While there are dozens of professional organizations for skin-care professionals, aestheticians do not have a uniform national certification program. Licensing for the industry also varies from state to state, compounding the problem. One group, the Dallas-based American Aestheticians Education Association is working to change that. (more…)
Archive for February, 2012
Evaluating an Aesthetician Can Be Tough
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012Romance at Walt Disney World
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012KissingFor those who never thought WDW could be a romantic place, we’re here to say — not so! And our readers must agree because many have provided suggestions for WDW’s “most romantic spot.” So let’s see if there are any surprises. (more…)
To Help Prevent Diabetes Walk, Don’t Watch
Friday, February 17th, 2012The incidence of type 2 (also called non-insulin dependent) diabetes has increased rapidly in the United States over the last few decades, and the disease has become a major public health threat. It is well known that obesity is often a harbinger of type 2 diabetes, and that exercise is important in controlling the development of both obesity and diabetes. (more…)
Boring!
Wednesday, February 15th, 2012They can’t hunt. They can’t swim scantily clad. And now we’re told they can’t be eaten by lions.
Sheez!
I’m also wondering how a person might “stumble” across a 500 pound animal. (more…)
Annual Check Urged For High-Normal Blood Pressure
Thursday, February 9th, 2012People with blood pressure levels that are slightly high but still considered normal–or high normal–should have their blood pressure checked every year, according to US researchers.
In their report, Dr. Ramachandran S. Vasan, of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts, and colleagues reveal that men and women with high-normal blood pressure frequently progress to high blood pressure over a period of 4 years.
Exercise and Emotional Change, Part 2
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012Although prescribing exercise by the feelings that are induced is different from traditional practice, it can solve a large piece of the exercise-maintenance puzzle. In two recent studies,4,6 participants with EFI patterns that were “correct” were several times more likely to remain with their exercise programs than those with changes thatwere “incorrect.” (more…)
Exercise and Emotional Change, Part 1
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012The positive emotional change that is associated with physical activity can be leveraged for adherence-support purposes in your members. One use of emotional change involves prescribing exercise amounts and types that promote positive after-session feelings (e.g., arevived, energetic state) over negative feelings (e.g., worn-out, tired feelings).6 While it is true that your most resilient exercisers will require a certain level of fatigue and exhaustion to feel successful, forthe 70 percentof people who areat-risk for early dropout,starting out slowly can bring pleasant after-exercise feelings that arelinked to long-term maintenance.
The second emotional change involves the more stable positive changes in mood that are virtually assured within a couple of months of regular exercise (at virtually any intensity and duration). While exercise scientists debate the basis for this emotional improvement (hypotheses have ranged from endorphin, serotonin and norepinephrine changes, to simply an increased sense of mastery and removal from the day’s worries that go along with exercise), its effects are undeniable, and have been confirmed through hundreds of studies.14
Fitness professionals can usethe feelings associated with individual bouts of exercise, and the cumulative emotion-changing effects of exercise over time, to improve individuals’ exercise longevity. While certainly different from typical, physiologically driven methods, using emotional change as motivation can pay off throughreductions in exerciser dropout. Following is a brief outline of each method.
Immediate exercise-induced feelings.This type of emotionalchange involves having clients focus on “pairing” a prescribed exercise session with pleasant, rejuvenated feelings. An appropriate prescription (for adherence) will reduce, rather than increase, fatigue (that was present before exercise began), and help to promote a sense of elation. Before designing an exercise program for clients using emotional response methods, make sure that they are suitable candidates for this approach (most times they are). It will be helpful to discover people’s aversionsto physical stress and discomfort;their ability to be persistent with other important tasks; and their ability to accept progress in sequential stages. Research finds that the70 percent of new and returning exercisers whoare at-risk for early dropout can benefit from this method.3
The second step when prescribing an emotional-based exercise program involves developing a plan around a participant’s likes and dislikes. This alone can promote adherence.18 If racquetball or aquatics is favored over cardiovascular machines, find a way to fit it into a formal prescription. Tie together a variety of different exercise modalities using a consistent rate of perceived exertion (RPE) value.7 That way, when an intensity that fits is found, it can be generalized across exercise types.
The third step for this type ofmethod evaluates how elements of the exercise prescription serve to alter the participant’s feeling states.
Observe how the scores have changed. Positive engagement, revitalization and tranquility should raise after completion of exercise, and physical exhaustion should decline. A deviation from this pattern should be a concern to you, and a revision (usually a reduction in intensity and/or duration) is advised.
The fourth stepgives participants the knowledge to similarly monitor any changes they makein their program. If regular follow-ups are part of your facility’s system, you and your staff may remain in control of EFI assessments.