Australian Institute of Fitness Blog

You�re the best Personal Trainer around, but is your brand right?

2012-01-28T14:00:00+00:00

Get your branding wrong and some will never know what a great Personal Trainer you are.

There are a lot of personal training courses around, making it a very competitive environment, but Australian Institute of Fitness is able to separate itself by offering a great product, with strong branding.

You can use both of these strategies in your personal training business. Firstly, it goes without saying that you need to offer the best fitness training you can. That's a bit easier than the second secret to success, marketing. Learning more about how to grow your training business is a great place to start.

Think about Michelle Bridges; she is so well known that her name is her brand. It might take you a bit of time to achieve her success, but you can still use your own name as your brand. You’ll just need to get your name recognised more and more by building your profile up on a local level to start off with through online blogs, a Facebook page, and local radio appearances.

The other approach is to come up with a business name that perfectly exemplifies who it is you are training. If as fitness trainer you are after the weight loss market you should chose a name that fits that, like ‘Fit and Thin Personal Training’.

Whichever way you go, commit to it. Growing your personal training business is as important as servicing your clients.

Fruit and veg fight stroke risk

2012-01-28T14:00:00+00:00

A new study has shown that women who consume diets high in antioxidants have fewer strokes than those with less healthy nutritional behaviours.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden used a food frequency questionnaire to collect dietary data from thousands of women between the ages of 49 and 83 years, and then evaluated it to determine study subjects’ total antioxidant capacity (TAC).

Lead study author and PhD student at the Karolinska Institutet, Susanne Rautiainen, MSc, said, “In this study, we took into account all the antioxidants present in the diet, including thousands of compounds, in doses obtained from a usual diet.”

In women who did not have cardiovascular disease, a higher TAC was found to correlate with lower stroke rates, and of those in the non-cardio disease group, those with the highest TAC had a 17% lower risk than those with the lowest TAC.

Among women with a history of cardiovascular disease, those with the highest TAC displayed a 46% to 57% lower stroke risk than those with the lowest TAC.

“Eating antioxidant-rich foods may reduce your risk of stroke by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation. This means people should eat more foods such as fruits and vegetables that contribute to total antioxidant capacity,” Rautiainen said.

“Women with a high antioxidant intake may be more health conscious and have the sort of healthy behaviours that may have influenced our results. However, the observed inverse association between dietary TAC and stroke persisted after adjustments for potential confounders related to healthy behaviour such as smoking, physical activity and education.”

Source: Journal of the American Heart Association

Fitness improves life expectancy, regardless of weight change

2012-01-28T14:00:00+00:00

A recent study has found that improvements to your level of fitness – or even just preventing it from deteriorating – can reduce your risk of death, irrespective of whether you lose any weight.

Researchers from the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health in Columbia, studied 14,345 men (average age 44 years, predominantly white and middle class), observing fitness status and BMI changes.

A link between lower death risk and maintaining or improving fitness was found. Each unit of increased fitness achieved by the study subjects over a six-year period (measured as metabolic equivalent of task – MET) was linked to a 19% reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, and a 15% reduction in overall risk of death. A decrease in fitness was linked to higher death risk, but changes to BMI were not associated with alterations in risk.

Duck-chul Lee, PhD, the study's lead researcher and Lead study author and physical activity epidemiologist in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, said, “This is good news for people who are physically active but can't seem to lose weight. You can worry less about your weight as long as you continue to maintain or increase your fitness levels.”

Source: Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association

Are New Year's resolutions being met?

2012-01-17T14:00:00+00:00

The new year is an important time for Personal Trainers says Daniel Hoy. So are you taking full advantage of the opportunities it brings?

The start of a new year is a time many people kick off their new fitness regimes. A new year can provide a clean slate, but as with many New Year’s resolutions, fitness ones rarely last.

That is where you as a good Personal Trainer can help; part of what you add to a person’s workout plan is motivation.

If you’re good at your job you can help people to stick to their programs, and to achieve their goals. It's a great chance to promote and build your business.

Try setting up a promotion around new year’s resolutions – it might be a boot camp, or a special price, but whatever it is, it's the month to use not only your training skills, but also those business skills.

So once you have new customers, how to you keep them?

That's easy to answer. You keep them by firstly being a great Personal Trainer, and secondly by offering great service.

Service doesn't just mean looking after their fitness and weight loss needs. It means checking up on them if they've been injured, giving them a call if they've missed a few sessions, generally going above and beyond. Really utilising all the skills you learnt during your time at Australian Institute of Fitness as well as the ones you’ve learnt since being in the fitness industry.

Good luck, and don’t let the new year pass you by!

Michelle Bridges on growing your personal training business

2012-01-02T14:00:00+00:00

Think laterally and tailor your business to cover a hole in the market
Get yourself a Personal Trainer to give you a better insight into what you can and can’t do with your clients
Go to the same lengths that you ask your client to go to
Advertise – put your branding on your shirt, your car, your equipment…
Get on Facebook and Twitter as these are great, free marketing tools
Be a doer – get out there and work hard
Have a website if you can afford it, or find someone to do it cheaply
Get the Master Trainer Advantage (Fitness Business) at Australian Institute of Fitness
Be open-minded to all fitness activities, instead of bagging the latest craze that people enjoy
Network with people in the industry at any opportunity

You�re a Personal Trainer, but can you run a business?

2011-12-18T14:00:00+00:00

As a fitness trainer it’s important you not only think about how to train your clients, but how to run your business, says Daniel Hoy.

Most small business fails within the first five years. The reasons for this are many and varied. So how do you as a personal trainer fail proof your business?

Firstly you need to identify your strengths, and acknowledge your weaknesses. Most personal trainers are in the business because they have a passion for helping people lose weight and get fit. Not many business minded people go into the fitness field as a sure fire way to make money.

To be a good personal trainer you need to be focused and passionate about what you do, if you were business minded then you’d probably start a more lucrative small business.

As a result you need to acknowledge that you need to learn as much as you can about running your own small business.

While you may already know about calories in and calories out, you need to learn about payments in and payments out.

I cannot stress this enough, to be a success you must understand how to maximize your profit, and limit your expenditure.

In addition to learning as much as possible about running your own business, the secret to finding success includes;

Specialise: find a niche and slot into it. Become the go-to guy or girl for weight loss, golf fitness, anything that makes you a bit different.

Market: make sure you get the word out about what you offer.

Be effective: if your clients get great results, they become the best form of advertising possible.

As long as you run your business as a business you’ll be fine. You have a passion for fitness, to make a profit that needs to become a passion for profit.

Australian Institute of Fitness runs a program specifically for those wanting to own or manage a personal training business, studio, gym or franchise. For more info, visit www.fitness.edu.au/fitness-business

2012 fitness trends from the USA

2011-11-29T14:00:00+00:00

If you want to know what will happen in the world of fitness next year, then look no further than the good old U S of A, says Daniel Hoy. Personal Trainers, this is where many of the fitness trends originate that later explode onto the Australian market originate, so its good to keep an eye out for the trends.

Every year the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) releases its top 10 fitness trends. Number one for 2012 is of particular interest; educated and experienced fitness professionals.

This further highlights the need for all Fitness Instructors to expand their skills on a regular basis. Further training will help keep you ahead of the game, and give you something different to promote. And as our population ages, and the obesity epidemic continues to spiral out of control, Fitness Trainers with more strings to their bow, and higher qualifications will be in demand.

Choosing a fitness course is one of the most important decisions you will make. You need to make sure you are given continued support, continued opportunities to expand your education, are training with a recognised institution, and training with one that has a good reputation. That is an important thing to consider today, and will be even more important in the future.

The top ten fitness trends predicted by the ACSM for 2012 are:

Educated and experienced fitness professionals
Strength training
Fitness programs for older adults
Exercise and weight loss
Children and obesity
Personal training
Core training
Group personal training
Zumba and other dance workouts
Functional fitness

Yoga better than medical advice for back pain

2011-11-27T14:00:00+00:00

The largest UK study of its kind has found that practicing yoga has greater overall health outcomes for those with low back pain than seeking the advice of a doctor.

A team of scientists from the University of York studied a group of over 300 people who were experiencing recurrent or chronic back pain and seeing a doctor for treatment. Half of the study participants were then assigned to a yoga group and the other half continued to only see their doctors.

The study authors reported that after three months the yoga group was able to perform 30% more activities – such as walking quickly, getting dressed and standing for longer – than the non-practitioners. As for levels of pain, the yoga group reported insignificantly lower levels of pain than the control group.

Lead investigator professor David Torgerson said: “Back pain is an extremely common and costly condition. Exercise treatment, although widely used and recommended, has only a small effect on back pain. Our results showed that yoga can provide both short and long-term benefits to those suffering from chronic or recurrent back pain, without any serious side-effects.”

Source: The Annals of Internal Medicine

Fish oil reduces inflammation and anxiety

2011-11-27T14:00:00+00:00

Recent research into the consumption of fish oil has found that the high level of omega-3 that it contains has the dual effects of reducing anxiety and inflammation.

The 68 subjects in the study supported by backed by the Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) were young, healthy medical students. Half were administered the omega-3 supplements and the other half were given a placebo.

The team of investigators carried out the study with the intention of finding out whether increasing omega-3 intake would diminish the increase in production of proinflammatory cytokines – the production of which is increased by psychological stress. The researchers hoped to discover that by reducing cytokine production, inflammation would also be reduced.

Lead study author, and Professor of Psychiatry, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser said: “The findings suggest that if young people can get improvements from dietary supplements, than the elderly and people at high risk for certain diseases might benefit even more. The more we understand about the complex interplay between inflammation and immunity, the closer we'll get to figuring out which lifestyle choices and changes have the biggest impact on long term health.”

Kiecolt-Glaser said: “We hypothesised that giving some students omega-3 supplements would decrease their production of proinflammatory cytokines, compared to other students who only received a placebo. We thought the omega-3 would reduce the stress-induced increase in cytokines that normally arose from nervousness over the tests.”

The participants were given about four or five times the amount of fish oil that would be found in a serving of salmon. Through a combination of blood tests, psychological questionnaires and nutrition surveys, a significant reduction in both anxiety and inflammation was detected.

Source: Brain, Behavior and Immunity

Living longer is NOT a good selling point

2011-11-27T14:00:00+00:00

A University of Michigan researcher’s study of the exercise habits of full-time working middle-age women has found that the messages used to motivate people into exercising often focus on the wrong benefits.

Michelle Segar, a Research Investigator for the university’s Institute for Research on Women and Gender, said that being told that exercise is the key to living longer is not a selling point for lots of people. Rather, her study found that those who exercised most did so in order to feel better in their everyday lives.

“Exercising for disease prevention or to age well isn’t essential today, so it gets put on the bottom of the list,” Segar said.

In other words: it’s all about the here and now. Segar said that in order to tempt people into the often daunting world of exercise, it may be beneficial to switch the focus from long-term benefits that seem out of reach, to the more immediately tangible benefits such as feeling and functioning better today.

Source: The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Michelle Bridges� tips to landing your dream fitness career

2011-11-27T14:00:00+00:00

The Biggest Loser's Michelle Bridges is the perfect example of someone with an incredibly successful fitness career. How can you land your dream role in the fitness industry? Read Michelle's tips below!

1. Get qualified with the Australian Institute of Fitness

2. Gain experience, even if you don’t get paid for it

3. Be fit and have an interest in exercise

4. Get inspired through fitness books, magazines, talking to like-minded people and continuing education

5. Be prepared to put the time in and don’t expect to get paid the top dollar in your first four years

6. Get out there and network at events like FILEX

7. Be well prepared for job interviews by understanding the business inside out

8. Have energy and be enthusiastic and motivational without being over the top

9. Get testimonials from clients you’ve done well with to prove you’ve got good results along the way

10. Check out the jobs on FitnessCareers.com.au

Find a fitness job you�ll love

2011-11-15T14:00:00+00:00

Now that you've become a qualified Fitness Instructor or Personal Trainer you face the task of finding a job just like everyone else in your class, says Daniel Hoy.

As an Instructor you'll be happy to know that your job prospects are rated as ‘good’ by the Government. There are a number of great reasons to become a Fitness Instructor, and one of the biggest is the strong employment opportunities it offers.

Employment opportunities for Fitness Instructors projected to 2015-16, is expected to grow very strongly. It is considered a large occupation (22,800 in November 2010) and in the last five years employment numbers have risen strongly.

Many of your fellow Fitness Instructors will take the obvious path of working in a gym, but it's important to remember Fitness Instructors are employed across several industries including arts and recreation services, education and training, and health care and social assistance.

Don’t be afraid to take on part-time work either, as it can often lead to a full-time job.

To help you land your perfect gig, here are five tips for finding a job in fitness:

1. Never stop learning. Fitness is an ever-changing landscape and it’s important for you to stay up-to-date with current trends. It makes you vastly more employable.

2. Don’t be afraid to volunteer. Try your local AFL or Rugby club, offer to provide them with pre-season testing. You’d be surprised how many clients you can pick up this way.

3. Practice your interview technique. Being a fitness instructor is as much about presentation as anything else.

4. If you work in a gym, put the effort in to build your client base.

5. Network, network and network some more. The more people you meet the better your chance of landing a new client, or picking up a job.

Have you considered travelling as a Personal Trainer?

2011-10-31T14:00:00+00:00

Accountants, Engineers, Lawyers – they’re all encouraged to work overseas, and the list doesn’t exclude Personal Trainers and Fitness Instructors. Traveling is a great way for a graduate to stand out from the crowd, says Daniel Hoy.

Working as a Personal Trainer overseas can be a good way to expand your skills as you can learn from different fitness methods and trends. The experience you get could see you gaining years on other Trainers in a small amount of time. You can get exposed to new cultures, ideas, and people.

Working as a Fitness Instructor on a cruise ship is also a great option as this allows you to develop your skills that will make you a successful Personal Trainer, while you get to see the world.

Working on a cruise ship exposes you to lots of different people all at once, which means you develop your ability to get the best out of different personalities at an accelerated rate.

If you can keep your spending under control it’s a great way to save money too, which you can then use to fund your own personal training studio or gym when you’re back on dry land.

And you often work on ship for months at a time, and then have an extended period off, which means you can still work as a Personal Trainer when you’re at home.

It’s also a great way to build up contacts all over the world while will help you move forward in your career.

Fancy some Hot Hula?

2011-10-26T14:00:00+00:00

Can you take a traditional Polynesian dance and turn it into a fitness workout? The creator of Hot Hula believes so – and the growing success of her program would seem to prove it.

Hot Hula is the brainchild of ex-pat Kiwi Anna-Rita Sloss, now based in California. While working with one of the world’s largest health club chains, 24 Hour Fitness, Anna-Rita was asked to design a group exercise class with her own ‘unique flavour’. Formerly of West Auckland and of Pacific Island descent, Anna-Rita set to work and choreographed a class with a fresh Polynesian style, fused with funky Reggae music Hot Hula, as she named it, became an overnight success in the US clubs.

During a recent trip home this year Anna-Rita launched Hot Hula with New Zealand chain, Club Physical. While striking a chord and proving popular with regular club members, Anna-Rita and Club Physical management have also acted to help those on lower incomes increase their daily exercise by opening up classes to non-members for the affordable casual rate of $5 a class.

“We’re aware that obesity and Type 2 diabetes, particularly in South Auckland, is among the highest in the world. Our goal is to attract those who may not be already on an exercise program with a class that’s so much fun you don’t realise you’re exercising at all!” said Tina Richards of Club Physical.

What’s the hottest – and most original – class in your club?

Source: Club Physical

Runners over-hydrating during races

2011-10-26T14:00:00+00:00

Almost half of participants in running events may be consuming too much liquid according to US researchers.

A team from Loyola University in Chicago found that rather than simply drinking when thirsty, 36.5% of surveyed runners drank according to a schedule or to maintain body weight and 8.9% drank as much as they could.

Almost a third of the 197 study participants believed (wrongly) that they needed to consume additional salt when running and nearly 60% said they drank sports drinks with electrolytes to avid low blood sodium. Ironically, the researchers noted, consuming too much water or sports drink is the main cause of low sodium in runners and can cause potentially fatal exercise-associated hyponatremia, prompting researchers to conclude, ‘Many athletes hold unscientific views regarding the benefits of different hydration practices’.

Study author and Loyola sports medicine physician Dr James Winger said that the safest known way to hydrate during endurance exercise is to drink only when thirsty.

Study co-author and exercise physiologist Lara Dugas, PhD, said, “We have been trained to believe that dehydration is a complication of endurance exercise. But in fact, the normal physiological response to exercise is to lose a small amount of fluid. Runners should expect to lose several pounds during runs, and not be alarmed.”

Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine

Brekkie and income dictate obesity levels

2011-10-26T14:00:00+00:00

Recent Canadian research has found that income levels and consumption of breakfast are key factors affecting whether a child will be obese.

A team from Memorial University led by Dr Wendy Young, the university’s Chair in Healthy Ageing, studied the BMI of a large group of year seven students in relation to both individual and environmental risk factors as well as quality of education.

Dr Young commented; “If you look at the federal government’s national dialogue on healthy weights, the ministers of health have just launched [Our Health Our Future: A National Dialogue on Healthy Weights], this kind of research is essential to the dialogue they’re inviting on actions we need to take to ensure healthy weights for Canadians. They see this kind of dialogue as a key step in curbing childhood obesity.”

Using data from the 2006 ‘Halton’s Our Kids Network’ the researchers came to the conclusion that socio-economic status and an active lifestyle (encompassing physical activity, less time in front of electronic screens and eating breakfast) remained the leading predictors of healthy weight; in other words, poverty and inactivity correlated with higher weight in children.

Source: HealthCanal.com

Michelle Bridges' top 10 tips to better health and fitness

2011-10-17T14:00:00+00:00

Michelle Bridges is the trainer on The Biggest Loser and one of Australia's most popular health and fitness experts. Here she tells the Australian Institute of Fitness her top 10 tips to better health and fitness - great advice you can pass straight on to your clients.

#1 Clean up your diet and get rid of the crap

#2 Get your training done in the morning, so you won’t get distracted

#3 Set yourself a goal like a fun run to get inspired

#4 Do some fitness tests and measurements, so you know when you’ve improved

#5 Mix up your training – get a personal trainer, go for a run, do a fitness class, etc.

#6 Go through your diary and work out when you’ll be training in advance

#7 Work out your danger days (e.g. birthdays), so you can prepare for them and eat lighter beforehand

#8 Be the designated driver on nights out so you don’t drink

#9 Increase the intensity in your training if you’re not seeing results

#10 Use technology in your training, such as a heart rate monitor

5 tips to achieving your fitness career goals

2011-10-09T14:00:00+00:00

The key for anyone wanting a career in fitness, or to become a Personal Trainer is to find your niche, says Daniel Hoy.

The personal training sector is booming, and with the Government's focus on preventative health, that boom shows no signs of slowing down.

Everyone who graduates will have a similar set of ideas; they may be looking to open a gym, start an outdoor personal training group, work with a sporting team, or find employment in the industry. So what you need is a way to separate yourself from the pack. Given you will all learn the same things this is a seemingly difficult thing to achieve.

So to help you stand out from the crowd here are five tips to help you achieve your fitness career goals.

1. Specialise. The fitness industry is moving towards functional training. Gone are the days of simply setting a similar gym program for numerous clients; people now want their fitness program to fit their lives. A golfer wants to work out and improve his golf, a footballer wants to train in a way that will help him play better. You can capitalise on this by making your programs fit your clients.

2. Market yourself. Take advantage of the extra fitness education that helps you sell yourself. Find that one thing our community is missing and fill that void.

3. Continue your education. Add massage skills to your personal training ones. That enables you to treat your own clients, so instead of referring them for a massage, you can book them in yourself.

4. Don't follow the herd. Stay on top of what's happening in the industry, and up-to-date with the latest trends. Get involved in networking groups too.

5. Go corporate. Pitch yourself to corporations looking to improve the health of their staff. Run programs at lunchtimes. Even if you only do this once a week, it exposes you to a wide range of potential new clients.

Institute Friends get 30% off heart rate monitors!

2011-10-05T14:00:00+00:00

Heart rate monitoring is an important component of cardiovascular fitness assessment and it can become a tool for any training program, as it is an accurate indicator of the body’s physiological adaptation to the intensity of effort.

Monitoring your client’s heart rate is the safest and easiest way to keep them training at the right intensity; reducing their chance of injury or over training, and ensuring they get the desired results of improving their health and fitness, weight management or sporting performance.

The secret to exercising effectively and efficiently is to ensure that your clients are working in the right heart rate zone for their exercise goals. In each zone their bodies will experience different physiological effects and as a general rule, when exercise intensity is increased the duration of the activity or efforts should decrease.

Most people have limited time for training each week, but a Polar heart rate monitor allows them to make the most of their training sessions. You will be able to train them more efficiently within a limited time and gain an advantage over those who may have more time available but less knowledge about their bodies during certain exercise phases.

To receive a 30% discount off all Polar heart rate monitors and free postage, visit the website and quote the promotional code ‘STUDENT’. You can also become an expert in heart rate training by enrolling in Polar’s online training course, Basic Heart Rate Training – quote the promotional code, ‘INSTITUTE’ to receive a 20% discount!

The three biggest mistakes Personal Trainers make with their websites

2011-10-03T14:00:00+00:00

Every Personal Trainer needs a powerful online presence, generating a steady stream of high quality leads into their business. Here, Victoria Judge, a speaker at PT Biz next month gives you an insight into her presentation on how to turn leads into sales through your website.

Most marketing focus is placed on how to generate traffic for your website, and yet almost none on how to convert those visitors into clients!

Here are three of the biggest mistake I see Personal Trainers making with their websites, losing those leads instead of turning them into sales.

All WWD and no WIIFM: Far too much emphasis on 'what we do' and not enough on 'what's in it for me?’ Make the benefits of your services crystal clear and irresistible. Use bullet lists and testimonials.

No lead capture mechanism: If your website doesn't have a well-designed opt in form with a great offer persuading the visitor to leave their contact details, you're losing up to 90% of potential leads.

No follow up system: The fortunes are in the follow up: once someone has completed your opt in form, you need to have a structured follow up process designed to turn that lead into a paying client. A professional email marketing system with a series of automated emails is one of the most effective ways to achieve this.

Spicy food eases tendinitis and arthritis

2011-10-03T14:00:00+00:00

Could a simple curry be the answer to your inflamed tendon? New research has found that a derivative of turmeric, a commonly used spice in Indian curries, could help the common condition.

Teams at the UK’s University of Nottingham and Germany’s Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich found that curcumin may suppress the biological mechanisms that trigger inflammation in tendinitis, which is particularly prevalent in the shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, heels and wrists of athletes, diabetes sufferers and the elderly.

Study co-author Dr Ali Mobasheri said, “Our research is not suggesting that curry, turmeric or curcumin are cures for inflammatory conditions such as tendinitis and arthritis. However, we believe that it could offer scientists an important new lead in the treatment of these painful conditions through nutrition. Further research into curcumin, and chemically-modified versions of it, should be the subject of future investigations and complementary therapies aimed at reducing the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the only drugs currently available for the treatment of tendinitis and various forms of arthritis.”

Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry

Resistance training may help smokers quit

2011-10-03T14:00:00+00:00

New research has found that in addition to proven strength and fat loss benefits, resistance training may also help smokers quit their deadly habit.

Previous research has found that exercise can reduce the immediate negative side effects of ceasing smoking, but this study was the first to examine resistance training’s role in actually helping smokers quit.

The study found that male and female smokers who underwent a 12-week weight training regime as one element of a quitting program were twice as likely to be successful as those who didn’t participate in resistance training. Importantly, a three-month follow-up showed the results to still be in place.

Lead author Joseph Ciccolo PhD, an exercise psychologist, researcher and physiologist at The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine said, “While the large majority of smokers want to quit, less than 5% are able to do it without help. We need any new tools that can help smokers successfully quit and it appears resistance training could potentially be an effective strategy.”

Source: Nicotine & Tobacco Research

Higher training load increases injury risk for NRL players

2011-10-03T14:00:00+00:00

Dr Tim Gabbett from Australian Catholic University (ACU) has completed a study showing the harder rugby league players train, the more injuries they will sustain.

The study is the first to investigate the relationship between training load and injury in professional rugby league players over several competitive seasons. Gabbett, from Brisbane’s School of Exercise Science, said the study creates some interesting challenges for coaches; “We know that high training loads are important for performance – training hard develops physically and mentally resilient athletes. However, the results of this study also show that training excessively or inappropriately can lead to injury.”

The results showed that training load was related to overall injury, non-contact field injury, and contact field injury rates. However, Gabbett said it was important to keep the study in context; “Despite the reported relationship between training load and injury, there is also evidence to suggest that poor fitness and low training loads contribute to injury risk in rugby league. Reducing injuries is a multi-faceted issue. It requires excellent communication between those that are structuring training – the sport scientists and coaches.”

Gabbett said that while rugby league involves bouts of high-intensity running, the game includes physical demands that are unique from many other team sports. The large number of collisions and tackles performed during a match contribute to playing intensity and player fatigue.

“Because of the contact demands of rugby league, the relationship between training load and injury is especially complicated. Players need to be exposed to collisions during training so they are prepared for the most demanding passages of play expected during competition. I’d suggest monitoring training loads and recovery status, and carefully scheduling field and gymnasium sessions to minimise the effect of training-related injuries on professional rugby league players. However, ensuring players reach minimum fitness standards is also likely to reduce the risk of injury, while also improving playing performance.”

Gabbett found that muscular strains were the most common non-contact field injury, with the thigh, calf and groin the most frequently injured areas of the body.

Source: Australian Catholic University

Laughter is the best medicine for heart health

2011-10-03T14:00:00+00:00

New research from the US has shown that watching a funny movie – or indeed laughing at anything – has an instantly positive impact on vascular health. Correspondingly, watching a stress-inducing film was found to have the opposite effect.

Dr Michael Miller, lead researcher and Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, said, “The idea to study positive emotions, such as laughter came about after studies had shown that mental stress caused blood vessels to constrict.”

When watching the harrowing opening sequence to Saving Private Ryan, study subjects’ blood vessel linings developed a reduced blood flow response known as vasoconstriction – an expected outcome based on previous findings linking stress to narrowed blood vessels. After watching segments of the comedy There’s something about Mary, however, the lining of the blood vessel expanded.

Over 300 measurements showed a difference in blood vessel diameter of between 30 and 50% (between both group). Miller said, “The magnitude of change we saw in the endothelium after laughing was consistent and similar to the benefit we might see with aerobic exercise or statin use. The endothelium is the first line in the development of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, so it is very possible that laughing on a regular basis may be useful to incorporate as part of an overall healthy lifestyle to prevent heart disease. In other words, eat your veggies, exercise and get a good belly laugh every day.”

Source: European Society of Cardiology

Amino acids role in post-workout muscle growth

2011-10-03T14:00:00+00:00

Two recent studies have sought to better understand how amino acids influence protein synthesis in exercisers.

A study led by Stuart Phillips of McMaster University looked at whether a large single dose of whey protein (25g) had a different effect on post-exercise muscle protein synthesis than 10 smaller shots of 2.5g over a longer time period (a process designed to emulate the way in which another milk protein called casein is digested). A group of eight young male study subjects followed both dietary prescriptions after working out on the leg-extension machine.

The second study, led by Stefan Pasiakos of the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, also studied eight military personnel (seven men and one woman) who ingested a high-protein beverage (10g as essential amino acids) which contained either 1.87 or 3.5g leucine while working out on an indoor cycle.

In the first study, the single large dose of protein was found to increase muscle protein synthesis more than the series of smaller doses, and in the second study the synthesis was 33% greater among study participants who consumed the higher-leucine drink.

American Society for Nutrition spokesperson Shelley McGuire, PhD, said, “These studies, and others like them, help us understand and apply something we all inherently know: the human body works in a complex, yet completely logical way! It makes good sense that consuming a food containing high-quality protein (like milk) during and/or immediately following exercise would help muscles get stronger. Muscle strength doesn't just happen on its own – our muscles need to be both encouraged (as happens via exercise) and nourished (as happens when we eat well). Now we have even more scientific proof for this common-sense concept.”

Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Meditation keeps your brain fit

2011-10-03T14:00:00+00:00

A recent study by a team at the University of California has found that the brains of long-term meditation practitioners shrink less and have stronger connections, potentially improving the ability of brain cells to relay electrical signals.

Study co-author Eileen Luders, visiting assistant professor at the university’s Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, said, “Our results suggest that long-term meditators have white-matter fibres that are either more numerous, more dense or more insulated throughout the brain. We also found that the normal age-related decline of white-matter tissue is considerably reduced in active meditation practitioners.”

Diffusion tensor imaging was used to scan study participants’ brains in order to detect differences in structural connectivity. Study subjects comprised 27 practitioners of meditation and 27 non-practitioners as a control group. The two groups exhibited significant differences in structural connectivity in the brain.

Luders said, “Meditation might not only cause changes in brain anatomy by inducing growth, but also by preventing reduction. That is, if practiced regularly and over years, meditation may slow down ageing-related brain atrophy, perhaps by positively affecting the immune system.”

Making the point that those who meditate may have brains which are ‘fundamentally different’ to begin with, Luders posed a bit of a ‘chicken or egg’ conundrum, saying, “For example, a particular brain anatomy may have drawn an individual to meditation or helped maintain an ongoing practice – meaning that the enhanced fibre connectivity in meditators constitutes a predisposition towards meditation, rather than being the consequence of the practice.”

Source: HealthDay News/NeuroImage

Turning your passion into a career

2011-09-28T14:00:00+00:00

Here, Daniel Hoy discusses the fundamentals of keeping up with changes and developments as a personal trainer...

The fitness industry is one that changes constantly. Training methods, marketing tools, equipment, the list is as endless as the changes themselves. These are all things that a Personal Trainer needs to stay on top of; strictly speaking Personal Trainers never stop learning. Keeping up-to-date with your industry requirements are just one part of the puzzle. To be the best fitness trainer you can be you need to have the most up-to-date knowledge. It's important to continue to update your qualifications, and stay on top of your professional development. This is crucial for two reasons; one is that you need to know what the trends are, and know how to position yourself best to grow your fitness business, and two; the fastest way to increase your client base is to get a reputation for knowing your stuff.

Think about the current trends and how they relate to your client base. One of the biggest trends in fitness is age specific training, as a Personal Trainer you need to know how to train not only the 20 something's you are used to, but the baby boomers and children, who are now putting a premium on health and fitness. Each age group requires a different sort of training program, different types of motivation and a different level of expertise. The best trainers know how to train, teach and relate to all age groups. The best way to do this is to continually update your training. Do as much professional development as you possibly can, but make sure it's relevant.

A career in fitness can be a long and lucrative one, if you stay ahead of current trends, and continue to learn.

Olympic Rower to Personal Trainer

2011-09-19T14:00:00+00:00

Amber Bradley is a successful sportswoman with a number of international rowing medals under her belt. Now, since completing a Master Trainer qualification at the Australian Institute of Fitness she is able to help others achieve their health and fitness goals.

Olympic Bronze Medallist and World Rowing Champion Amber Bradley saw an Australian Institute of Fitness advert in a local Perth newspaper for the Master Trainer course, and thought it looked like an exciting start to a new career.

“I wasn’t sure exactly what I was getting myself into when I signed up at the Australian Institute of Fitness, but surely I would be well suited to a job where I got to keep fit and healthy while inspiring others to do the same?”

After the Beijing Games of 2008, Amber was eager to get more job security as rowing gave her fantastic experiences, however it didn’t pay the bills. She tried her hand in sports journalism and PR, but was desperate to have a more active career.

“The Institute absolutely changed my life. Signing up to do the course was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!” Amber was amazed at the professionalism of the team, and said the coaches were “an encyclopaedia of knowledge”. She was fascinated by the stories they shared, and enjoyed studying in such a vibrant atmosphere.“The Institute really seems to attract fantastic and inspiring people. I made some good friends there, and we were able to get very good results thanks to the coaches’ helpful advice and understanding.

“If you’re thinking about it a career in fitness, think no more. As the Nike saying goes, ‘Just do it’.”

Working in the fitness industry is a thoroughly rewarding career path, for both the Personal Trainer and the clients they help.

“When I first completed the course I got a job as a Personal Trainer, and have since progressed to Business Manager for a boutique personal training centre in Perth.

It has been a richly rewarding experience to work in such a positive industry. I’m so thrilled I have finally stumbled upon a career that I absolutely love, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life helping other people achieve their health and fitness goals.”

If you want to kick-start your fitness career, check out the Australian Institute of Fitness or to find out more about Amber Bradley, read her blog

What are CECs and where can I get them?

2011-09-08T14:00:00+00:00

Once you qualify as a personal trainer, gym instructor or group instructor, it is expected that you register as an exercise professional with either Fitness Australia or Kinect Australia to show your commitment to meeting industry standards. Registration is proof of your current competency and it demonstrates a commitment to ongoing professional development.

Your ongoing development involves obtaining 20 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) every two years if you choose to register with Fitness Australia or six Professional Development Points (PDPs) if you go with Kinect Australia.

CECs and PDPs are the units used to measure continuing education, and these can be obtained through fitness workshops, courses, seminars, conventions, in-house training, higher education, etc., each worth a varying number of credits or points.

And if you’re wondering where to get CECs and PDPs, you don’t have to look far for fitness instructors’ courses. The Australian Institute of Fitness has just launched its own stream of continuing education courses, so you can continue to stay qualified through your trusted provider. The face-to-face workshops take place in major cities across Australia from October 2011.

As the provider who is first in fitness courses and careers, the Australian Institute of Fitness’s continuing education courses will be taught by the industry’s top fitness presenters, including Dr Mark McKean, one of Australia's leaders in exercise science, with specialties in strength, posture and flexibility.

Workshops include Advanced Ball, Fitness Research 2011 and Square Shoulders, Strong Arms. You can find dates and more details on our website.

Fork size affects food portion intake

2011-09-08T14:00:00+00:00

Researchers from the University of Utah conducted a field study in an Italian restaurant, in which diners were provided with either a smaller or a larger fork. Those eating with the smaller forks surprisingly ate more food than their larger forked counterparts.

Study authors Arul Mishra, Himanshu Mishra and Tamara Masters said “In this research we examined the influence of small versus large bite-sizes on overall quantity of food consumed.”

Investigating the reasons for their findings, which contradicted previous portion size research findings from a laboratory environment, the authors reported, “We observe that diners visit the restaurant with a well-defined goal of satiating their hunger and because of this well-defined goal they are willing to invest effort and resources to satiate their hunger goal." Explaining why the field study results appeared to contradict the lab study, the researchers expressed their belief that those involved in the artificial setting lacked the goal of satiating their hunger – the core driver of the field study group.

The problem then, appears to be an inability to accurately gauge when hunger has been sated – relying instead on visual cues; “The fork size provided the diners with a means to observe their goal progress. The physiological feedback of feeling full or the satiation signal comes with a time lag. In its absence, diners focus on the visual cue of whether they are making any dent on the food on their plate to assess goal progress.”

The study authors advocated consciously attempting to develop an awareness of hunger cues; “People do not have clear internal cues about the appropriate quantity to consume. They allow external cues, such as fork size, to determine the amount they should consume.”

Source: Journal of Consumer Research

Improved body image can increase fat loss efforts

2011-09-08T14:00:00+00:00

Fat loss is one of the main reasons that people contract the services of a personal trainer. But did you know that peoples’ poor perception of their bodies may hinder their chances of losing weight, rather than acting as an incentive?

Recent research has found that improved body image can actually expedite fat loss in those undertaking diet and exercise programs.

Researchers from the Technical University of Lisbon in Portugal and Bangor University in the UK enlisted overweight and obese women to take part in a 12-month weight loss program. The women were divided into two groups; one group was placed on a ‘behavioural intervention’ program consisting of 30 sessions in which exercise, improving body image, emotional eating and overcoming psychological barriers to weight loss were discussed. The second, control group, was provided with general health and nutrition information.

The behavioural intervention group reported improved perception of body image and lessened concern over body shape and size. The study subjects in this group were also better able to regulate their eating, and lost significantly more weight than those in the control group, losing an average 7% of their original weight, compared with 2% in the control group.

Dr Teixeira from Technical University of Lisbon, who led the research, said, "Body image problems are very common amongst overweight and obese people, often leading to comfort eating and more rigid eating patterns, and are obstacles to losing weight. Our results showed a strong correlation between improvements in body image, especially in reducing anxiety about other peoples' opinions, and positive changes in eating behaviour. From this we believe that learning to relate to your body in healthier ways is an important aspect of maintaining weight loss and should be addressed in every weight control program.”

Source:International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Yoga reduces fibromyalgia

2011-09-08T14:00:00+00:00

In a study of women with the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia, the practice of yoga was found to reduce both physical and psychological symptoms of pain.

Researchers from Canada’s York University studied the effect that yoga had on the cortisol levels of women with fibromyalgia, symptoms of which can include muscle stiffness, gastrointestinal discomfort, depression, anxiety and poor sleep. Fibromyalgia sufferers have lower levels of cortisol (a steroid hormone) than those in good health.

Following an eight-week series of twice weekly Hatha yoga sessions, study participants’ cortisol levels were found to have increased.

Lead study author Kathryn Curtis, a PhD student at York University’s Department of Psychology said, “Ideally, our cortisol levels peak about 30 to 40 minutes after we get up in the morning and decline throughout the day until we're ready to go to sleep. The secretion of the hormone, cortisol, is dysregulated [impaired] in women with fibromyalgia”.

“Hatha yoga promotes physical relaxation by decreasing activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and increases breath volume,” Curtis said.

A questionnaire was also used to gauge pain levels pre- and post-study. After the yoga course, participants reported feeling reduced pain and symptoms, as well as increased happiness – which the researchers attributed to that favourite buzzword at the moment, ‘mindfulness’, a non-judgemental acceptance of your current state of being.

“We saw their levels of mindfulness increase – they were better able to detach from their psychological experience of pain,” reported Curtis. “Yoga promotes this concept – that we are not our bodies, our experiences, or our pain. This is extremely useful in the management of pain. Moreover, our findings strongly suggest that psychological changes in turn affect our experience of physical pain.”

Source: Journal of Pain Research

Love fitness and massage? Make them your career

2011-09-08T14:00:00+00:00

If the idea of working in an office from 9-5 is your worst nightmare, but you’re not sure what else you could do, how about a career in fitness and massage? This is a wonderful pathway for those with heaps of energy who love being around people, as these traits can be put to good use in helping others lead a healthy lifestyle.

The Australian Institute of Fitness has the ultimate program which combines personal training with massage therapy, to offer clients a balanced approached to health and fitness. The Institute recognises the need to not only improve the body, but also the mind because with our hectic pace of life, relaxation and recovery is as important as keeping physically fit and nutritionally healthy.

As a personal trainer you will help hundreds of clients achieve their personal health and fitness goals through training, goal setting, nutrition and maintaining their motivation. You can choose to train clients outdoors or indoors, in a fitness centre, in a swimming pool, on a cruise ship, at an island resort, or in your own personal training studio. The opportunities are endless.

As a massage therapist you will be able to help your clients get back on track from conditions such as stress, injury, muscle soreness, poor posture, heavy fitness training and poor sleep. To help your clients de-stress and time take out from their busy lives is a wonderful gift to offer and to see the positive impact on your clients is a great reward.

Combining personal training and massage therapy means you’ll get the edge over other professionals focussing on only fitness or massage and you’ll have clients for life. In turn, your rewards will be many: not only the sense of achievement of helping so many clients reach their goals, you will have the opportunity to earn an excellent income and work the hours you want.

Lois McMahon, a student at the Australian Institute of Fitness said, “The knowledge and skills I gained from both certificates enables me to provide a much better service to my clients. I now have personal training and massage clients, all of whom have similar goals; they want to enjoy improved health and fitness, and a better quality of life.”

And where ever you decide to train your clients the Australian Institute of Fitness has dedicated Career Scouts who actively work with employers looking for a certified professional like you. They also have a strategic partnership with www.fitnesscareers.com.au, which is Australia’s leading job website dedicated to the fitness industry.Establishments such as Fitness First and Vision Personal Training are continuously looking for new employees, and they seek Institute graduates, knowing they have the skills and enthusiasm required. The unique approach by the Institute is so successful that the majority of graduates are employed within days of finishing their course.

There’s no better time to be in the fitness industry than now – the fitness industry is growing and needs more qualified professionals, so call the Australian Institute of Fitness today on 1300 669 669 or find out here how you can get started in your new career.

For a future proof career, choose fitness

2011-09-01T14:00:00+00:00

The world is changing rapidly, and one of the areas facing the most rapid change is employment. What seems like a good long term career now may not even exist in 10 years. So when choosing a career you need to not only make sure you're suited to it, but you need to make sure it's future proof. If you're looking for a career that will be around for the long into the next century, then look no further than becoming a qualified Personal Trainer.

As our population ages, more and more people will turn to qualified Fitness Trainers to help them stay fit enough to enjoy their later years. In fact the fastest growing trends in the fitness world today are classes designed specifically for baby boomers. According to the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations report on industry employment projections to 2015-16, Health Care and Social Assistance is expected to provide the greatest future job growth with more than 323,300 jobs. And as the Government becomes overwhelmed by our aging population and their health care needs, preventative health will be seen as the Holy Grail. Who better to play a major role in preventative health than a qualified Fitness Trainer?

The first step on the path to becoming a Personal Trainer is to make sure you find the right course and the best way to get qualified.

Arthritis sufferers are not engaging in enough physical activity

2011-08-30T14:00:00+00:00

Physical activity is one of the best ways people with arthritis can improve function and reduce pain, yet many are not achieving the recommended levels according to a new study.

The study at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago found that more than half of women and 40% of men with arthritis are practically sedentary and not engaging in the physical activity that is vital to their health.

Researchers asked more than 1,000 people, aged 49 to 84, with radiographic knee osteoarthritis to wear an accelerometer – a small device that measures physical activity – for one week. Past research had relied on surveys to account for exercise and activity.

Australian guidelines recommend that all adults participate in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days, but preferably every day.

Previous studies estimated that a quarter of arthritis sufferers met those guidelines, but the study revealed that fewer than one in seven men, and only one in 12 women actually did meet them.

What is even more alarming is that 40% of men and 56% of women didn’t even sustain 10 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity over the course of the week, putting them in the ‘inactive’ category.

The findings, published in the Arthritis & Rheumatism, suggest this is a huge untouched market for fitness professionals.

Pass your personal training qualification with flying colours

2011-08-22T14:00:00+00:00

The personal training qualification at the Australian Institute of Fitness is the most sought after in the industry. If you choose to study personal training with the Institute and get the edge in your personal training career, read these fantastic tips on how to pass with flying colours.

1. Get familiar with your local gym or fitness centre

Play with all the equipment and machines to become confident with using them before your course, and it will definitely give you a head start.

2. Schedule in time each week to study

You’ll have scheduled in time for your sessions, but don’t forget you’ll also need time to study and complete assessments.

3. Listen carefully in each session

It sounds obvious, but the more the listen and understand as you go along, the less you’ll have to cram before assessments.

4. Get your own personal trainer

If you’ve never experienced having a personal trainer, it’s a great idea so you can put yourself in the place of the client.

5. Attend every session

In order to get the Master Trainer qualification you need to turn up to all your classes. Re-takes are best avoided as you’ll be busy enough.

6. Be open to making new friends

Everyone will have a different background and understanding of fitness, so chat to everyone and you’ll learn more.

7. Get organised

With your sessions, workouts, assessments, etc., you’ll have a lot going on, so get organised and make sure you’re eating and sleeping well.

8. Be enthusiastic

Fitness is what you love, you’ve made a big decision to become a personal trainer or group instructor, so make the most of it!

9. Use the internet as a learning aid

Whatever you learn in class, you can learn heaps more about on the internet, so immerse yourself in information to be the best you can be.

10. Practice training your friends and family

You’ll only become a great trainer by practising, so give your family and friends a workout. Remember you can’t get paid till you’re qualified.

Visit the Australian Institute of Fitness if you’re interested in studying personal training, group fitness, aqua or massage.

The Early Bird Catches The Zzzs�

2011-07-31T14:00:00+00:00

The perennial question of whether it’s better to work out in the morning or the evening has been the subject of recent research, this time with a focus on its effects on sleep. So, what’s the verdict?

According to researchers from Appalachian State University, it’s the early bird who catches not only the worm but also the sleep related-benefits of working out. Assistant professor and lead study author Scott Collier, PhD, said "Insufficient sleep threatens our country's health by contributing to chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Exercise is proven to improve the quality of sleep, and our team wanted to see if the timing of exercise could maximise these benefits."

The research team looked at the effects of exercise timing on the sleep patterns of six male and three female study participants. Each participant was monitored during half-hour treadmill sessions at 7am, 1pm and 7pm on different days. During the night following each study period, participants wore sleep-monitoring headbands to measure quality of sleep and sleep stage time.

The results showed that when exercising at 7am, the participants achieved significantly better sleep than when they worked out at lunchtime or in the evening.

Collier said, "Our research has shown that well-timed exercise can elicit even greater sleep quality. These findings – if the results of the sample hold true for the general population – can help exercisers gain even greater benefits from physical activity."

Source: ACSM

Wheat Beer Weapon in Runner�s Arsenal

2011-07-31T14:00:00+00:00

A recent study has found that non-alcoholic wheat beer has a positive effect on the health of athletes.

With the aim of identifying the positive effects of polyphenols (naturally occurring plant compounds), and using the Munich marathon as a ‘laboratory’, a team led by Dr Johannes Scherr studied 277 marathon participants three weeks prior and two weeks following the event.

A non-alcoholic wheat beer was selected as the test substance due to its high and varied polyphenol content and its popularity with marathon runners. One group of study participants drank up to 1.5 litres of the wheat beer daily, while a second control group drank a placebo which looked and tasted like the wheat beer, but without the polyphenol content.

Marathon runners and participants in other strenuous sporting activities are said to have an ‘open window’ of heightened inflammatory reactions following events, during which they are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections due to the immune system being worked so hard. The study found that participants who drank the polyphenol-rich wheat beer experienced reduced inflammation parameters in the blood, and experienced both fewer, and milder, infections.

Dr Scherr said, "We were able to prove that it strengthens an immune system that has been weakened by physical stress. It also prevents the system from over-performing... Drinking the non-alcoholic test beverage reduces your risk of developing a cold by one third."

He concluded, "The potential for foods containing polyphenols to have a positive effect on athletes' health has already been suggested in several articles. Nevertheless we were ourselves sometimes surprised at how clearly evident this was in the results. We now have scientific confirmation of those assumptions for this test beverage, with its particular combination of polyphenols, vitamins and minerals."

Source: Medicine & Exercise in Sports & Exercise

Yoga Benefits Arthritic Patients

2011-07-31T14:00:00+00:00

Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who practiced yoga experienced positive associations with improvements in disease activity, found a recent study conducted by a team in the United Arab Emirates.

Researchers prescribed the practice of gentle Raj yoga to 26 patients and used a group of 21 non-yoga practitioners as a control. After 12 sessions, the yoga group performed better than the control in tests of disease activity and health assessment, although quality of life scores remained similar.

Dr Humeira Badsha, rheumatologist said, “Most patients with rheumatoid arthritis do not exercise regularly despite the fact that those who do report less pain and are therefore more physically active.

“While our study has been conducted in a small group of patients the results show clear benefits for patients who regularly practice Raj yoga. We believe that practicing yoga longer term could in fact result in further significant improvements and hope our study drives further research into the benefits of yoga in rheumatoid arthritis.”

Source: European League Against Rheumatism

7 Insider Tips to Landing Your Dream Job

2011-07-27T14:00:00+00:00

You know you want to be in the fitness industry and you’ve got a qualification, but how can you stand out from the crowd in an interview? Here’s some insider advice from fitness organisations around Australia.

Present yourself as professional and personable. A good resume and being well dressed for a first interview goes a long way. Energize Health Club and Energize Express, NSW

Win one of the Australian Institute of Fitness's awards. We all know that it’s easy enough to impress with a one-hour interview, but it’s the weeks with Australian Institute of Fitness where we find out your true character. Ministry of Wellbeing, NSW

Be mature, reliable, and have an outgoing personality. You should make initial contact with a personalised approach, and do your own research on the company. Step Into Life, SA

Possess the 3 Ps – Perseverance, Passion, Persistence. They all equal the same thing – the willingness to succeed! Universal Health Network, WA

Have ambitious goals. We love people who are willing to put in a few yards for a long-term goal. Passion is the key to your success, so we want people who are doing it for the right reason. Energize Health Club and Energize Express, NSW

Be keen to learn and work. We offer the best personal training and massage business deal in Perth to those who want it the most. Universal Health Network, WA

Have good people skills. We can teach all the technical stuff, but if someone doesn’t have those key ingredients it won’t work for them. Ministry of Wellbeing, NSW

Becoming a Personal Trainer Can Be a Reality

2011-07-27T14:00:00+00:00

If you’ve spent months working hard to gain a qualification, you don’t want to spend months afterwards looking for a job. This is where the Australian Institute of Fitness excels – they care about your career, not just about putting you through their course.

All too often students are left to their own devises once they’ve completed a course, and ‘career advice’ consists of simply giving a list of companies or a few website addresses. It’s a daunting place to be – you’re new at writing a resume, all the job advertisements are asking for experience, and you’re nervous in interviews. But the Australian Institute of Fitness has a passion for the fitness industry and assisting its graduates in finding employment.

The Institute has come up with a number of ways to offer support, including signing partnerships with a number of gyms and businesses in the fitness industry. Establishments such as Fitness First and Vision Personal Training are continuously looking for new employees, and they seek Institute graduates, knowing they have the skills and enthusiasm required. The partnerships also mean that students get talks from industry leaders, and recommended students can undertake work experience, gaining valuable insight into health club operation.

The support also takes the form of individual coaching in coursework, assistance with resume writing and specific career guidance. Not only that, but this professional and caring support is ongoing for as long as the person wishes to work in the fitness industry.

The unique approach by the Institute is so successful that the majority of graduates are employed within days of finishing their course. Rick Munn, State Sales Manager for Victoria and Tasmania, says, “Offering exceptional support to students and graduates is extremely important to us.

“We’re making a huge difference to people’s lives. Seeing unfit or unhappy people become vibrant and happy, and enthusiastically embrace their new career is fantastic”, he says.

The Institute was founded in 1979 and, with 13 campuses nationally, offers the most contact course options of any fitness training organisation in Australia.

The range of nationally, and internationally accredited options include personal training and gym instructor programs, group and aqua fitness instructor programs, as well as a massage therapist program and the first customised fitness business program in Australia.

Munn says, “From December to March, school leavers make up 70% of students at the Institute, and career changers 30%, but the ratio is reversed from March to November. And with the fitness and wellness industry thriving, there are full-time courses starting every week.”

The maximum number of students per course is 32 – depending on the campus – and full-time courses take around 8-12 weeks to complete. Part-timers are looking at 16-20 weeks, while students studying online are allowed 12 months to finish.

The fitness industry is suited to those who are self-motivated and have a passion for helping people. Mr Munn says, “There’s no better time to be in the fitness industry than now – especially for women thinking of changing careers.

“Women who complete our courses find it really easy to get a job. Employers are screaming for female trainers”, he says.

Do you dream of owning a fitness business?

2011-07-27T14:00:00+00:00

The Australian Institute of Fitness has launched Fitness Business, a program developed in response to feedback from industry employers. The Institute’s National Training Team Captain Vicki Tuchtan gives you information about the course designed for anyone who wants to own or manage a personal training business, studio, gym, or franchise.

Fitness Business is the first complete program in Australia to combine fitness and business qualifications in one. Graduates will now be able to walk away with skills in sales and marketing, budgeting and financial management, human resources, leadership and strategic planning.

The program was developed in response to feedback from industry employers who were seeking trainers to manage teams of fitness or sales professionals, but there is also a growing demand by people to be their own boss and start their own fitness business.

The Institute conducted extensive consultation with the industry to determine the best skills and knowledge that employers were seeking in a fitness business graduate. We then contracted the best in the business – the likes of Justin Tamsett for marketing and Amanda Bracks for sales – to design and develop the five modules that make up the program: Marketing, Fitness Sales, Business Planning and Development, Business Finance, and People Management.

Key industry stakeholders were provided with an overview of the program prior to release, and when asked if they thought the program will fulfil a need in the fitness industry, there were answers such as “the industry has been crying out for business and management courses specific to the industry for years” and “I believe the more people that complete this course, the stronger and more viable the fitness industry will be”.

Enrolling in the Institute’s Fitness Business program is a must as it will get you a head start in running your own business or franchise, and put you in front of the pack in a competitive employment market.

The program is delivered flexibly online through the Institute’s eCampus, and includes optional face-to-face workshops. For more information, visit http://www.fitness.edu.au/fitness-business

Why Personal Trainers Need To Stay Hydrated

2011-07-26T14:00:00+00:00

You’re probably used to telling your clients to stay hydrated when they’re training, as the benefits of drinking water are widely known. But are you practising what you preach and drinking regularly yourself?

Looking after yourself is just as important as training your clients, not only to be a role model for them, but also to decrease your chances of getting ill and losing income.

You may forget to drink or think you don’t need as much as your clients, but if you’ve got back-to-back appointments and are demonstrating exercises, you definitely need regular water.

Matt O’Neill, nutritionist and director of MetabolicJumpstart.com says, “your water bottle should be your essential training companion to remind you to keep drinking, especially on busy days with multiple clients.

“Try weighing yourself before and after your PT sessions. This is a good way to check how much weight, i.e. water, you’ve lost so you know how much to replace.”

Another good way is to check the colour of urine – it should be almost clear, so if you’re passing dark urine, you’re dehydrated. Other signs of dehydration are feeling tired, migraines, dry skin and muscle cramps.

So, keep your water bottle filled up for your sessions and you’ll be more alert for your clients, you’ll have better skin, avoid headaches and dizziness, and feel much healthier.

If you want to find out about fitness courses at the Australian Institute of Fitness, click here.

Marketing Your Personal Training Business

2011-07-18T14:00:00+00:00

Every personal trainer needs a good marketing strategy to sell and grow their business. Marketing personal training doesn’t have to be a huge financial investment though…

Think of marketing and you probably think of newspapers, magazines, billboards and TV, but there are a lot of cheaper ways you can advertise, and all you need to invest is time.

Using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogging sites are the first things to do. If you already have any of these sites, you may want to consider creating separate accounts or pages for your business – pictures or videos of you getting drunk at the weekend won’t inspire your clients or give you a good reputation. Once you have your accounts up and running, make sure you make regular updates on your training, any group sessions, special offers and also any fitness or health news that comes out. YouTube should be used to post a video of you advertising your business, rather than videos of you training people which could be quite dull to watch.

Another great way to advertise is to leave cards and posters in local businesses. Instead of paying them to do this, offer them a free PT session or hand out cards for their business in return (or you could even just give them a few mentions on Facebook or Twitter).

Becoming a local expert in your community is important so potential clients will have a reason to choose you over another trainer. Decide what area you want to specialise in, such as weight loss, and then stick to it. You can then even tell your local newspapers that you’re the expert in your area and to come for you if they ever need quotes, or offer to write a weekly column or articles. You could host a local charity event, or hold a competition for free sessions – anything that’s newsworthy will get you coverage, and coverage = clients.

What are you waiting for? Haven’t you got some marketing to do?

Not done your certificates 3 and 4 yet? Click here to find out how to become a personal trainer.

The Benefits of a Balanced Diet During Winter

2011-07-14T14:00:00+00:00

Keep exercising and eating well throughout the winter season, and you’ll reap so many benefits.

If winter nutrition and exercising are subjects you enjoy, a career in the fitness industry could be perfect for you, and searching for personal training courses online is a good option if you’re not financially able to study full-time, or if you live in rural Australia.

In winter it’s too easy to reach for comfort foods when you’re cold and the weather is getting you down. What’s more, when you’re covered up in layers of clothes, it’s easy to forget what you look like underneath.

Nutritionist Matt O’Neill from MetabolicJumpstart.com says, “With a high risk of comfort eating, it’s even more important to pay attention to your diet.

“You can easily increase the risk of overshooting your calorie intake, and while your metabolism may increase in the winter due to shivering, the increase is likely to be cancelled out by your increased food intake.”

The benefits of continuing to eat well over winter include, having extra confidence, not feeling sluggish and lacking in energy, and getting a head start on your nutrition for the warmer months.

Stay away from eating a lot of white carbs, big meals and processed foods. You can eat warming meals without having to feel bloated all the time. Foods like soup, stew, casseroles, and stir frys are great. If you like roast dinners, just be careful how much butter and oil you use. The key is hearty and healthy!

Establishing a Work/Life Balance

2011-07-10T14:00:00+00:00

If you’re fed up with your job, frustrated how many hours you spend doing something you hate, and desperate to find a career that fits around you and your family, then personal training courses online could be just what you need to kick start.

A survey last year showed that most Australians are increasingly unhappy with their work/life balance. So imagine choosing the hours you work, exercising as part of your job, and not having to be stuck sitting at a desk all day. What’s more you could help hundreds of people lead healthier, happier lives and decrease their chances of getting things like heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

There are many routes into the fitness industry you can choose; you could become a personal trainer, gym instructor, group fitness instructor or aqua instructor, and you could specialise in strength training, working with children, elite teams, rehabilitation or working with the elderly, for example.

It’s never too late to change your career when there are so many study options. At the Australian Institute of Fitness, you can choose from studying full-time, part-time or online. For more info, click here.

Ideas to Expand Your Personal Training Portfolio

2011-06-28T14:00:00+00:00

Whether you’ve just started to think about pursing a personal training career, or have already enrolled in the Master Trainer program at the Australian Institute of Fitness, did you know there's heaps of options for your career pathway?

If you want to get paid for something you love and stay fit at the same time, you’re in the right place. The fitness industry is booming right now, so there’s never been a better time for you all to start planning your new fitness careers and be among like-minded people. By enrolling on the Master Trainer program you’ll open up a world of opportunities for yourself, and you can choose to study whichever way suits you – part-time, full-time or online. Personal training doesn’t have to be one-on-one training at your fitness centre either; there’s so much you can aspire to achieve. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Strength Training or Crossfit: Offer private sessions using Kettlebells, tyres, ropes, pull-up bars and weights, or open your own Crossfit gym.
With Kids, the Elderly or Disabled: Extremely rewarding, whether you’re playing games and doing activities with groups of kids or doing chair exercises with the elderly or disabled.
Athletes or Sports Teams: Train athletes or sports teams to reach higher levels through speed, agility, co-ordination or whatever it takes. Great if you come from a sporting background.
Outdoor Boot Camps or Circuits: Perfect if you love the freedom of being outdoors, and works well if you live near a park or beach.
Home Visits: Charge more for going to your clients’ houses to train, but be sure to consider travel time and petrol costs.
Group Exercise: If you’re bubbly and have good co-ordination, this is one for you. You can either take classes at your local fitness centres or at a community hall.
Aqua Instructor: Love water? Train clients in an indoor or outdoor pool, and discover the benefits for the injured, obese and disabled.
Massage Therapist: Your clients will need massages to compliment their training, so who better to send them to than yourself.

Changing Careers

2011-06-19T14:00:00+00:00

Lois McMahon is proof that it’s never too late to change your current career path into a positive and rewarding career in the health and fitness industry. “People looked at me with disbelief when I told then what I wanted to do and 12 months down the track I’m here living the dream!”

Before deciding to study personal training with the Australian Institute of Fitness, Lois worked as a Hansard court reporter for the South Australian Government. She had always had a lifelong interest in health and fitness and this is what prompted her to research a career in this field. She also suffered with neck and shoulder problems.

Lois recommends that anyone interested in a career in this field should just “go for it”! The opportunities that have arisen since she qualified with her certificate 4 in fitness and massage have opened doors into a positive working environment with many opportunities. She says many workplaces out there are negative and stressful whereas in the gym it’s always positive, “People are so friendly and it’s such a motivating industry to work in”.

On the final day of her course at the institute, Lois had two job offers on the table. She is now working as a massage therapist, personal trainer and group fitness instructor with Adelaide Fitness solutions. Lois says gaining a qualification with The Institute has given her a stepping stone into a career that she wished she’d known about years ago. She credits them with giving her the support, encouragement and skills necessary to succeed.

Lois studied the Master Trainer Program with the Australian Institute of Fitness and says that the two strands - massage and personal training - are complementary . She says that she gets massage clients coming in and deciding to do a personal training session and her personal training clients often get a massage for helping with muscle aches after intense training sessions.

Fitness Coach Daniela Cook in World Handball Championship

2011-06-16T14:00:00+00:00

Daniela Cook is a member of the Australian Women’s National Handball Team and a Fitness and Massage coach at The Australian Institute of Fitness.

The Australian Team won their game at the International Handball Federation World Championships Qualifiers in New Zealand, with a score of 25 to 15.

Daniela played an impressive game scoring two successive goals part way into the second half. Her agility and speed helped to her successfully intercept and pass the ball to team members, who in turn scored goals for the Australian side.

In total, Daniela scored 4 of the 25 goals that helped the team qualify for entry into the world championships.

Australia will now represent the Oceania Region in the world championship to be held in Brazil in December 2011.

Industry partnerships with the Australian Institute of Fitness

2011-06-16T14:00:00+00:00

The Australian Institute of Fitness continues to build strong partnerships with other organisations in the health, sporting and fitness industries.

Last Thursday, Cycling WA announced a new partnership with the Institute. The major focus of this partnership is to assist committed Cycling WA members to become qualified Fitness Professionals as Personal Trainers and/or Massage Therapists. Cycling WA says one of the key benefits of joining the Institute on their Elite Athlete program, allows clubs, associations and individual’s access to the largest provider of fitness education in Australia.

Cyclists interested in building a successful career in the health and fitness industry can enjoy the flexible course delivery options available with the Australian Institute of Fitness.

In celebration of this new partnership, scholarships to the value of $500 are being offered to those people who are interested in becoming an Exercise Professional.

Rugby Union Players’ Association

The Rugby Union Players’ Association National Player Development Manager, Rosemary Towner has confirmed the continued association between the organisation and the Australian Institute of Fitness.

The Australian Institute of Fitness is the RUPA’s preferred education partner in the fitness education industry and has proved very successful, giving players the flexibility to study for their Certificates III and IV whilst they are playing.