HyperStrike-Partners

Personal Trainers covered by Health Insurance? Wow!

We found this article this morning - if this isn't in your current marketing arsenal - it should be!Did you know that many health insurance plans include personal trainers as a covered expense. The reason is that the insurance companies know that people who train regularly at the gym make fewer claims. Check out your policy and make sure you are taking advantage of this coverage if you have it.

That said, even if your insurance doesn’t cover personal training, hiring one is a sure fire way to improve your workout and help you achieve your fitness goals. 
Fitness trainers can help people:
• Determine their level of fitness
• Figure out fitness needs and decide on goals
• Design a plan to meet fitness goals
• Learn how to use equipment
• Stay motivated
• Stay safe while working out
• Learn how to work more activity into a day-to-day routine

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the
biggest factors that help determine if someone will be active include:

1. Confidence: if a person believes that they can get regular activity
2. Enjoyment: if a person enjoys working out
3. Support: if a person gets support from other people
4. Beliefs: if a person believes that physical activity will benefit their health

When an individual retains a personal trainer they create a level of commitment that helps support all four of the highlighted items above. If you are part of the 60% of folks who are not getting enough exercise and physical activity in their daily life and just have not been able to make exercise a priority hiring a personal trainer is a great way to create that priority in your life.

Besides your exercise program here are a few easy ways to increase the amount of physical activity in your life:

• Use stairs instead of the elevator
• Ride a bike to work if you can.
• If you live within a few blocks of the store walk rather than drive.
• If you can’t fit in enough time at the gym for cardio, get a home treadmill or other cardio machine and do it at home.
Health Insurance reform is in the news right now.    Click on Dr. Oz   to hear what he has to say about the pending health care reform bill currently before Congress. WORLD GYM Personal Training Gift Certificates are a great Holiday Gift Idea. Only $65/session in blocks of 5 sessions, a 20% discount off the regular price.  Email Gordon at www.bodyarchitectsf@aol.com for details.

For more info: Contact Gordon at bodyarchitectsf@aol.com for information on this or previous articles or call 415.307.0439 to schedule a complementary one hour workout.  Also please visit Gordon's website. Clients are encouraged to visit the Body Architect Yelp page and submit a recommendation for Gordon.

Implementing Change Through Action

If we consider the goal as the intention to change, then an action plan would the implementation of change. An action plan is the when, where and how the goal will be attained, and according to research, people who form action plans have more success achieving the intended change. A valuable key function of a comprehensive action plan is the anticipation of barriers and the exploration of strategies to over come them. No matter how important a goal is, or how well constructed the plan is, obstacles will emerge. Identifying potential barriers and developing strategies to deal with them will increase the likely hood of following through with goal attainment.  

A simple approach to guiding clients through the action plan process is to expand on the SMART goal format (which supplies the what) and determine the how, when and where. Complete the process by identifying potential obstacles and establishing strategies to address them. For example, a goal may be to increase physical activity by performing 45 minutes of calisthenics after work 3 days a week. The plan might be to stop off at the gym on the way home on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The follow up question would be “what could possibly keep you from getting to the gym Monday, Wednesday, and Friday?”  

No two action plans are the same. Although two people may have the same goal, how to implement the goal and the obstacles people face maybe very different. For example, the goal may be to lose 10 pounds within the next two months, however how, where and when the 10 pounds will be lost and the challenges each person might face will be individualistic. This is why a client-centered approach to goal setting and action-planning process is crucial. Guiding the process with open-ended questions and active listening skills will enable each client to find their own goal, plan and solution.  

With every goal and every plan, a time for evaluation and re-evaluation is essential. Life is in a constant state of flux and what was once considered an important goal may diminish in priority. This is why I make SMART goals SMARTER by including periodic evaluation and re-evaluation of the goal and it’s relevance. It is also necessary to evaluate and re-evaluate the action plan to determine how well the plan is working and make adjustments to areas that aren’t effective.  

Speaking of evaluation and re-evaluation, there comes a time when we need to step back and take a critical look at our career path. In my next post I will explore professional development and how we can position ourselves for greater opportunity.  

Karen Moreno, MA Candidacy Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology

BA Social Science/Education

Selling Online Training

Download How To Sell Online Personal Training Script

Here is a handy sample script for selling online personal training. Download and utilize if you wish.
We're getting ready to host another webinar in our Marketing series. Stay tuned.

HyperStrikePro Club Admin Online Trainer Demo

We just recorded a live demo of our Club Admin Features for our Online Personal training and Nutrition. Check it out here: Download 2009-07-24 12.45 Club Admin Demo

The Personal Health Investment Act by Karen Moreno

Financial Incentive To Be More Physically Active

H.R. 2105, The Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2009

 

 

 

Washington is taking a positive step toward reinforcing the importance of physical activity on the health and well-being of Americans. On April 27, 2009 H.R. 2105 was referred to the House committee. If passed, the bill would amend the Internal Revenue Tax Code of 1986 and allow pre-tax medical accounts, such as medical spending accounts (MSAs) or flexible spending accounts (FSAs), to be used for qualified fitness memberships, physical exercise programs, and exercise equipment. 

The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) act would allow taxpayers to place an annual sum of up to $1000 for individuals and $2000 for families in existing pre-tax medical accounts. The intention is that lower activity costs will promote more active lifestyle and improve the health of Americans.

 

Although I am a big proponent of disease prevention and physical activity, I wonder if this financial incentive is enough to motivate people to adopt a more active lifestyle.  How many pieces of home exercise equipment are used as clothing hangers or stored in the garage or the guest room/den/crafts room? How many people have gym memberships but only use them in January or May? How many people have access to corporate wellness facilitates, however never seem to find the time to participate? And here is the big question, what about the people who don’t have or cannot afford health insurance or medical savings plans. How do they gain access to affordable resources for improved health through physical activity? As health and fitness professionals we understand the complexity of the issues surrounding making physical activity a priority, and I wonder if this bill is really addressing the issues surrounding the American people’s motivation to be physical active. My purpose here is not to solve the problem, but to ask questions and start the discussion.

 

To read more about this bill check out http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2105

http://www.ncys.org/pdf/2009/phit2009.pdf

Karen Moreno, MA Candidacy Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology

BA Social Science/Education

Co-Founder Fitness In Action

Goal Mapping - check out demo

Just recorded a brief demo of our goal mapping software we just launched called Goalster. You share your goals with friends and they all help you reach your potential together.  You can post results to Twitter and Facebook too.
Check it out here:
Download 2009-07-22 12.14 Meet Now

Calcific Tendonitis - what is it? by Karen Moreno

I could not lift my arm and was in severe pain! 

Several weeks ago I woke up with my right shoulder feeling tight and achy. I thought back to the previous day’s activities and could not determine any movements out of the ordinary. I recalled working with my morning clients, going home to labor over my computer, and then off to work with my afternoon clients followed by a short evening run with my husband. The only thing I could contribute to the tenderness was the pull-ups I demonstrated for my morning client. However, I perform pull-ups regularly and did not experience an acute injury. Shrugging it off, I went about my day. As the day progressed, the pain and stiffness become severe and as the weekend progressed, I lost strength and range of motion in my shoulder. The pain seemed to encompassed the entire rotator cuff and down my biceps tendon. I could not lift my arm, was in severe pain, and knew something was not right. After a visit to the doctor, the x-ray came back to reveal Calcific Tendonitis.  

Diagnosis: Calcific Tendonitis – What is it?  

Calcific Tendonitis is inflammation caused by calcium deposits, and come to find out, is verily common in middle-aged (30-40 years) adults.  The syndrome can present as chronic recurring symptoms of pain and disability of varying severity or an acute on set of severe pain and tenderness. The calcification can be seen on an x-ray and the most frequent location is the shoulder, commonly the rotator cuff. Additional locations include the hip, elbow, wrist, and knee, and may also present in the hands, ankles and feet.   

The syndrome is not always painful or symptomatic. In fact, many people are not even aware they have calcium deposits until an acute inflammatory response occurs. There are three stages associated with calcific tendonitis. Stage I usually resolves within 1-4 weeks. The subsequent stages represent progressive deterioration of the tissues and may result in tendon tears and occasionally produce erosion of the bone immediately beneath the insertion of the tendon involved.  

Treatment  

Acute calcific tendonitis usually resolves itself, however anti-inflammatory medication and ice therapy can reduce both pain and inflammation. As soon as possible, range of motion exercises should be introduced to help prevent frozen shoulder or loss of mobility in other joint locations. Additionally, rehabilitation exercises can be used to improve joint strength and stability. Other treatments that may shorten the duration of the symptoms include, local cortisone injections to relieve inflammation, and needle aspiration to relieve pressure on the tendon. The majority of people do not require surgery. However, in the case of frequently reoccurring attacks and decreased joint mobility, surgery can remove the deposits and provide relieve.

How does Calcific Tendonitis Develop?  

The exact pathogenesis of calcific tendonitis is not clear and remains controversial.  Several events have been suggested, such as ischemia (lack of blood supply), trauma, and genetic and metabolic factors. What is known is that excess calcium in the diet is not a factor. In fact, restricting dietary calcium will result in our bodies leaching calcium from our bones causing bone weakness and subsequent disease. Age does seem to be a factor, as the syndrome is rarely seen in people under the age of thirty. Physical activity does not seem to be a factor since then syndrome has been diagnosed in both sedentary individuals and athletes.  

Take Home Message  

Until my experience I was not aware of the syndrome. Interestingly, my primary care physician indicated that I would never perform pull-ups again and was doomed to progressive joint deterioration. After several discussions with a sports medicine radiologist and physical therapists, I had another perspective. Although the potential for continued degeneration is present, by creating a healthier shoulder joint through physiotherapy, adequate rest for recovery, and anti-inflammatory therapies when needed, I should be able to successfully continue with my workouts and active lifestyle. If the condition does becomes persistent and debilitating, surgical options are available and I understand have been very successful.  

Karen Moreno, MA Candidacy Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology

BA Social Science/Education

Co-Founder Fitness In Action  

Cluett, J. Calcific Tendonitis: What is calcific tendonitis? About.com June 20, 2006.  Retrieved June 23, 2009, from

      http://orthopedics.about.com/od/rotatorcuff/a/calcific.html 

Hayes, C.W., & Conway, W. F. (1990) Calcium Hydroxyapatite Deposition Disease.

RadioGraphics, 10(6), 1031-1048.  

Shoulder Pain Management (2006-2009). Calcific tendonitis. Retrieved June 23,

      2009, from

      http://www.shoulder-pain-management.com/CalcificTendonitis.html

Who Participates In Online Training and Nutrition?

What percentage of members take advantage of online training and nutrition?
Its a great question.  I always say a whole hearted "it depends."  Why?
It depends on how well you plan to roll it out, market it, train your staff on it, believe in it and incentize sales on it. :)
It can be really successful.  We have a large scale partner where 50% of their members that they have email addresses on join the fitness workouts online!  They put together a full scale marketing campaign to gain email addresses and then promoted thoroughly through out their clubs. 
If you do a median job of planning and promoting and want to offer an additional alternative and resource for members who won't traditionally pay for Personal Training - we see at least 15-20% of members actively involved in online training and nutrition.
I put together this ROI sample- you can download it and view it.
Let me know if you have questions or comments. we're here to help.   

Download ClubROISample

Demo of our Independent Trainer Platform.

We just put together a live demo of our trainer platform.  We host weekly webinars on Thursdays at 11:00a.m. PST (2p.m. EST). If you cannot attend - then feel free to watch the demo here:
Download 2009-07-07 15.23 Trainer Demo

Marketing Webinar Resources Zip File

Chock Full of great marketing, selling, promoting, pricing tools for your online training and nutrition.  Please view my recorded webinar for the full scoop below.
Download Marketing Workshop Resources