Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008 - (Page 23)

Or consider a group of three pregnant women who share the anxiety and excitement with regards to giving birth. The comfort of the water and the fact that they are guided and monitored by a qualiﬁed personal trainer — all while sharing a common experience — will sell this group on small group personal training. Now really think about that large target group, la femme fatale, and how driven they are to be the best they can be. These women are social, they want to exercise and, yes, they want to look good in a bathing suit! Although determined, they probably lack self-discipline with regards to exercise and motivation; what better way to achieve fitness than with a qualified trainer and their closest friends. on the rise in popularity, including underwater treadmills, stationary water bikes and custom workout stations. TOOLS OF THE TRADE The pool is essentially a gym in itself. With the right equipment and the right trainer, nearly anyone can achieve optimal health and ﬁtness. There are literally hundreds of variations of aquatic equipment available. Popular options include webbed gloves, rubberized equipment, drag resistance for arms and legs, buoyancy options for either assistance or resistance, ﬂotation belts and the ever-popular noodle. Higher-end equipment is CURRENT TRENDS As with land ﬁtness, aquatic ﬁtness follows industry trends of what’s hot and what’s not. The greatest thing about the water is that the format options are endless. The following four will surely add sizzle to any session: • Aquatic kick-boxing appeals to kids and la femme fatale. Strong and powerful movements provide a fun and eﬀective water workout. This high-energy format blends cardio training, muscular endurance and body-shaping results. • Alternative formats encourage both mental and physical wellness. Programs such as YOQUA, Pilates, Tai Chi, Ai Chi and blended formats, such as Aqua Pi-Yo-Chi, are gaining in popularity thanks to the lessened impact fused with stress release, enhanced breathing, ﬂexibility gain and a better mental outlook. These formats are an excellent addition for any group but work especially well for pre- and post-natal women. • Aquatic interval training is on the rise, oﬀering the children and la femme fatale markets a great way to leap through exercise plateaus, stay motivated, improve major and minor components of ﬁtness and boost energy levels. Short bouts of high-intensity training are both fun and functional. • Water circuit training is an excellent way to keep all of these groups focused on the road to better health and greater ﬁtness levels. The water provides a unique environment to successfully train clients with a combination of both resistance and cardio training. Aquatic personal training and small group aquatic training oﬀers a continual tide of opportunity limited only by the lack of exploration of the trainer. Dive in, and prosper from the proﬁts of the pool! Angie Proctor is the President of Personal Body Trainers/Innovative Aquatics and the Executive Director of the Aquatic Exercise Association. She has been involved in the ﬁtness industry for over 20 years and has presented training programs in 36 countries. Angie has produced over 75 DVDs in aquatic ﬁtness targeting a wide range of markets and program formats applicable to aquatic personal training. Some of her certiﬁcations include AEA, ACE, AFAA and ISCA. ● �� MAY2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM 23 http://www.nfpt.com http://www.nfpt.com http://www.nfpt.com http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008

Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Live Your Supertrainer Legacy Current Controversies Effective Employee Manuals Product Profiles The Coolest Training Zone The Making of a Top-Notch Boot Camp Instructor Mark Your Calendar Caffeine Exercise Spotlight Product Profiles New on the Market [Spotlight] Trish Muse

Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008

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