The shift of the fitness industry towards the wellness industry has been going on for a while. But since the start of the Pandemic, the shift has become much more pronounced. The Pandemic changed people’s perspectives about health.

This shift in perspective led people to pay more attention to all attributes of their health instead of just focusing on fitness. As a result, these people started incorporating wellness into their daily lifestyles.

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by Joseph Giandonato, MBA, MS, CSCS
Faculty Member (2010 – present)
World Instructor Training Schools

March is National Nutrition Month.

Like physical exercise, sound nutrition can optimize cardiovascular and metabolic health while curtailing disease risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, having claimed 360,900 lives in 2019. Commonly, risk factors associated with heart disease are comorbidities related to lifestyle and nutrition, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), diabetes, and obesity. Want more…

Obesity has been implicated as a driver of numerous conditions and diseases and has been established to accelerate morbidity. Its prevalence has grown immensely throughout the United States across ethnicities, socioeconomic status, education attainment, and geographic locations. As of 2016, 37.9% of men and 41.1% of women are considered to be obese, which is characterized by having a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher.

While obesity’s roots are multifactorial, much of its proliferation across the country stems from suboptimal nutrition comprising inappropriately large portion sizes, disproportionate amounts of macronutrients consumed daily, and reduced physical activity, which is facilitated by sound nutrition.

Macronutrients are comprised of carbohydrates, protein, and fat that which confer energetic and digestive functions, enzymatic activity, and serve as constituents of hormones, respectively.

Carbohydrates hail from plant sources, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, and nuts and stored as muscle glycogen which is mobilized for energy production to facilitate intense physical activity and neurocognitive tasks. Leafy, fibrous carbohydrate sources support digestion. One gram of carbohydrate yields 4 calories.

Protein is composed of a chain of amino acids which facilitate enzymatic and digestive functions, enable muscle contraction, and serve as connective tissue. Additionally, they act as messengers for hormones. Sources of protein include animals and vegetables, such as grains, seeds, and nuts. One gram of protein yields 4 calories.

Fat is derived from animals, their byproducts, such as milk, and oils and is responsible for thermoregulation, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, supports energy production to facilitate low to moderate intensity physical activity, and serves as key constituent in the formation of cell membranes and hormones. One gram of fat yields 4 calories.

According to myplate.gov, the following food sources and their daily consumption amounts are recommended to meet activity needs and attain and maintain healthy body mass and composition.

Vegetables: 2 to 3 cups
Fruits: 1½ to 2 cups
Grains: 5 to 8 ounces
Dairy: 3 cups (fat-free or low-fat)
Protein foods: 5 to 6½ ounces
Oils: 5 to 7 teaspoons

Drill down on all of the details in these fun courses.

Weak joints and bones are common symptoms of arthritis. As a result, a lot of people suffering from arthritis complain about pain in the joints and limited movements. While the condition generally affects the older population, these days, many young adults suffer from arthritis due to poor health and hereditary issues as well.

This can affect their day-to-day lives and cause them immense pain, which makes them unable to perform basic tasks. The best way for young adults to manage their arthritis is by being physically active. Regular activity, stretching, and moving their joints relieve the pain and improve their joint mobility.

These days a lot of fitness trainers are entering the medical fitness industry by taking courses such as the one offered by W.I.T.S Education to help people with chronic health issues. These fitness trainers can help people with arthritis manage their symptoms better through exercise. Here’s how they do it. Medical Fitness.

What Is Arthritis?

In simple terms, arthritis is the inflammation caused to the lining of a joint that causes the joints to swell. This lining protects the joint from impact and keeps them healthy and safe. Once the lining swells, it can also affect the ligaments and the tendons. This can cause serious damage to the joint and the bones in the long term.

This is why a lot of elderly people with arthritis have difficulty in moving, and some even become wheelchair-bound. In young adults, this issue isn’t as common, but there are still a lot of young adults who suffer from arthritis or its easy signs.

Some Common Myths About Arthritis

Arthritis often goes undiagnosed because people think their joint pains are due to stress and exhaustion. That’s why they don’t follow up with a doctor or get the relevant test done to figure out the cause. Arthritis also has a lot of myths associated with it making it harder for people to seek proper care and medication. Take a look at some of them.

Arthritis Only Affect The Elderly

This is by far the most common myth. People tend to think that arthritis is something that only affects the elderly due to aging, and young people can’t have it.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is generally found in the elderly. Rheumatoid arthritis is mostly found in young adults, and women tend to be more prone to developing it. Juvenile arthritis is the term used when the patient is under the age of 16. So It’s safe to say that arthritis can affect people of all ages.

It Doesn’t Have A Cure

While it’s true that arthritis is difficult to cure and requires life-long care to prevent it from getting out of hand, it’s not cure-less. The best form of cure is surgery performed to repair the lining of the joints or surgery to repair or replace the bones themselves. However, this isn’t the only cure; if people don’t want to take the route of surgery, they can still maintain their health in various ways.

The number one cure after surgery is through proper exercise and stretching. While it may seem that exercise would put more pressure on the joints and make the situation worse, this isn’t true; exercise especially stretching, helps relax muscles.

People Need To Rest And Not Move

Another common misconception about arthritis is that people should rest all the time and not move unless necessary. There are two issues with this; number one, if people don’t use their joints, their muscles will become stiff and moving them cause more pain and irritation. In the end, the condition will worsen. Number two, moving and keeping your joints in motion is medically proven to relieve arthritis and help people keep it under control.

Ways Fitness Trainers Can Help

As mentioned earlier, working out and stretching helps people with arthritis manage their condition better. However, finding a knowledgeable trainer who can work with people suffering from arthritis can be difficult. But some trainers come from medical backgrounds and can combine their medical skills with fitness ones to develop workout plans for people with arthritis.

Special Exercise Plans

Medical fitness trainers have expertise in developing special exercise plans that cater to the needs of people suffering from arthritis. These exercise programs include special stretching exercises, joint movements, and other forms of exercises that help people relieve pain and reduce the swelling of the joints.

Not just that, but these exercises strengthen their joints and make their arthritis much more bearable. Fitness trainers can develop exercise plans keeping in mind the fitness goals of their clients, their health issues, and by combining different forms of exercises such as yoga and aerobics, so the clients get the best results.

Special Diet Plans

In conjunction with the detailed exercise plans, medical fitness trainers can also work with doctors and nutritionists to help their clients develop diet plans. These diet plans include foods that are high in calcium and vitamins to help strengthen the bones and prevent muscle damage during workouts.

Sometimes, after the recommendation from the doctor, trainers can even introduce supplements in the diet plan to boost their client’s health and help them reach their fitness goals faster without exhausting their body too much. The exercises combined with the diet can help clients keep their arthritis under control and lead healthier lives.

Through Medical Fitness

Medical fitness trainers are trained to keep in mind the medical needs of their clients, but they aren’t doctors and can’t prescribe any medication or cures. But they can work with the client’s doctors to ensure that their chosen exercise program and diet plan doesn’t affect the patients negatively. These trainers can consult the doctors and make changes in their fitness plans on an ongoing basis so the clients can reach their health and fitness goals quickly.

If you are a medical professional who wants to enter the fitness industry, visit W.I.T.S Education’s website today. We are a training institute that offers several courses related to different fields in the fitness industry. Some of these certifications include a personal trainer course, senior fitness course, group exercise instructor course, and medical fitness course. The institute also offers courses related to fitness management for people looking to start their own business.

The great thing about W.I.T.S Education is that we are accredited by the NCCA, and students can earn college credits for their courses. Our courses are divided into online classes along with hands-on in-person practical labs to prepare students for real-world challenges. Check out our course catalog and get in touch with us today to learn more.

by Joseph Giandonato, MBA, MS, CSCS
Faculty Member (2010 – present)
World Instructor Training Schools

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin Franklin

Nearly four centuries later, Franklin’s sagacious advice still resonates having been eternalized as an idiom in the medical field. Perhaps his quote is why his portrait is printed on the obverse of the $100 bill colloquially known as a “Benjamin” or “C-Note” — which folks can save in droves in healthcare expenses if they enact measures to uphold their health and screen for conditions that are treatable, if intercepted early.

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We have all heard the term Weekend Warrior before! Some people swear by the idea that their weekends are meant to “beat up” their bodies with difficult, long workouts. This is typically because there is a lack of time during the business week to get in exercise and activity. Is this really the most effective way to hit weight loss goals however? (more…)