Be Fit With Biray

As personal trainers and group exercise instructors, we often complement or ‘outsource’ portions of our program design in order to create a more comprehensive workout for our clients. (I’ve often suggested cardio routines or fitness classes for clients to participate in addition to our sessions.)

However, with the popularity of downloadable fitness podcasts (which include every kind of cardio routine, muscular conditioning exercises, and yoga and pilates practices) consumers are not complementing their traditional in-person training. They are starting to replace them. And why shouldn’t they? Podcasts are affordable (anywhere from $0.99 to $3.99 per workout), produced by top fitness professionals, are regularly updated, and can conveniently integrate into anyone’s schedule.

I think it’s important for fitness professionals to listen to these podcasts and see exactly how they might impact our clients’ programming. From there, we can recommend or advise accordingly. Unfortunately, there are more than a dozen companies that provide comprehensive health/fitness podcasts. I can’t imagine anyone has the time to listen to every single one… but someone’s got to start somewhere…

Podcasts should be scored under two categories: exercise science (what are the physiological demands of the workout, are there any contraindicated moves, etc.) and exercise adherence (what features lead to continued subscriptions, what techniques from health behavior change models are applied, how are cues articulated, etc.). I don’t spend too much time dissecting the physiological impact of a workout unless there is a major discrepancy in this area. The biggest problem in our country is not trying a workout, it’s maintaining one. So my reviews tend to be heavier on adherence-side.

I started with Marina’s Podcasts first because the demos I listened to were instantly engaging. Marina is not only a fitness personality, but an entertainer (her background in dance and music gives her podcasts a lot of spunk). I immediately downloaded “Treadmill Workout #2″ and “Motivational cardio program #23″ (chosen purely for their appeal to my musical tastes).

Exercise Science: Marina’s workouts range from 20-30 mintues at length (which is perfect if you want to customize your workouts by combining two or three programs). Also, it meets the Surgeon General’s recommedations for daily physical activity. I strapped on my heart rate monitor and followed her technical cues for the treadmill routine. The speed and incline transitions were executed comfortably, workout was sustainable. Those who are brand new to exercise or don’t enjoy running, may find this particular design a bit challenging (as it includes running speeds above 5.2 mph). But Marina’s encouragement allows for different options. I opted out of the running portion and still found the workout to be effective. Does not cue regular water breaks, so drink plenty of water before, during, and after workout.

Although every fitness level will benefit from Marina’s podcasts, I would definitely recommend to those who are just starting an exercise program. Marina does not overwhelm the participant with tons of fitness jargon and exercise physiology. It seems her goal in the cardio designs is to keep you entertained while moving. And realistically, that’s all most of us really need!

Exercise Adherence: Marina’s energy takes ahold of you immediately. She is positive and funny, singing and humming along with her music. You instantly connect with her. She understands the challenges we have with exercise because she, too, struggled with her own body weight (once weighing 215 pounds, then dropping 100 pounds through diet & exercise). She truly is your exercise partner - not dictator. I found myself constantly smiling throughout the workout, and even laughing out loud at several of her comments (startling those around me). I repeated both workouts twice more after that and enjoyed them just the same.

The motivational workouts were (to me) more effective in keeping me on track than the treadmill ones because I didn’t have to adhere to a particular program design (which can sometimes make you feel guilty or unsuccessful if you can’t keep up with a pre-programmed workout). Marina gives you the option of purchasing her workout programs without instructions – in the event you only want to buy her music (which is also well-produced).

The only criticism I had came from several cues I felt were oddly placed or vague – such as, her disclaimer on consulting a physician before starting an exercise program (which was articulated halfway into the workout). Or, her refering you to a fitness professional at the gym regarding any questions you may have about the workout (this is assuming you’re even at the gym). But why would a person, who may already feel hesitant in participating in group fitness or relunctant in getting a trainer (hence why they’re listening to a podcast), approach someone else with questions (especially not knowing what questions they should have.) Isn’t this why they are paying for podcasts in the first place – to be guided and instructed? I couldn’t quite figure out who Marina’s audience was.

With that said, I truly respect and applaud Marina for her contributions (she has quite the database of podcasts). Like so many of us, our underlying goal is in helping people sustain healthier lifestyles – and obviously what works for one client, may not work for someone else. Thank you for a great workout, Marina! Continue doing what you do!!!

If you have any podcasts you’d like me to review or have evaluated some on your own, I’d love to hear from you. But for now, let’s continue to learn from each others’ efforts.

After all, aren’t we just the same peas in a podcast?

I enjoy evolving my personal yoga practice by gaining additional insights from other yoga instructors, thoughtful readings, and other intimate experiences. Usually on Sundays, I challenge my practice with a heated or yin/relax yoga class at local InnerVision Yoga studio. This morning was different. My energy was distracted and I couldn’t make it out of the house in time for class. So, being the techno-driven fitness geek that I am, I defaulted to my resources on the web – podcasts.

This morning I downloaded a free yoga podcast from aliveyoga.com – a site delivering recordings from actual yoga classes by world-renowned instructors. The yoga-cast was guided by Beryl Bender Birch, the founder and director of The Hard & the Soft Yoga Institute in East Hampton and Vermont and best-selling author Power Yoga. It was an hour and thirty-four minute intermediate class, primarily focused on flow.

Being that I’m a visual learner, it is difficult for me to grasp cues solely by listening. This was both challenging and frustrating during my practice. (Ironically, working through this challenge became the focus of my experience this morning.) Around 53 minutes, I strayed a bit from the format. I reconnected again at the end, during savasana or final relaxation/meditation.

Initially, I found the experience to be disorienting – I’m so reliant on having a visual guide. It is also a bit distracting to hear Birch talking to other participants – although it does give the feeling of a real-time class. I was hoping she’d bring more attention to her ‘podcast’ audience. But Birch definitely delivers a well-designed class. Now that I’m familiar with her cues and poses, I wouldn’t mind listening to this podcast a second or third time. However, I would not recommend this yoga-cast for those who are unfamiliar with yoga terminology – especially in Sanskrit form.

I will continue to explore various health-related podcasts and post my thoughts on the blog. I want to gain a better understanding of the value and limitations that come with delivering fitness and wellness classes through audio formats.

Namaste

The use of technology can be debatable when it comes to education – when is it appropriate to bring technology into the classroom, what kind of technology is effective in teaching, and how will it ultimately benefit student learning? These are some of the questions that are frequently appearing in today’s academic conversations. Check out Educause, a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology.

At Mesa Community College, I co-facilitate (with colleague Shelley Rodrigo) a sub-group within the Faculty Professional Learning Community (FPLC) specifically about new technologies in education (we call ourselves the “Jetsons”). A group of us (staff and faculty) gather regularly and discuss topics like podcasting, blogging, Second Life, wikis and other types of social media and explore how they apply to our own teachings.

I’m always interested in how these technologies apply to health and fitness education. Becuase I discuss a wide range of health-related topics in my classes, I feel it’s important that students have an opportunity to broadcast what they’ve learned with the public. This is valuable for two reasons: 1) the quality of work increases when students know their projects will be viewed by the public, 2) it is another way to increase health awareness in the our local and global community.

Technology allows people to easily create media messages and broadcast them online. So why not create more health-related messages? So, this semester I’ve been toying with the use of blogging, podcasting, and vodcasting in health and fitness education. Embedding these features within projects and assignments, I’m learning a lot about the effectiveness of this technology as my students discuss the pros/cons of their experiences in using them.

Podcasts: Every 2-3 weeks I give the students a challenge to create a podcast on an assigned question or topic. One week I asked them to interview people in the community about their barriers to exercise. The next day we listened to the podcasts and used these real-life scenarios to discuss ways to combat people’s resistance to physical activity. I found that Gabcast was the most convenient way for students to capture audio and publish the podcast simply by using their cellphones – no mics, computer audio programs, post-production edit, etc. (I’ve posted these student podcasts on the class blog.)

Vodcasting: With over 65,000 videos uploaded to YouTube a day, it’s evident that audio/video production is not as cumbersome as it used to be. Back in the day (when I went to school), asking students to create a multi-media presentation for class (unless it was a film/TV production course) was a challenge. I’ve found that this net-generation of students are less resistant to these kinds of opportunities. This semester each student is creating a health-related public service announcement (PSA). Using JumpCut to create their message, students can create an effective montage sequence coupled with music and informative text. They can share their work with friends, family, and the public (and get direct feedback)! (I’ve posted these PSA’s on the class blog.)

Blogging: I haven’t decided how to best integrate the use of blogs into my classes, yet. So far I have only offered assignments where students can follow certain health-related blogs and report feedback on them. Also, I’m keeping a public class blog and using it as the platform to share the students’ PSAs, podcast challenges, and research projects with the community.

I’m looking forward to exploring more of these technologies in hopes to find better ways to improve teaching and learning in health education.