Athletes often travel to train and compete. Changes in the athlete’s circadian rhythms due to traveling across time zones can affect sleep as well as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Additionally, GI issues may be caused by traveling to regions where the food may not be familiar. Overall, travel has the potential to significantly affect athletic performance.

Planning ahead is key to maintain the athlete’s ability to train or compete at his/her conditioned capacity. Consider the following tips to enhance the probability of athlete success:

1. Sleep well, and gradually adjust sleep times to match sleep time at destination.
2. Research the destination to learn about possible food safety risks.
3. Construct a daily schedule to anticipate when and how much will be eaten.
4. When flying, preorder special meals with the airline that may be required to satisfy food intolerances or allergies.
5. Air travel is dehydrating. Keep sipping on water, fruit juice and/or sports beverages while on the flight.
6. Avoid alcohol and excess consumption of caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, etc.) as both are dehydrating.
7. If in doubt about water safety, take no chances and drink only bottled water and clean teeth using only bottled water.
8. When eating out, try to only eat at established, good-quality restaurants that can cater to athletes needs. Additionally, plan to eat in locations where meats, shellfish and/or fish are fully cooked.
9. Avoid raw food (salads, etc.) and unpeeled fruit, as these may contain bacteria that could give the athlete GI distress.
10. Bring foods that are known to be well tolerated such as cereal bars, dried fruit and powdered sports drinks.

To learn more about preparing the athlete for travel and maintaining optimal athletic performance in a variety of environmental conditions, consult ACSM’s Nutrition for Exercise Science.

Dan Benardot, PhD, DHC, RD, LD, FACSM is Professor Emeritus at Georgia State University, and Visiting Professor in the Center for the Study of Human Health at Emory University. Dr. Benardot has worked for many years with Olympic athletes, including power athletes and endurance athletes, and he was also the team nutritionist for the five years leading up to the Atlanta Falcons 2017 NFC Championship. He is the author of the new title ACSM’s Nutrition for Exercise Science.

ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal®: March - April 2019 CEC Course #3

Available ACSM CECs: 2.0

To date, most research examining anxiety in the weight room has been conducted with women. It is evident, however, that men also perceive themselves to be anxious in certain situations in weight training environments. Knowing what situations and contexts make men feel most anxious, and that a relationship exists between perceived anxiety and the drive for muscularity in men, we can more purposefully seek solutions to make exercise environments inviting for all.

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Equinox and Liz Minton recently hosted an industry-presented webinar entitled: How to Ace the Job Interview. Don't miss the full webinar here

Q1. What would be the best way to address your sales potential or business savvy in an interview?

A. Chances are you will get a question geared in those topics since they are both very important to the role of a personal trainer.  So be ready with examples.  If there aren't questions on these topics and you feel they are important strengths to highlight, you can look for opportunities to guide the conversation in those directions.

You should always have 2-3 points you want to make about yourself (strengths, accomplishments, reasons "why" you want the job) irrespective of the questions asked so learning how to work them into the conversation is a good skill to develop.

Q2. What are the preferred certifications you would like your trainers to have?

A. "ACSM of course!  In reality, we accept certifications that are nationally accredited by either the NCCA or DETC, focused on general personal training or strength and conditioning skills (can't be a specialty cert with a narrow focus), and it must require CEU's to stay active.  There are many great certifications out there and we support a candidate's specific interests and goals as a way to choose."

Q3. Do you hire veterans?

A. "Of course!  In fact, there is a whole page dedicated to our commitment to hiring veterans on our career website https://careers.equinox.com/military."

Q4. What are some tips for performing well in a group interview? How can I stand out in a good way?

A. "Stay engaged, look for ways to contribute, and balance being appropriately assertive while also listening to other candidates."

Q5. How can I show my potential in an interview if I don't have a lot of experience?

"Follow the recommendations from the webinar which will help you present yourself in the best way possible.  Try to find connections between the experience you do have and the job requirements.  Ask yourself if you are presenting yourself as someone who is coachable, willing to take direction, and easy to interact with."

Q6. When is the best time during the process to bring up salary and benefits questions?

A. "If this is a major consideration for you, ask it during the beginning of the process so that you don't waste your time and the employer's time."

Q7. What happens is we don’t get an email for an interview? Do we try again at a later date? Or was there anything we could do at Equinox that will eventually get us to be a personal trainer?

A. "At Equinox, a dedicated Personal Training Recruiter will respond to your application and will either move you forward or provide you with direction on how to improve your application for a later date."

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March is Nutrition Month - Celebrate through awareness and education

As a part of an active lifestyle, it is important to consider incorporating a healthy eating pattern. Adequate physical activity, proper nutrition, and mind-body awareness is the combination to a balanced wellness regimen. Read on to learn more about how you can incorporate a healthy eating pattern into your lifestyle.

Download the Creating a Healthy Eating Pattern pdf resource for yourself or clients here.

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These interview tips from Liz Minton, Equinox Senior Director of PT Development, are key for every job candidate, regardless of industry or position! Listen to her expert advice on nailing your next job interview, particularly if you're interviewing for a job with Equinox! Learn more about the ACSM, Equinox partnership and careers at Equinox here.