Be Fit With Biray

We often hear people say “you’ve got to get a blog!” Obviously blogging serves many purposes, both personally and professionally. But creating a blog is easy – otherwise Technorati would not be tracking 112 million of them. It’s maintaining a successful blog, that counts.

A few months ago, I discussed Blogging for Health & Wellness when reviewing “Top 100 Blogs in Health & Fitness”. Over the past 7-8 months, one blog in particular (which was not included on the 100 list, but should have been) has caught my attention: “Unleash the Power of Group Fitness” authored by Krista Leopold, Director of Group Fitness for several clubs in the Charleston, SC area.

This blog is unique in that the blogger caters to an audience that is least represented in the blogosphere: Group Exercise Instructors. In addition, this blog is a true illustration of how a blog can be useful in educating and elevating the professional expertise of its audience. Krista’s voice is authentic and her posts are timely. I had the chance to connect with Krista and ask her questions about her experiences as a blogger.

BFWB: When and how did you get the idea to start blogging about group exercise?
KL: It started with reading blogs. There was a point when the Internet exploded with weblogs and it was impossible to avoid them. Most of the blogs I read at first were trite and self-absorbed, like public diaries. I was frustrated that most fitness sites had minimal substance and maximum vanity. I wanted to provide value to readers that I had been unable to find. After considering the different forms my message could take, I decided to reach out to Group Fitness Instructors and provide a service that I had not found anywhere else on the web.

BFWB: Who does your blog target – the newbie or the veteran instructor?
KL: Both, but more specifically newer instructors. I remember how frightened and intimidated I was in my first days of teaching group fitness. I had many many questions but no mentors. My first Director attempted to be helpful, but she didn’t know how to teach me to bring more people in to my class — she only insisted that I did. I made lots of mistakes figuring it out on my own, so I try to be a mentor for new instructors who are in the same boat. I also try to remind veteran instructors that there are things they may have forgotten, never learned or taken for granted. I also try to provide choreography, tips and motivational cues that are usable by anyone, regardless of experience level.

BFWB: I love your blog’s mission statement “to assist instructors, whatever their experience level, at being the best they can be.” Can you expand on that?
KL: I recognize that group fitness instructors don’t teach just one medium anymore. We are yogis and spinners and dancers and steppers and body sculptors and kickboxers and more. But whatever the discipline, GFIs are also salesmen, customer service reps and personal trainers and even therapists! I try to provide a broader picture to instructors that I hope allows a vision of themselves as more than the person barking orders to students…[rather] to rethink how you as an instructor approach your class and can provide a positive learning experience.

BFWB: Why don’t you think more fitness professionals – group ex instructors especially, are out there blogging?
KL: I would guess lack of time, experience, and knowledge. This is a pretty big time commitment if you intend to provide well-thought, relevant, helpful inspiration. Other instructors may also be unaware that they have experiences and information that could help others. Trusting yourself and knowing your message take time and self-evaluation. I overcame the time issue when life asked me to take a full-time corporate job that allowed me to do most of my writing on lunch breaks. Before, when I was at the gym all day, it never would have happened. I also imagine that whereas a personal trainer can see a direct marketing effect from their blogs in the form of clients, a GFI may not see where they can gain anything tangible. I began with no known benefits except for an occasional pat on the back from a commenter or email.

BFWB: What has been a rewarding benefit you have seen come from your blogging experience?
KL: The most rewarding thing is how I have improved as an instructor. I started blogging with a pretty big ego; I thought I was doing a great service and that I had enough knowledge to tell others what they were missing in their instructing. It is refreshing to say that my ego has shrunk with every post and my skills have flourished. Writing involves a humbling self-evaluation and a challenge to fight my own bad habits and laziness. I have experienced growth that I never expected and it has been a real blessing. The effects to my career have only recently begun to happen. I was asked to contribute to a book that will be published later this year and have had the opportunity to network with folks working in areas I want to pursue. While no dramatic changes or “lottery moments” have happened yet, I see many doors opening that will allow me very soon to leave my corporate shoes behind and return full-time to the fitness industry.

A big thanks goes to Krista for sharing her insights. We all can learn from her knowledge and experience (not just in group exercise, but through her blogging efforts, as well). I know she will continue to contribute to the growth of this industry and raise the bar for the group exercise profession.

Despite being a bit of a techno-geek, I’m still a health educator and fitness professional first. I admit, I spend countless hours on the web exploring online tools and reading up on new technology. But I see my efforts as directly helping me better understand this gadget-driven, internet-savvy culture. I’m striving to become more effective in teaching and implementing health behavior change programs to our net-gens. (The fact that I love all this new media technology simply happens to be a bonus!)

The popularity of current internet trends aside (like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, podcasting, blogging) people are still choosing to make poor health-related decisions. How come the health status of Americans are so devastating?

I had taken a course on health promotion in grad school which had exposed me to multiple behavior change theories. But it hardly had given me adequate experience in the application of these theories. I wanted to learn more about program design, especially alongside the recent influences of new media technology. Last October I bought and read a book called Hands-On Social Marketing written by Nedra Weinreich, founder and President of Weinreich Communications. I also started following Nedra’s blog, Spare Change, which often informed me of how various organizations (government, non-profit) were creatively utilizing web 2.0 tools while still advocating good health.

While I was in SoCal this weekend, I had the opportunity to sit down with Nedra for breakfast! We had a great conversation about health behavior change and the role internet technology has been playing in enhancing these efforts. We talked about her role at UCLA’s School of Public Health, teaching a course on social marketing. And then transitioned into a discussion about health initiatives in Second Life.

Incidentally, it was also my first time meeting someone face-to-face who I’ve only known in the context of a blog, Facebook and Twitter. (Thomas L. Friedman was right – the world is flat!)

Thank you, Nedra, for taking the time to entertain a delightful conversation about health, behavior change, and web 2.0 technology! It was a pleasure meeting you!

I had the opportunity to lunch with Ernie Medina (“Exergaming Evangelist”) this weekend while I was visiting southern California. I met him on Sunday afternoon outside of his exergaming facility XRTainment Zone. I had first heard of Ernie while exploring the exergaming community amidst working on my master’s thesis. In 2006, I also met him briefly at the Games For Health conference in Baltimore, MD.

Little did I know, we would both create Google Alerts for ‘exergames’ (or some derivative of the word) and follow similar links and blogs on the topic over the next two years. Everytime I’d come across an exergaming post, Ernie would have already been there, usually having posted the first comment. And if someone wrote about exergaming unfavorably, he was quick to counter the post with reasons in support of exergaming – justifying with hyperlinks, health statistics, and gaming research to back up his comments. In addition, he would email the exergaming listserv and suggest they do the same!

When I arrived to the Zone, Ernie enthusiastically showed me the facility (btw, the pictures on their website hardly do it justice – it’s so much better live). The ‘Zone’ really sets the bar when it comes to creating an optimum exergaming facility. Its comfortable layout and design (use of space), exercise programming (full with testing and assessments), and community outreach efforts are far better than most traditional fitness facilities. They even have a kitchen area devoted to full cooking classes and a room for Yoga. Plus, they have free wireless (what a bonus!)

You can’t help but appreciate (and support) the lengths Ernie is going to in the name of exergaming! Spending a few hours with him last Sunday made it evident why he truly is the “Exergaming Evangelist”!

Thank you, Ernie, for your time and hospitality!
See you all at the Games For Health Conference this May!

This past Friday I was in southern California presenting a workshop entitled “Blogging for Health, Fitness, and Wellness Professionals.” Although the 4-hour workshop began with an overview of blogging, the main focus was in teaching how to customize and utilize blogs within the health, fitness, and wellness profession.

The workshop was held in one of San Diego’s premiere computer labs (MicroTek) where the participants had access to the internet and were able to create their blogs – live - during the presentation. Continuing education credits for ACE, AFAA, CanFitPro, and NASM were also offered.

During our group discussions, we stumbled upon a very interesting ethical question:

“Should there be a blogging code of ethics for health, fitness, and wellness blogs?”
Back when I wrote about blogging for health in an earlier post last October, I posed the question “why were only a small percentage of the bloggers listed in the Top 100 Health & Fitness Blogs actually written by certified and educated health and fitness professionals?”

The healthcare industry has taken to blogging very quickly. So much so, that they have their own annual conference (Blogging for Healthcare) and their own code of ethics “Blogging Code for Healthcare Professionals and Patients.” Read the full code of ethics here. All medical practitioners (and patients) who have been approved as healthcare bloggers, showcase their healthcare blogger ‘code of ethics’ emblem directly on their blog.

Hence the question – should a blogging code be created for the fitness & wellness industry?

Would creating a code elevate and separate the professional blogs from those blogs written by general health and fitness enthusiasts (such as those listed in the Top 100)? Could this be a way our professionals can showcase their talents and expertise within the online community? If you were your client, wouldn’t you rather read a health-fitness approved blog? And if a code did exist – what would be its standards?

As technology advances and our clients venture into digital worlds and online communities, we will have to address these questions appropriately. Are we, as an industry, prepared?

Let’s face it, it helps to be connected.

Now, the company that brings you ‘innovative desk exercises’ is offering free workouts for Facebook members. That’s right, Desk-Trainer.com has created a corresponding Facebook application that you can add right into your profile. Now you can check-up on friends and update your stats while reducing the risks of carpal tunnel!

You can select from various exercises to help release pressure in your neck, decrease low back and shoulder pain, alleviate headaches, and of course, reduce the risks for carpal tunnel. Seeing as women are “three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome,” according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), I thought I’d try some of the wrist strengthening exercises.

So I added the application, cleared my desk and prepared to get my sweat on.

“Imagine your wrists are sinking into a pool of dense honey,” the ominous voice says. Not sure exactly what that means, but I do what the cartoon man tells me and hope for the best. I do end up going through all the available free exercises. All were well-articulated and thorough. Surprisingly, my body felt much better for doing them.

If you have time this week, try it for yourself. At the very least, you might get a few ideas for your next corporate stress management seminar.

Will this be the future of online training? Embedding animated workouts within our online social networking sites? Perhaps not exactly in this format, but I wouldn’t completely discount the idea.