Tag: 2024 IDEA & ACSM Health & Fitness Summit

Let’s Move, Everybody!

One of the biggest obstacles facing us at all ages is sedentarism; this is just a fancy word for “not moving.” It is definitely a 21st Century word. For many, the situation got worse since COVID; we used to walk around an office or visit customers, but now a lot of us are just sitting in front of computers. I certainly was more active at the gym when I barely sat down; now I spend about half of my day working with clients virtually sitting on my kiester.

At the recent IDEA & ACSM Health & Fitness Summit, I took a session with Judy Juvance-Heltzel and Stephanie Davis Dierenger (both of University of Akron) entitled “Promoting Life-Long Physical Activity: Strategies for All Ages.” The course was divided into two parts: 1. theory and strategies, and 2. brainstorming and presenting.

We are being encouraged to focus less on the word “fitness” and more on the word “movement.” People are often put off by the word “fitness;” they think that if they are not “fit” then the activity will not be for them. “Movement,” on the other hand, is something that almost all of us do and we should strive to do more. Of course, as trainers, we do not want to focus just on movement; the progression should be from movement to physical activity to exercise to fitness. It is the obligation of fitness professionals to move individuals from one level to the next.

The active part of the program (pictured above) required us to grab a bunch of objects that we can find at home and find ways to make them into “fitness equipment.” Tennis balls to staplers to trash cans to paper plates all became devices to get people moving at home. Why articles that are found at home? Many folks are turned off by the idea of going to a gym or cannot afford it. We were challenged to provide ways for people to move more using what they can find close at hand. It was a real throwback to the early days of the pandemic when very few people had exercise equipment at home and we were working out with canned goods, books, and cans of paint. The solutions worked for people at any age with any level of fitness!

It is not ideal for individuals to exercise only in this kind of ad hoc way, but it can be a start to more frequent movement which will lead to activity, etc. What I liked was that the course got us all thinking creatively. Sedentarism is a serious problem and if the old solutions worked the issue would be solved already. Using a little ingenuity, we can help to bring greater levels of fitness and awareness of activity to those who are mostly just sitting around–from children in front of their screens to older adults in front of the TV.

What have you got at home that you can use to exercise? Here is a hint: can you squat while picking up a full trash can?

Will AI Do Your Exercises for You?

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in the 2024 IDEA & ACSM Health and Fitness Summit in Chicago. For the last several years I have attended this IDEA Personal Trainers’ Institute in Alexandria, VA; this year the event was combined with ACSM and featured over three days of lectures, workshops, classes, and workouts for people in the Fitness Industry.

Like doctors, lawyers, and many other professionals, personal trainers are required by their certifying agencies to engage in continuing education. I try to take one continuing education class on-line each month to meet that requirement. Attending one of these events allows for a high volume of credits, hearing the latest innovations in the field, as well as opportunities to network. I was only able to be there on Friday, but I did attend four sessions. The next few blog posts will be about what I learned.

The plenary session on Friday morning featured Dr. Ted Vickey on the topic: Future of Fitness: A Deep Dive into AI’s Dual Impact on the Business of Fitness. I was curious to hear his remarks because my wife works in “Corporate America,” in a company that is heavily investing in Artificial Intellegence as a way to help employees better serve customers. I know that many people fear AI, but I believe it is just like any other technology; it has the potential for both good and bad. I wondered how this all could be applied to fitness.

Vickey shared some of the ways in which AI can benefit those working in the field and those whom we serve. Although the talk was listed as a “deep dive,” it sort of hung out in the shallows; I am not sure how deep one can go in a 30-40 minute talk! He did give us some sense of where AI might assist us: communicating with clients more effectively, building business more quickly, and even assisting with the programming that we do (the actual exercises, number of reps and sets, weight, etc.) one-on-one or in a group setting. The time saved can potentially permit trainers to take on more clients and/or build business in other ways.

Sadly for my clients, AI will NOT do the exercises for us. It is also unlikely that AI will be able to replace the human interaction that makes working with a trainer so special. It can be a valuable tool, though, that can make the experience of exercise better and enhance the trainer/client relationship.

I do plan to learn more about AI and how I can use it in the work that I do. As Vickey suggested, not all people in the industry will use AI, but those who will survive and thrive will be among those who do. I feel like I have glimpsed the future and it is exciting!