Studies have reported conflicting results on the use of post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prevent cardiovascular disease. A new study in the Dec. 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine provides insight on the relation between HRT, including estrogens alone and with progestin.
Wing states that theMFA does not see competition with commercial facilities as a major factor. It is true that members in medically based centers are considerably older than in their commercial counterparts — even though the commercial market has been positioning itself to appeal to this group. Read more…
In most cases, hypothyroidism is a permanent condition that requires life-long treatment with a natural thyroid supplement. There really are not any other treatment options once you and your doctor have decided that your thyroid is underactive enough to require treatment. Read more…
Often, annual member surveys (followed by specific mini-surveys) may highlight the real needs of current members, rather than relying on the guesswork and poor feedback from frontline staff. Too often, fitness center operators invest in physical plant and equipment items that have no effect on the overall membership and its satisfaction level. Read more…
While the majority of Americans will be eating hot turkey on November 23, the American Cancer Society (ACS) is urging Americans to go “cold turkey” — for at least one day — on Nov. 16.
It’s amazing what a little renovation can do for your business. Just ask the Peggy & Philip B. Crosby Wellness Center, which not only increased member retention as a result of its “Fitness Furbish” redesign, but also bolstered its personal training program by a whopping 500 percent.
The redesign began as an effort to boost the facility’s cardiovascular offerings, per requests from members. To do this meant increasing staff, as well as hardware. The problem, however, was that the existing facility would accommodate neither. “It was an architect’s dream, but a functional nightmare,” says wellness services director Bob Brosmer. “The designers didn’t really understand the fitness market. The place was great-looking, but for it to function the way we hand in mind would entail a lot of work.” Read more…
The above discussion may suggest that we should not utilize target heart rate for assessing exercise intensity. In reality, monitoring heart rate during exercise is important and useful, provided that the fitness instructor and participant understand the concept and implementation of perceived exertion being an essential component of successfully assessing exercise intensity. Read more…
The American Heart Association (AHA) wants AEDs in every workplace and public area. The goal of AHA’s Operation Heartbeat is to increase the survival rate from cardiac arrest from 5 percent to 20 percent by 2011.
Every year, 225,000 people in the United States die from cardiac arrest. Unlike a heart attack, cardiac arrest kills in minutes.
Having an AED onsite provides several advantages: Every minute that cardiac arrest victims go untreated, their chances of survival drop by 10 percent.
Another advantage of AEDs is that they are easy to use; they are designed to be what they are labeled, automatic.These are some things to think about when you aredeciding whether to purchase an AED for your fitness facility.
Q.My father was recently diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus on endoscopy and biopsy findings. His gastroenterologist has prescribed medications for it. What are the complications of having this condition? Is it reversible? What are his options if the medications didn’t work? Read more…
Q.I have a friend who bleeds bright red blood from his rectum. He thinks it might be an ulcer. Is that a possibility? Read more…