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Back pain? Walk it off…

by Chris Dounis | Tuesday, April 09, 2013

The study, published in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation, analysed the effects on back pain of a program that involved two to three bouts of walking per week – for between 20 minutes (initially) and 40 minutes – compared to a standard muscular strengthening program of two to three sessions per week.

The results indicated that both groups significantly improved their back pain, demonstrating, in this study at least, that a basic low intensity aerobic program might be as effective as more conventional treatment. The benefit of the walking program (in addition to the cost savings) over the rehabilitation program, is that it encourages patients to follow a healthier lifestyle overall, therefore helping to keep back pain at bay, said the authors of the study.

As I see it, the best course of action, for those of you who train clients with this potentially debilitating condition (which is probably every one of you!) is to combine a strengthening program with a low intensity aerobic program. Click HERE to read the study abstract or to gain access to the full study article.

Do you train clients with back pain? If so, what's your usual course of action, referral to physio or an alternative rehab program?

Setting the record straight: exercise and lymphoedema

by Oliver Kitchingman | Tuesday, March 26, 2013

This blog post was supplied by Exercise is Medicine, an initiative of Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA).
...read more

A Network riposte to criticism of outdoor group training

by Oliver Kitchingman | Wednesday, March 13, 2013

In today’s Sydney Morning Herald, fitness guru Garry Egger is reported as criticising outdoor fitness training as being a middle class indulgence that embarrasses passers by who witness it. Hmm, interesting…

Australian Fitness Network’s relationship with Garry goes back a long way – in fact he was one of our founders. And, dear friend though he is, we must say that on this occasion we don’t agree with his stance!

Egger criticises outdoor training/boot camps on a number of scores. One thing he finds fault with is trainers who conduct their groups poorly and ‘take over’ public areas. We agree that poorly managed outdoor training does a disservice to our industry, but we also believe that, especially since councils have tightened regulations regarding permits and PT activity on council land, such training is in a minority. ...read more

Have you shared your club insights?

by Oliver Kitchingman | Friday, March 01, 2013

‘What isn’t measured, isn’t managed’ as the saying goes. If you own or manage a club then you undoubtedly keep tabs on a number of specific KPIs to ensure you know how your business is performing. As an industry, it’s incredibly beneficial to gauge how we are performing – and how our competitors within the industry are performing! This is what the Fitness Industry Survey enables – so it’s great to get involved by taking the survey – especially by doing so you will receive a free copy of the report which will let you discover what other clubs pay their staff, what classes are most popular, who their key demographics are, what their most successful member retention strategies are – and a whole lot more! ...read more

Beware the latest snake oil: Liproxenol Consumer Alert

by Oliver Kitchingman | Monday, February 25, 2013

This blog post written by Dr Bill Sukala, an exercise physiologist, health writer, FILEX 2013 presenter and consultant with a passion for speaking out against health misinformation, gimmicks and gadgets.

Liproxenol is the latest quick weight loss product being heavily marketed in Australia and New Zealand. The advertising suggests that this ‘fast acting metabolic formula’ will:

• amplify thermogenesis
• destroy food cravings
• naturally energise you
• slim you down in weeks
• give you impressive results.
...read more

"We need to weed out this sinister element from all sport" says Sports Medicine Australia

by Oliver Kitchingman | Friday, February 08, 2013

‘This is a very timely wake up call for everyone involved in Australian sport not to assume that we are all prepared to follow the rules and uphold the integrity of sport in order to achieve success’ SMA (Sports Medicine Australia).

The past couple of days have shaken the world of professional Australian sport to its core. Here, Sports Medicine Australia, the peak organisation for professionals in sports medicine and science, responds to the Australian Crime Commission’s damning report on drugs in sport. ...read more

Can you beat eczema with diet?

by Oliver Kitchingman | Wednesday, December 19, 2012

This post is written by Karen Fischer. With a bachelor of health science degree from the University of New England and a three-year nutrition diploma from the Nature Care College, Karen is the author of The Eczema Diet which combines the naturopathic approach to treating eczema with the scientific research on eczema and diet, to improve the health of the entire body. ...read more

Living the flexible franchisee lifestyle

by Oliver Kitchingman | Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The following post was written by Linda Schlencker, Master Franchisee, NSW/ACT for Step into Life outdoor training. ...read more

When is it OK to tell someone 'You're fat' or 'You're scrawny'?

by Alisha Smith | Tuesday, November 13, 2012

I recently attended a boot camp class in which the instructor challenged us with a tricky variation of an overhead crunch. When the rather large and very unfit lady next to me failed to do what a lean, strong and fit woman at the back of the class achieved, she commented for all to hear, 'Well, of course SHE could do it. She’s scrawny!' Despite not knowing this woman from Adam, I felt that I needed to come to Fit Lady’s defence:

Me: 'That’s a bit offensive.'

Unfit Lady: *Looking shocked that I’d addressed her comment* 'Oh, well, I just meant... that… she’s… lean.' ...read more

The Unwritten Rules of Personal Training by Thomas Plummer

by Ryan Hogan | Thursday, October 04, 2012

This week we stumbled upon a blog post written by acclaimed international fitness business consultant and FILEX 2012 presenter Thomas Plummer, and we couldn't resist asking for permission to re-post. Have a read below and if you have any extras you'd like to add, we'd love to hear from you! Happy reading.

Everyone who owns a gym or is a working fitness professional knows the published rules that govern the behavior of trainers in a working environment. For example, who doesn’t know that if you have a client with a medical issue that is outside your scope of practice you need to refer this client to the right professional prior to starting any type of workout? ...read more

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