Embedded Fitness (Netherlands)

Introducción: La obesidad y los trastornos metabólicos relacionados, como la diabetes tipo 2 y las enfermedades cardiovasculares, están aumentando a nivel mundial, lo que hace que las intervenciones efectivas sean cruciales. Las dietas altas en proteínas y la actividad física estructurada son estrategias prometedoras para combatir estos problemas. Objetivo: Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar el impacto de las dietas altas en proteínas combinadas con actividad física en la pérdida de grasa, la salud metabólica y la sostenibilidad de los sistemas alimentarios.Metodología: Un ensayo controlado aleatorizado de 12 semanas con 60 participantes evaluó los efectos de una dieta alta en proteínas (1.6-2.0 g/kg de peso corporal) y actividad física estructurada (ejercicio aeróbico y de resistencia) en la composición corporal, el metabolismo de la glucosa y los perfiles lipídicos. El grupo control siguió una dieta equilibrada sin intervención de ejercicio. Se recolectaron datos sobre antropometría, marcadores bioquímicos y adherencia a los protocolos.Resultados: El grupo de intervención mostró reducciones significativas en el peso corporal (6.2 kg), la masa grasa (4.8 kg) y la circunferencia de la cintura (8.5 cm). Los niveles de glucosa en ayunas y los perfiles lipídicos mejoraron, con una reducción del 12% en glucosa y una reducción del 18% en colesterol LDL. El grupo control mostró cambios mínimos.Discusión: La intervención combinada de dietas altas en proteínas y actividad física demostró efectos sinérgicos en la pérdida de grasa y la salud metabólica, destacando la importancia de las estrategias integradas para el manejo de la obesidad. También se observaron respuestas específicas por género.Conclusiones: Este estudio respaldó la eficacia de las intervenciones combinadas de dieta y ejercicio en la promoción de la pérdida de grasa y la mejora de la salud metabólica. Sin embargo, se necesitan más estudios a largo plazo para evaluar la sostenibilidad y las aplicaciones más amplias para la salud pública.

This book provides a straightforward, accessible guide to going on a silent meditation retreat. Written by experienced retreat facilitators, this book presents a mix of Buddhist wisdom, insights from modern psychology and mindfulness research and personal accounts from meditators who have attended retreats with them in the last 30 years. The chapters provide advice on preparing for the retreat, such as booking and what to pack, and offer practical day-to-day guidance about how to sit whilst being kind to knee, back or other physical issues. There is detailed information about how to work compassionately with the difficult thoughts or emotions and other challenges participants typically encounter on this kind of more intensive meditation programme, as well as how to cultivate joy, gratitude, compassion and balance. The focus is on in-person retreats, but this book also offers some guidance for teaching and participating in online home retreats, a new development which has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone considering going on a silent meditation retreat to step out of the often frantic and overwhelming round of day-to-day activity and find space for reflection. It will also be of use to mindfulness teachers or trainees who are required to go on retreat for qualification purposes and to current or trainee retreat facilitators.

Against the background of a sustained increase in the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG), the effectiveness of standard population-based dietary recommendations appears to be limited. According to estimates by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the global prevalence of hyperglycemia in the prenatal period has reached a critical level, affecting 15,6% of all live births in 2024. A substantial methodological and technological gap is evident, driven by the fragmentation of existing digital solutions: despite compelling results from point solutions, such as the use of artificial intelligence methods for predicting GDM risk and Internet of Things (IoT) systems for continuous monitoring of the condition of pregnant women, these tools are generally not integrated into a single system for supporting clinical and nutrition-related decision-making. In this context, a scientific and practical objective emerges: to develop a holistic concept of digital infrastructure aimed at personalized pregnancy management under increased metabolic risks. Within this objective, the conceptual architecture of an Intelligent Nutrition Platform (INP) is substantiated, intended for comprehensive, dynamic digital personalization of diet and physical activity in pregnant women. A three-level organization of the INP is envisaged, based on multimodal phenotyping, including: real-time recording of physiological parameters using IoT devices, detailed analysis of dietary intake employing computer vision technologies and semantic data processing, and integration of omics information, in particular microbiome profiles. The intelligent core of the platform is built on adaptive ensemble machine learning algorithms operating in an environment protected by a blockchain architecture, which ensures interoperability, integrity, and confidentiality of data at all stages of their lifecycle. It is expected that the implementation of the INP will substantially increase the accuracy of early prediction of metabolic risks during gestation, strengthen pregnant women’s adherence to personalized nutritional and behavioral interventions and, consequently, improve key indicators of maternal metabolic status as well as fetal growth and development.

Pandemi Covid-19 membawa dampak yang sangat berpengaruh kepada tutupnya usaha-usaha masyarakat di bidang komersial contohnya seperti restoran, pusat perbelanjaan, perhotelan, obyek wisata, dan lainnya, termasuk juga fitness center yang merupakan puskemas masyarakat yang utama agar masyarakat bisa berolahraga untuk meningkatkan imunitas di masa-masa pandemi ini. Selain itu fitness center juga merupakan tempat yang penting dalam mendukung gaya hidup sehat dan aktif di masyarakat. Melihat kondisi tersebut, masyarakat membutuhkan suatu sarana untuk dapat mendukung aktivitas berolahraga secara aman di masa pandemi ini guna memperkebal imunitas. Melalui perancangan fitness center dengan konsep bangunan pasif yang memanfaatkan kondisi alam setempat di kota Malang dengan pendekatan design & behaviour berdasarkan rutinitas penggunanya untuk mencegah terjadinya penularan Covid-19. Untuk mencapai hal tersebut maka tahapan-tahapan desain yang dilakukan adalah dengan dilakukannya metode penelitian secara kuantitatif melalui survei dan kualitatif melalui wawancara kepada salah satu pemilik fitness center, observasi dan analisis, ideasi, dan proposal desain. Pemanfaatan kondisi iklim sekitar kota Malang dan pendekatan perancangan secara pasif yang optimal membuat bangunan dapat dirancang dengan konsep bangunan terbuka serta dengan perancangan sirkulasi secara matang yang dapat memastikan keamanan dan keselamatan pengguna untuk kembali berolahraga di masa pandemi Covid-19 ini. Sehingga dari perancangan suatu sarana olahraga yang dapat memastikan keamanan dan kenyamanan pengguna akan dapat menciptakan masyarakat yang sehat di masa pandemi ini.

RESUMO: A importância de se manter ativo fisicamente e ter cuidados sobre o corpo está cada vez mais evidente. Dentre muitas práticas a serem praticadas, destacam-se as do ramo fitness, tendo a musculação como uma das mais procuradas. Na área da musculação apresenta-se o Treinamento Personalizado que está em grande ascensão, pois esse serviço busca atingir os objetivos dos contratantes de maneira mais eficaz e segura. Sendo assim, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo pesquisar os fatores mais relevantes no momento de contratar e fidelizar o Treinamento Personalizado. Esta pesquisa é caracterizada como um estudo transversal com abordagem quantitativa, utilizando o procedimento de pesquisa Survey com objetivo exploratório. Participaram da pesquisa 60 indivíduos, sendo 27 do sexo masculino e 35 do sexo feminino, com média de idade de 30,4 ± 9,25 anos. Os resultados indicam que algumas características que são mais buscadas na hora da contratação e continuidade do treinamento personalizado, dentre elas, destacam-se a postura ética, conhecimento técnico-específico e obtenção dos resultados almejados. Conclui-se que este é um ramo em ascensão e que os clientes estão em busca de profissionais éticos e capacitados para realizar a prestação deste serviço.

Abstract Objectives/Scope Capturing and reporting employee health data in a manner that accurately portrays overall workforce health, provides business opportunities for improvement and motivates both individuals and business units to take action in a global corporation. This paper details an approach for developing customizable business unit wellness dashboards that provide timely and relevant information that facilitates decision making, action and/or behavior change related to employee health. Methods, Procedures, Process This new approach involves aggregating multiple data sources into a common repository and creating multiple views of this data for health analytics. Dashboard templates have been created that require minimal expertise to generate comprehensive wellness reports. Additionally, any data category can be visualized based on the local business unit's preference and priorities to maximize wellness engagement. Communication campaigns share importance and relevance of the wellness dashboard to an additional audience by customizing views at the local level to ensure highest engagement. Initial dashboards will include user satisfaction and engagement numbers. Results, Observations, Conclusions Combining established software tools and applications can aid in data visualization and analysis creating e-opportunities to display and discuss meaningful and useful health data across the organization in many ways. Different audiences not only create different data, but the dialogue surrounding their specific data set creates an environment for culture change. Influential factors include level of wellness program maturity, staff load capacity, competing priorities and fundamental leadership support at the local level will affect usage levels and satisfaction. Customizing meaningful data for specific audiences can increase understanding of data specifically related to programs, initiatives, awareness/prevalence and educate target audiences to why data is important and the opportunities to positively influence health-related issues. This understanding will provide an impetus to 'act' on the data to drive individual health behaviors or allow leaders to support their employees and company offered programs. Novel (new) or additive information This dashboard provides the ability to take standardized data at a high level and view it through a local business unit lens. This allows enhanced connections to local priorities and can drive program development in needed areas, employee participation and improved employee health.

O treinamento de força (TF) proporciona adaptações centrais e morfológicas que influenciam no processo de produção de força. Por isso é esperado que ocorram diferenças no desempenho de força entre homens com diferentes tempos de experiência no TF. Assim, este estudo teve como objetivo comparar o número máximo de repetições realizadas em séries múltiplas entre indivíduos com diferentes tempos de experiência no TF. Vinte e dois homens foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com o tempo de experiência no TF.O Grupo Muito Experiente (GME) foi representado por homens com mais de 5 anos no TF. O Grupo Pouco Experiente (GPE) foi composto por homens com 1 a 6 meses de TF. Os grupos foram submetidos à realização do maior número de repetições em três séries a 80% de 1RM no exercício supino reto. Além disso, a duração média da repetição foi registrada e comparada em cada série. Na comparação estabelecida pela ANOVA mista (fator 1 = experiência, fator 2 = série), o número máximo de repetições foi diferente apenas apenas na primeira série (p = 0,02). Quanto à duração média da repetição, não foram encontradas diferenças entre os grupos (p = 0,80). Conclui-se que o tempo de experiência no TF interferiu na realização do número máximo de repetições apenas na primeira série.

INTRODUCTIONContinuing on with the topic of professional competency and risk management for personal trainers, this second column will focus on sources of law, tort law, negligence, and risk management. As you may recall, part I was published in the January/February 2017 issue and discussed screening, testing, evaluating, programming, supervising, and emergency response. What is the relevance to personal trainers of understanding the law and legal system? With the recognition that personal trainers are typically more qualified instructors than other instructor personnel found within the fitness industry, it is understandable that they may be held to a higher standard of care. Therefore, it is incumbent on these trainers to be knowledgeable of the basic structure and function of our legal system. Being aware of how this system may be used either as an asset or as a liability to the trainer-client relationship enables the trainer to take advantage of protective mechanisms afforded by the system and to avoid pitfalls that can threaten not only the safety of his or her clients but also the livelihood of the trainer (6 p. 287). The personal trainer who instructs within a fitness facility will most likely find that an injured party will pursue a claim against the facility rather than the trainer because the facility is viewed as having more extensive financial resources. Nevertheless, claims have been filed jointly against facilities and trainers wherein multiple judgments have been rendered. For the trainer who works out of his or her own facility or trains clients at their homes, there is no escaping the personal lawsuit. SOURCES OF LAW The primary sources of law can be divided into four categories: (a) constitutional law, (b) statutory law, (c) case law, and (d) administrative law (6 p. 287). Statutory laws or legislative laws are enacted by mandates from federal, state, and municipal governments, and this codification of law imposes duties or restrictions on individuals. However, in the case of the Good Samaritan law, immunity is granted to those persons who in good faith try to protect, serve, and tend to others who are injured or ill. It should be noted, though, that the Good Samaritan law may not apply to the trainer while on the job because part of his or her job responsibility may be to perform CPR and deploy an AED. Case law, sometimes referred to as common law, is based on decisions of courts and administrative tribunals. Common law is founded on unwritten law (not codified) and is based on customs and general usages, whereas case law is based on reported judicial decisions of selected lower and appellate courts. Statutory and case law are the two areas in which the trainer is most likely to become legally embroiled. In addition, our system of jurisprudence is subdivided into the two domains of criminal law and civil law, both of which dispose the citizenry to act in a way that benefits society. Whereas criminal law governs the conduct of both individuals and groups toward society as a whole, civil law pertains to personal responsibilities that an individual or a group must observe when dealing with other individuals or groups. This division of law addresses expressed grievances and judicial remedies between individuals, between an individual and a group, or between groups. When individuals or groups violate criminal laws, they are subject to the penalties for misdemeanors and felonies, including fines, imprisonment, or both. Although the trainer is less likely to violate criminal law, there is the possibility that he or she could be charged with the unauthorized practice of medicine or unauthorized practice of an allied health field such as physical therapy or dietetics. For example, after screening a client for resting blood pressure, the trainer cannot diagnose him or her as hypertensive because such a diagnosis remains only within the purview of a licensed physician. It also could be considered encroaching on the realm of physical therapy when a trainer conducts postural analyses and provides corrective exercises, or encroaching on the field of dietetics if he or she provides clients with specific meal plans to correct nutritional deficiencies. The trainer could be found guilty of committing a first-degree misdemeanor that not only is punishable by a severe fine but also could be punishable by imprisonment. Therefore, it is especially wise for the trainer, and any other unlicensed provider, to remain well within his or her scope of practice.When individuals or groups violate civil law, they are subject to the jurisprudence of civil courts that adjudicate noncriminal cases. Civil lawsuits handle disputes between individuals, organizations, businesses, and governmental agencies wherein two parties, the plaintiff (e.g., the injured party or representative of an injured or deceased individual) and the defendant (e.g., the trainer and/or the facility for which he or she works) present their cases for litigation (4 p. 26). Whereas criminal law requires that a prosecutor provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt to find the defendant guilty, civil law only requires that the plaintiff demonstrate that the preponderance of the evidence supports the claim to find the defendant liable. This again emphasizes that the trainer should stay within his or her defined scope of practice to avoid any potential issues of negligence that may lead to litigation. When considering lawsuits against trainers and/or their facilities, the plurality of such cases falls within the domain of civil law. The typical civil law violation falls under the categories of either tort law or contract law. TORT LAW A tort is a breach of legal duty amounting to a civil wrong or injury for which a court of law will provide compensation/damages. Therefore, tort law governs the legal rights and obligations between individuals as well as between collective bodies in relationship to injuries, deaths, or civil wrongdoings (2 p. 627). A tort by definition is a wrongful act, whether intentional or accidental, from which an insult, injury, or death occurs to another person or perhaps an organization that sustains pecuniary damage. The individual or group that is injured or sustains pecuniary damage is known as the plaintiff, whereas the individual or group responsible for the tortuous act is known as the defendant, wrongdoer, or tortfeasor. When an injury, death, or wrong is documented and attributed to the defendant, a remedy, usually in the form of a financial judgment, is then levied against the defendant. This levy, applied by the civil court, provides relief to the plaintiff. A tort does not include a breach of contract that also can lead to adjudication and compensation in the form of monetary damages. Torts do include all negligence cases as well as intentional wrongdoings that result in injury or death. There also exists a tort due to no-fault conduct. Therefore, tortuous acts are divided into the following three categories: (a) intentional misconduct, (b) negligent conduct, and (c) no-fault conduct. No-fault conduct falls under the category of strict liability and relates to ultrahazardous activities and product liability that will not be addressed here (4 p. 36). An intentional tort is indicative of an act that willfully caused an injury, a death, a financial distress, or a damaged reputation. Because it is extremely difficult to document an intentional tort, courts typically give the benefit of the doubt to the defendant and presume that the tort is one of negligence. NEGLIGENCE When considering the lawsuits filed against trainers and/or facilities, the overwhelming majority are suits alleging negligence. The definitions of negligence and standard of care are similar in that they both are concerned with prudence and caution in dealing with clients. Standard of care refers to the application of a degree of prudence and caution required by an individual or an organization that owes a duty of care. As it relates to the fitness industry, the standard of care is the degree of care that a reasonably prudent trainer or reasonably prudent management of a facility would use under similar circumstances. A failure to exercise that degree of care used by prudent trainers or managers represents negligence. The failure to do, or the failure to avoid, that which the prudent individual would have done or not done may lead an individual to becoming liable for negligence. As a well-certified practitioner, the personal trainer will be held to a higher standard than most other instructors within the industry. For the plaintiff to prosecute a successful tort claim, four basic elements of negligence must be well documented (5 p. 262). First, a legal duty must be established from the relationship between the client and the trainer, a duty in which the trainer is required to provide safe and effective instruction without exposure to risks that could be the cause of injury and, perhaps, even death. Second, a breach of that legal duty, which is either substandard performance or a failure to act, is determined to have taken place. Third, the breach of duty owed was the factual or proximate cause of the injury or death. Fourth, the negligent act or failure to act resulted in well-documented damages or losses to the plaintiff, both economic damages (e.g., medical costs and lost wages) and noneconomic damages (e.g., pain and suffering). The Figure provides an image of the components of a negligence claim.Figure: Elements of a negligence claim.RISK MANAGEMENT Personal trainers can use three major risk management strategies to lessen the chances of becoming embroiled in legal liability with a negligence tort. First, the trainer must adhere to the standard of care in those five stages of screening, testing, evaluating, programming, and supervising clients. The prudent and cautious trainer is unlikely to be faced with litigation because of his or her commitment to providing safe and effective practices, and this is the first line of defense in risk management. However, it must be noted that although some trainers have excellent educational credentials and credible certifications, they have failed to use their common sense so that even though certified and qualified, they were not justified in their actions (1 p. 22). Second, the trainer must use waivers and assumption-of-risk forms in varied venues of the trainer/client relationship. Third, the trainer must ensure that he or she has purchased appropriate liability insurance for the activities in which his or her client is engaged. Waivers and assumption-of-risk forms provide the second line of defense and must be understood in light of their implementation and limitations. Protective legal documents exist in different forms, of which the three most common are informed consent, agreement to participate, and prospective waivers or releases. However, before discussing the legal protection each of the aforementioned documents provide, it is necessary to review the three major causes of injury or death associated with physical activity: Inherent: injuries due to accidents that are not preventable and are no one’s fault Negligence: injuries due to the fault of the defendant (sometimes the plaintiff) Extreme forms of negligence: injuries due to the gross negligence, willful and wanton, or reckless conduct of the defendant (3 p. 40). When lawsuits are filed because of an inherent risk injury such as an ankle sprained on a facility’s basketball or racquetball court, an informed consent or agreement to participate provides the best legal protection by strengthening what is termed an assumption-of-risk defense (8 p. 25). For this reason, informed consents are used before fitness testing or exercise programming and participation. Therefore, despite the fact that the client has been advised and warned of the risks, he or she declares that the risks are understood, appreciated, and voluntarily assumed. Although this defense is generally upheld in court for injuries due to inherent causes, it is sometimes used unsuccessfully by defendants for various reasons (e.g., the injury was due to negligence of the defendant, or the plaintiff did not fully understand and appreciate the inherent risks before participation). When lawsuits are filed because of negligence on the part of the trainer, a prospective waiver or release provides the best legal protection to thwart potential liability. Within the waiver, there exists an exculpatory clause explicitly stating that the trainer and/or facility are released from liability due to any negligence. This clause is designed to document that the client has relinquished his or her right to pursue litigation. The validity of waivers to provide protection from negligent torts is determined by state law, which can vary greatly from state to state. In some states, waivers provide no protection from liability due to negligence, whereas in other states, lenient, moderate, or rigorous requirements must be upheld to protect the trainer and/or facility from negligence (3 p. 87). To ensure that waivers and releases are legally binding, trainers and/or facilities should engage legal counsel to draft their exculpatory forms, recognizing that state laws not only vary but also change periodically. Therefore, if the trainer and/or facility have been using waivers or releases for an extended period, it is wise to have legal counsel review the forms to ensure that they remain compliant with current law. Frequently, trainers obtain samples of waivers and releases from seminars or copies in texts such as ACSM’s Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines (7 p. 129). Although this may save the cost of hiring a lawyer, the trainer should be aware that these documents might not be applicable and legally enforceable in his or her state. When lawsuits are filed because of extreme or gross negligence, there are generally no protective legal documents. A few states may permit the use of a waiver or release to provide such protection, but this is rarely the case (4 p. 34). Extreme forms of negligence exist when the defendant is aware of the potential danger and risk of an activity or exercise but fails to warn the client and instead allows the performance of that activity or exercise. In such cases, punitive damages may be awarded; and normally, liability insurance policies will not cover the individual who is liable for extreme negligence. As discussed, protective legal documents are an important line of defense for the trainer in that they can provide evidence in a court of law that the client was made aware of risks but decided to assume such risks as outlined. In addition, an exculpatory clause may provide a defense in case of an inadvertent lapse in the trainer’s performance related to either an act of commission or an act of omission. Frequently, protective legal documents in the form of prospectively signed waivers or exculpatory agreements may prevent a claim from going forward because a judge can dismiss a case through a pretrial motion termed a summary judgment. As previously stated, liability insurance is an important component of a trainer’s risk management strategy. There are multiple types of insurance coverage available to the trainer; however, those of interest should be general and professional liability insurance that affords protection from negligence claims. The trainer can obtain a general liability insurance policy, which protects from ordinary negligence, from a commercial general liability firm or CGL (4 p. 120). Professional liability insurance (PLI), also called professional indemnity insurance (PII) but more commonly known as errors and omissions, protects individuals who provide professional advice and service as part of their job responsibility. This insurance is similar to malpractice insurance purchased by physicians (4 p. 121). When the personal trainer is employed in a health care provider setting, he or she is more likely to be regarded as conducting professional services and, therefore, should have PII. In addition, because CGL firms may attempt to avoid a payoff by claiming their policy excludes coverage for professional services and because CGL firms do not cover independent contractors, the personal trainer should hold both general and PLI policies (4 p. 124). The last line of defense in risk management is the possession of both general and professional liability insurance. With this coverage, the trainer can be assured that an untoward event at work resulting in a negligence claim will not dampen his or her future but that he or she can continue to enjoy a personally rewarding and financially secure career as a fitness professional. However, it should be noted that most trainers only purchase CGL policies, and frequent judgments have been awarded well beyond the amounts typically covered in these policies. In addition, some CGL policies will not cover online trainers or online trainers who fail to do a personal, face-to-face assessment of their clients. Most policies will not cover a trainer who operates a facility out of his or her own home. If a trainer operates his or her own personal training facility, then he or she will be required to have a separate studio policy.In conclusion, the number one priority of any personal trainer is the health and safety of his or her clients. Should there be an emergency, the trainer must be able to respond in a timely and effective manner. Although trainers may ensure that their practice adheres to an acceptable standard of care, there always remains the heightened possibility of an injury or a death due to the stress placed on the human body during exercise. Therefore, it is incumbent on the trainer to extend the practice of risk management through the use of assumption-of-risk forms as well as the purchase of suitable liability insurance. With these cautionary measures, the trainer should enjoy not only a personally rewarding career but also a bright and sunny future free from the ominous clouds of litigation.