tendons, bones and attachments, is easy to overlook because it’s out of sight and, therefore, often out of mind. Until, that is, pain occurs. The ischial tuberosity—also known as the “sit bones” or even “sitz bones” (from the German word sitzen) (Garikiparithi 2017)—has many different connections, although it is mainly associated with the hamstring muscles (Drake et al. 2010).

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