Be Fit With Biray

About 3 months ago, I wrote an extensive review of the fitness podcast Cardio Coach Vol. 1 workout, created by Sean O’Malley, founder and voice of Cardio Coach. I had been so impressed with his workouts that I’ve since included his other volumes as part of my personal fitness routine. A week ago I was on a business trip in southern California (Cardio Coach is based out of San Diego) where I met up with Sean for lunch to talk more about health, exercise, fitness and technology. Who was this man behind the science/technology of podcasting cardio?

“I teach a cycle class at 9:15 on Sunday mornings, too” he said on the phone prior to my making the flight arrangements for my trip. “You’re more than welcome to attend.” Cool, I thought. I can get an informal interview AND a great workout in one day! So, I booked a 6am flight out of Phoenix so I could make it in time to Sean’s class. After a physically challenging workout, I was definitely ready for some oceanside cuisine and good conversation.

I always find it fascinating when fitness professionals adopt current forms of technology and use it creatively to deliver exercise to their clients. Over 6 years ago, Sean started delivering his programs via audio to his dad to get him to exercise more. Once the idea gained momentum, he realized his efforts could turn into a business. Cardio Coach now has clients downloading workouts from around the world!

If you can’t tell by listening to him during the workouts, when you meet him you’ll know just how passionate Sean is about fitness. He’s always going beyond the ‘gym doors’ (if you will) by making sure his members and clients are enjoying each workout and meeting their fitness potential. During our conversation I discovered that Sean is just as genuine and ‘real’ in person as he is on his CDs/mp3s. He shared several inspiring stories of those clients whose lives have changed from listening to his workouts – something that he felt both humbled and inspired him throughout these years.

With so much creative potential and grounded spirit, I sense we will continue seeing Sean’s efforts cut across other arenas – not just in fitness. But in the meantime, I will continue to keep him in my playlist this training season.

Thank you, Sean, for taking time out of your Sunday to let me pick your fitness brain! Although I got a little too much San Diego sun, it was definitely worth it!

Last week, I presented at the National Wellness Conference in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. While checking my regular Twitter feeds, I came across @jodyNwellness who had just started following me a few days prior to my departure. After checking out her tweet-feed, I decided to follow her, too.

Because of my crazy schedule, I had to miss the first 3 days of the week-long conference. The morning of my flight, I noticed a tweet from @jodyNwellness regarding a session she was attending, presented by Mary Miscisin. I wasn’t sure, but I asked if she was at the conference (and she was) and mentioned that I’d be there later that day. She gave me the scoop on the tech landscape of the area (wifi connection status, etc). And eventually we agreed we should meet once I arrived!

Jody introduced herself during one of my activity sessions on ‘exergaming’. It turned out, she had already planned on attending a few of my sessions (so I suppose we would’ve met, eventually).

We hung out at breakfast and quickly realized how much we had in common. We were both into health/wellness and technology (and quite possibly the only two using Twitter at the conference – LOL!). I guess Twitter works in mysterious ways. Not only did it make my experience at the conference more engaging, but I also made an awesome new friend!

For the past several months (as part of my research for a fitness/tech article I’m writing), I’ve been exploring the various ways health and fitness professionals are using YouTube. I’ve come to find many applications that have been beneficial for both group exercise instructors and personal trainers.

One personal trainer in particular, Steve Turano from BodyPerformanceTV, has been using YouTube to educate the public on various health and fitness issues. He’s got over 180 different videos posted, covering topics from nutrition to weight training. Although informational vodcasts are common, Turano’s posts are unique in that he uses YouTube like a video-email (similar to EyeJot). People send in questions and if enough inquiries come in on a particular topic, Turano responds via YouTube. His advantage: He engages his audience directly by answering relevant questions THEY want to hear and uploads them in a timely manner (i.e. he vodcasts).

So, I contacted Turano and asked him if would be interested in trying Stickam, a live streaming video chat-room. Since I’m always looking for ways health/fitness professionals can experiment with new technologies, he was open to my request and was willing to give it a go. He quickly set up his channel and we did a few test runs live (there was a lot of echoing problems at first). He then promoted his ‘live show’ on YouTube, and did his first webcast tonight!

“I thought tonight went very well. Probably had about 15 people average and some very good questions. I believe people really appreciated it and they were interested in me presenting again next week,” he said in an email he sent to me afterwards.

Although I couldn’t stay during the entire webcast, I did stop in at the beginning to see how things were going!

He seemed to be facilitating the session quite nicely and having a great time doing it!

Thank you, Steve, for being open to trying something new so we can all learn something from your experience! Good luck with your future webcasts – keep us posted on how things evolve!

No, it’s not a typo. I didn’t mean to write “North by Northwest” (the famous Hitchock-Cary Grant flick thriller). I meant, South by Southwest – the Austin based film-music-interactive media festival!!!  AAAAH! I’ve been wanting to attend this conference since I was a film student in college. But since leaving the ‘biz’ and developing interests in the new media technology, this year I finally get to attend the interactive portion!

My colleagues and fellow Twitter friends from Arizona will also be there… @rrodrigo, @cogdog, @iboughtamac, and @hardaway! I’m looking forward to meeting new uber-techno geeks, like me, and entertaining conversations that explore the possibilities of the future!

I will be tweeting as often as possible, so be sure to follow my feed @befitt. But I will also be tumbling live from Austin on my new Tumblr Blog (it’s like Twitter but you get to microblog with text, pictures, audio, and video!)

See y’all when I get back!

It was Tuesday evening and I was hard at work on a presentation for Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center in Scottsdale, AZ on how to integrate Web 2.0 technologies with their programming (thanks to Jennifer Sukalo for connecting me with this opportunity). When all of a sudden… “beep-beep-beep” – in came a text message from my Twitter gal @soul4real. It said I had been ‘tagged’ and included a link to Dr.Coop’s (aka @soul4real) blog post.

Here’s what it said:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences (sentences 6-9).
5. Tag five people.

Normally, I never participate in these kinds of digital chain letters. And at this crucial hour, I simply didn’t have any time for them. But after reading Dr.Coop’s post about how she met a new colleague online by doing one, I thought it might be worth connecting with someone new.

Here’s my contribution (beware: this author loves long sentences):

“Many of these feelings can be quite intense, especially when all of our usual outlets such as talking, doing things, moving around, reading, or listening to the radio are intentionally suspended. While many people find the all-day session enjoyable from the very start, for others the moments of relaxation and peace, if any, may be interspersed with other experiences that may be a lot less enjoyable. Physical pain can well up for extended stretches; so can emotional pain or discomfort in the form of anxiety or boredom or guilt feelings about being here rather than someplace else, especially if someone had to give up a lot to come today.”

Book is called “Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness” by the one and only author Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. The excerpt is from a chapter on experiencing a full day of mindfulness and the exercises that accompany the day’s session. Very interesting.

So, like my predecessors, I’m also changing the rules. I’m choosing only health and fitness colleagues to tag and the books they choose have to be health or fitness-related in some way (I figured, at least we all might learn something in the process, right?)

1. Pick up the nearest health, fitness, or wellness book (of at least 123 pages).
2. (the rest remains the same as above…)

I’ve chosen to tag my Twitter friends in hopes to get to know them a little better.

1. @jasoncscs (aka Jason White) – a personal trainer on the east coast, an active tweeter with lots of information and podcasts on his website www.strengthnation.com! I would love to find out what interesting fitness topics he’s been reading about.
2. @FitnessRocks (aka Monte Ladner, MD) – Board certified in Anesthesiology and Chronic Pain Management, Dr. Ladner really gives back to the community with delightful podcasts and informational blog posts. I would love to know where his latest health adventures have taken him.
3. @sportyspice – this gal is fierce and fun to follow on Twitter. Always active, always sporty. Wonder what new things this personal trainer is learning about!
4. @tryingfitness (Eartha) – Props to my Twitter gal on the west coast – when you’ve tried everything else in fitness, you go to her blog. Tell us your latest and greatest reading material.
5. @spacekicker – one of my best friends from college, lover of everything caffeine and not-so healthy hamburgers. But he does exercise, I give him that much. Forcing him to pick up and actually read any health book (if he even has one) might do him some good. (Also, he’s made me do these digital chain letters in the past – so now it’s his turn to do one of mine!)

So, to all my Twitter pals: tag, you’re it!

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!

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.

Amanda Vogel is back this year with her latest book for health and fitness professionals entitled “Anatomy of an Article” – get plenty of great tips on writing for magazines, websites, blogs, newspapers, newsletters and more! If you want to focus specifically on improving your blogging skills, you can also subscribe to CopyBlogger – they always have ideas that help stimulate creative blog posts!

(Small plug) IDEA Health & Fitness Association published my first article this month! It’s always a proud moment when you see your name in print inside a real magazine – and this is my first time in a mainstream trade journal (so I’m unusually excited about it)! The article is featured in the January issue of IDEA Fitness Journal. It’s about developing the “Client-Trainer Blog” to promote health behavior change.

Kix Kayamanu has also embarked on a freelance writing career in Second Life. She was recently hired as a columnist for The Looking Glass, an online magazine covering the latest happenings inside the metaverse. Kix’s column “Shape Up” features her first article “Avatars Have Heart” where she discusses the importance of staying active in both a virtual life and real life!

When it comes to subscribing to blogs, you have to spend a lot of time sorting through a million foggy-blogs before finding those that are substancial (and hopefully, still active) enough to read. I don’t care if Technorati claims over 70 million blogs online. I just want to know which blogs are worth following and which ones I should avoid completely. And in terms of health and wellness, the challenge is even greater to find blogs that are informational, creative, and let’s face it, honest. (We are all sick of hearing/reading/blogging about quick fix weight-loss and fitness gimmicks.)

Like many online addicts, I’ve spent countless hours on the web looking for relevant blogs in my profession. This week, NOEDb (Nursing Online Education Database) published the top 100 Health and Wellness blogs. (Now I can finally have my Second Life back. LOL!) The list covers all blogs dealing with medicine, general health/disease, weight-loss, diet, nutrition, physical activity, strength training, and alternative health/medicine.

Although a list like this has been long overdue, I am ecstatic that it’s finally available for people to use as a reference (if you haven’t been subscribing to them already). But I have to make one big comment about this list (okay, maybe two)…

Glancing at the blogs, I’d say most of them are written by those who are NOT professionals in their field. This, by no means, invalidates these blogs – in fact, it probably validates them more. They have no ulterior motives. Their authenticity relies on the combination of experiencial knowledge, passion in wanting current & relevant information, and enthusiasm for their topic. Perhaps they are a greater resource than their professional counterparts. It’s somehow more endearing to follow a newbie in his journey to train for a triathlon than reading a professional trainer’s how-to blog to triathlons (aka training guide, aka from his book, aka that you should buy, aka from Amazon.)

So I started thinking: Why didn’t any of the blogs written by personal trainers, group exercise instructors, or lifestyle/wellness coaches make this list? I know they exist. Don’t these health/fitness professionals have experiencial knowledge, stay current on industry education, and have enthusiasm for what they do? I would hope so. So, why wouldn’t this list reflect these professional blogs? Mmm, something to think about…

The article also mentions the lack of alternative health/medicine blogs. It only listed 4 quality blogs under this category (not counting the 2 pilates and yoga blogs), of which 2 were on acupuncture/pressure, 1 on massage therapy/body work, and 1 on Chinese medicine. Quite a limited range. Isn’t there a growing community in alternative medicine, naturopathy/homeopathy, and other holisic and complementary health practices?

So, where is the presence of our health, fitness, and wellness professionals in the blogosphere?