There Are Some Really Good Trainers Out There

“When John Goddard finally got tired of weighing more than 300 pounds and constantly feeling fatigued, he decided a personal trainer could help him slim down and tone up. But before walking into his health club – 24 Hour Fitness in Carmichael – Goddard wisely went on the Web. He pored over all the alphabet jumble of certification acronyms and developed a list of goals and questions to ask trainers. But Goddard eventually hooked up with personal trainer Nick Fortino at 24 Hour Fitness. That was three years ago. Now Goddard, who is 6-foot-2, weighs 216 pounds. He has cut his body fat percentage to 13.5 percent from 33 percent, and he has reduced his waistline to 31 inches from 42. Well, it's 31.6, actually. But who's counting? Goddard, actually. ‘I have a competitive mind-set and am focused, and I knew I needed someone who was willing to go there with me,’ Goddard says. ‘I can get very obsessed with what I'm doing. It's like dating someone. You have to get along with them and spend time with them. Our rapport developed over time, but I knew right away I found the right guy.’ Goddard says he knew he had found a knowledgable trainer when Fortino initially assessed him. ‘He looked at me and said, 'I can tell your dominant side is your left, based on your balance,' so he had me do some corrective exercises to balance me out,’ Goddard recalls. ‘He went through things I hadn't told him that I knew were wrong. I thought, 'This guy knows what he's talking about.' Kerri Miller, a personal trainer at Integrated Fitness in Sacramento, says she welcomes scrutiny by potential clients. Miller, a former competitive runner, has a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and exercise nutrition from California State University, Hayward, and has been a personal trainer for 16 years. ‘You've got to know what they can and can't do,’ she says of her clients, ‘and build from there.’ Miller sets up nutrition programs for all her clients and always gets a complete medical history. ‘If there are issues like thyroid problems or diabetes or MS, I'll tell them to go to the doctor before we even start and, if they get checked out, then come back and we'll deal with it,’ she says. ‘But most important is to listen.’”

http://www.sacbee.com/273/story/1467421.html

The NFL and NBC's "Biggest Loser" Partner with HOPSports to Get Kids Active

“HOPSports, creator of a revolutionary fitness program, has partnered with the NFL and NBC's ‘Biggest Loser’ to help school kids get active. Vicki Vilcan, one of this season's contestants, donated a HOPSports Training System to her junior high school alma mater, Houma Junior High in Houma, La. The donation was captured by the ‘Biggest Loser’ production crews. Check out www.biggestloserclub.com and www.NFL.com after the season finale on Tuesday, Dec. 16 (8-10 p.m. EST) on NBC to see the clip and celebration. ‘Obesity is such a big problem, especially among school kids in rural areas,’ said Vilcan. ‘I wanted to give something back to my hometown that helps teach kids how to be physically active so they have a better chance at a healthy life.’ HOPSports Training System introduces technology and fun into physical education and fitness activities. The programs are currently installed in schools in 31 states across the country as well as dozens of youth community sites. ‘American kids are more obese than ever,’ said Cindy Sisson Hensley, president of HOPSports. ‘Our system features professional athletes, stuntmen, dancers, great music and fun routines that keep kids engaged and having fun while they get active.’ The HOPSports Training System was donated to Houma Junior High on Friday, Oct. 17 on behalf of the NFL. ‘We are so excited to have HOPSports at our school. This innovative technology is a unique way to get our students active,’ said Tom Soudelier, principal, Houma Junior High School. ‘The generosity of the NFL has already made a real difference in the lives of our kids.’”

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/The-NFL-NBCs-Biggest-Loser/story.aspx?guid=%7B6D429343-717A-4C89-944D-240AEC749FF6%7D

Despite Economy, Gyms Still Going Strong

“Some may see gym memberships as an extra expense, but many gym goers still believe it's the last thing they'd give up despite this economy. ‘It is non-negotiable. It is the one thing I would not change. I mean, it is just a requirement to stay happy,’ said Terry Kickerson, a gym member. ‘I'm out in the job market actually. So coming to the gym and staying focused and positive helps keep the confidence,’ said Drew Rudolph, who also belongs to a local gym. Despite news of Bally Total Fitness once again filing for bankruptcy, some layoffs at CRUNCH Fitness clubs and murmurings of corporate restructuring at others, most of the industry claims to be close to recession-proof. According to the International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association, or IHRSA, gym memberships peaked nationally in 2006 at more than 42 million, and were down just under three percent last year. Ed Trainor, a member of IHRSA and Vice President of Town Sports International, which operates New York Sports Clubs said he's hoping that even in the midst of an economic downturn, membership rates will remain steady. ‘We've actually tracked over the last two months, and I'm sure the rest of the industry is noticing this as well. Even though people are losing jobs, our gym numbers are up. People are taking advantage of their health club membership by working out more, so the value is the more times you use it, the better the price point,’ said Trainor. Some of the key things gym owners and trainers said they are doing in this economy are to remain creative and to try and keep things flexible.”

http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/90643/despite-economy--gyms-still-going-strong/Default.aspx

After 20 Years, His Business Is Still Fit

“Bodyworks Downtown Athletic Club has seen its name tweaked and its location changed along the way, but it's still the operation [Wayne] Gootee (pronounced go-TEE, like the facial hair) envisioned when he opened a gym off U.S. 17 in Stafford County on Dec. 1, 1988. Within a year of opening his facility, the other two independently owned gyms in the Fredericksburg area closed their doors, Gootee said. Over the years, he's seen more than half a dozen of them come and go. And in that same time, he's had stiff competition from larger operations. Gootee thinks he has survived for a variety of reasons. Chief among them is listening to what people want. Before opening his gym in 1988, Gootee joined the two independent gyms in the area. He listened to what people who were working out were looking for in a gym and then used that information to start his own operation. Today, his facility has transitioned from a place populated by dumbbells and benches to one where free weights make up just 10 percent of the equipment. The rest is now devoted to equipment for cardiovascular work, space for classes and staff to offer personal training. ‘If you really allow people to tell you what they want, you're well-off,’ he said. Between 1987 and 2007, the number of people joining health clubs in the U.S. rose 140 percent, increasing from 17.3 million to 41.5 million, according to data compiled by the Boston-based International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. And while that's good news for people like Gootee, the bad news is that over the same period, the number of gyms across the country rose at a slightly higher pace--151 percent. Kara Thompson, an IHRSA spokeswoman, said Gootee's longevity as a small operator going up against businesses with bigger budgets and bigger membership rolls is a testament to his operation and his ability to find a niche. ‘It speaks volumes probably to the inviting atmosphere they must have for their members,’ she said. ‘It certainly speaks volumes about how that particular club was run and people in the neighborhood who found a home.’ Gootee said about 75 percent of his members live in the city. Most have been members for years, and the bulk are in the 40-45 age range. ‘We're a place where people enjoy working out. It's casual, comfortable,’ he said. Plus, he said, his goal isn't to make a million dollars a year. He's trying to earn a living but got into the business because he's interested in helping people live healthy lives. ‘I'm doing what I enjoy, leading someone into a better way of life,’ he said.

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/122008/12042008/429590

For Short-Term Weight Loss, Economic Incentives Work

“Financial incentives appear to be effective for achieving short-term weight loss, according to a study released on December 9, 2008 in JAMA. They claim that ‘new strategies are needed to help reduce the rate of obesity in the U.S. population.’ To investigate this, Kevin G. Volpp, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Wharton School, VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia, and colleagues, performed a randomized trial implementing two incentive based approaches for losing weight and one control approach. A total 57 participants were randomized to one of these approaches and monitored for weight loss. One incentive-based approach was based on a lottery system to distribute, in which subjects received a target weight, and received earning if they achieved the target weight. The other incentive-based approach required the subjects to invest their own money, which they would loss if they did not achieve their weight loss goals. All participants were given a goal weight loss of 16 pounds in the 16 week period. The authors report their results: ‘The incentive groups lost significantly more weight than the control group (mean [average] 3.9 pounds).’ They continue: ‘Compared with the control group, the lottery group lost a mean of 13.1 pounds and the deposit contract group lost a mean of 14.0 pounds. About half of those in both incentive groups met the 16-pound target weight loss: 47.4 percent in the deposit contract group and 52.6 percent in the lottery group, whereas 10.5 percent in the control group met the 16-pound target.’ The financial gains with each approach also differed: ‘Over the course of the 16-week study, the average amount of money earned in weight loss incentives was $378.49 in the deposit contract condition and $272.80 in the lottery condition.’ In a seven month follow-up, the participants in both of the incentive groups gained weight, but still weighed less than they did at the start of the study. The authors conclude that this may be an avenue of intervention worth pursuing in weight loss management: "In conclusion, incentive approaches based on behavioral economic concepts appear to be highly effective in inducing initial weight loss. However, this weight loss was not fully sustained and further work is needed to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these approaches in achieving sustained weight loss."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/132895.php

Taking A Swing At Teaching Baseball

"A few years ago, Pat McDonough was looking for a place where his son's baseball team could practice indoors. ‘We ended up in the horse barn at the Ozaukee County Fairgrounds,’ McDonough said. Combine that experience with his gathering weariness of having to meet ever-higher sales goals in the paper industry and McDonough decided he wanted to do something on his own. He has opened the state's first franchise of Frozen Ropes, a baseball and softball instruction business for everyone from preschoolers to high school and college players. The business is a franchise of Chester, N.Y.-based Frozen Ropes. A frozen rope is a baseball term for a hard-hit line drive, so-called because of the low and straight path it takes, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., citing The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary. McDonough is quick to point out the business is not a family fun center or batting cage. The business has 13,000 square feet of ‘turfed facilities’ in a building that once housed a vending machine company. The goal of the company is to help baseball players improve their skills, with the philosophy that players who are comfortable with the game's fundamentals get more enjoyment from playing. The facility also seeks to instill fitness habits among young people amid an epidemic of childhood obesity, McDonough said. McDonough is tapping into what appears to be a growing market. One of the fastest-growing trends in the fitness industry is involving children in exercise, said Rosemary Lavery, spokeswoman for the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. ‘We want to build the love of the game,’ he said. That philosophy has gained notice. ‘That's just something that is held in high regard - at least in amateur baseball,’ said Betty Rulong of the American Baseball Coaches Association. McDonough compared the instruction skills program at his business with any other after-school or extracurricular activity. ‘When you enroll your child in piano lessons, you're not trying to develop a virtuoso,’ McDonough said. Indeed, some of the programs for the youngest players include bases that honk. Birthday parties are also part of the franchise's offerings. ‘This is not about turning players into major leaguers,’ said Jason Infusino, the franchise's senior instructor.”

http://www.jsonline.com/business/36110744.html

New Data On Children's Height And Weight Published, UK

“Nearly one million school children were weighed and measured during 2007/08 as part of the National Child Measurement Programme, Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo announced today. This exceeds the national goal of 85 per cent participation with 88 per cent of children in Reception and Year Six being weighed. The 2007/08 report published by the NHS Information Centre today, shows that in Reception (4-5 year olds), almost one in four of the children measured were either overweight or obese. In Year 6 (10-11 year olds), this rate was nearly one in three. The statistics show there has been no significant change in the prevalence of overweight and obese children in both Reception and Year 6. However, it is too early to predict that the rates of obesity and being overweight among children have stabilised. The information that is due to emerge over the next year or so will be crucial to this assessment. Ms Primarolo said: ‘Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges we face. If we do nothing, 90 per cent of today's children could be overweight or obese by 2050, leaving them at risk from serious illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes. ‘These figures show that there are still too many children who are overweight and obese - that's why we're supporting families to lead healthier lives. Change4Life will provide everyone with the information and support they need to improve their lives. The Change4Life revolution starts in January.’ Change4Life is a lifestyle revolution involving thousands of local organisations and charities which will help mums, dads and families eat well, move more and live longer. Under the banner Change4Life, the Government is galvanising support from everyone in the country from grass roots organisations to leading supermarkets and charities.”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/132846.php