The American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), and other organizations recently released updated blood pressure guidelines. Please be aware that ACSM Certification Board will adopt the new hypertension guidelines in 2018 and 2019 as follows:

ACSM-GEI: use the JNC 2003 hypertension guides until December 2, 2018. Beginning December 3, 2018, the ACSM-GEI exam will reflect the updated 2017 ACC/AHA thresholds for high blood pressure and related terminology (i.e., "elevated blood pressure").

ACSM-CPT: use the JNC 2003 hypertension guides through Dec 31, 2018. Beginning January 1, 2019, the ACSM-CPT exam will reflect the 2017 ACC/AHA thresholds for high blood pressure and related terminology (i.e., "elevated blood pressure").

ACSM-EP: use the JNC 2003 hypertension guides through Dec 31, 2018. Beginning January 1, 2019, the ACSM-EP exam will reflect the 2017 ACC/AHA thresholds for high blood pressure and related terminology (i.e., "elevated blood pressure").

Clinical exercise physiologist: RCEP and CEP exams taken prior to October 31, 2018 will be based on JNC 2003 hypertension guidelines. Beginning December 3, 2018, the ACSM-CEP exam will reflect the 2017 ACC/AHA thresholds for high blood pressure and related terminology (i.e., "elevated blood pressure").

Please visit the following links for more information:

• What's Changed: New High Blood Pressure Guidelines 
• AHA Updates Blood Pressure Guidelines 
• American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines

Simple tips on what you can eat before and after a workout, for performance and body composition.

By: Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD on behalf of the National Dairy Council

I recently shared some tips with my friends @DairyGood on what to eat before and after a workout. I thought fitness professionals and some of my fellow sports RDNs may be interested in my suggestions for a balanced training diet, too. Here’s a summary of what I generally recommend.

After a workout, you need to focus on refueling and recovery. Think these three Rs: Replenish, Rebuild, Rehydrate

Pre-Workout

Before a workout, you need to fuel-up and provide your body with the energy it needs to workout, whether cardio, weight–training or a combo of the two. Ideally, two to four hours before a workout, eat a meal that is rich in complex carbohydrates (think oatmeal or brown rice), moderate in lean protein (think chicken or low-fat and fat-free dairy foods), lower in fat (think nuts and oils) and fiber (think broccoli and cauliflower) and includes plenty of fluids (think water or low-calorie beverage). Nutrient-rich examples of pre-workout meals include:

• Oatmeal with berries, a few nuts, low-fat Greek yogurt and water
• Grilled chicken, brown rice, green beans and unsweetened-tea
• Turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato and avocado, a fruit and water

If you workout early in the morning and don’t have time to eat hours before, try a granola bar, banana or even dry cereal or crackers 30 minutes before you get moving. If the workout will be intense or extra long, pump the snack up to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, protein bar or even a smoothie with whey protein, fruit and water.

Post-Workout

After a workout, you need to focus on refueling and recovery. Think these three Rs:

• Replenish your muscles with carbohydrate to replace what was burned off in exercise. Simple carbohydrates are ideal immediately post-workout because they break down quickly.
• Rebuild your muscles with protein. Exercise can cause muscle breakdown and high-quality protein, like milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese and lean meats can help rebuild and repair muscle fibers. Whey protein is a good choice after a workout as your body can digest it quickly and it contains the highest content of leucine, an amino acid that has been shown to help build and repair muscles after a workout.
• Rehydrate with fluid and electrolytes you sweated out during exercise.

The goal is to eat within 45 minutes post-workout. If you can do it sooner, then great! Because many people are not hungry immediately after they workout, shakes and smoothies can be a nutrient-rich option to start recovery – plus, they can count toward rehydration. Here are some post-workout recovery snacks:

• Low-fat chocolate milk
• Vanilla yogurt with fruit and honey
• Smoothie made with low-fat milk, whey protein and fruit

Get a quick snack right after a workout, then follow it up with a meal of complex carbohydrate, lean protein, veggies and fluid, like beef stir fry or a veggie omelet with whole wheat toast. You can get more of my tips on my blog or by following me via social media.

Author Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD is a registered dietitian in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with an emphasis in overall health, wellness and sports nutrition. She has 11 years of experience as the sports dietitian at Ben Hogan Sports Medicine and has worked with Texas Christian University Athletics, the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, FC Dallas Soccer, Jim McLean Golf School and many PGA Tour players as well as with many middle school, high school and endurance athletes. She received her Bachelor of Science in speech communications from Texas Christian University and Master of Science in exercise and sports nutrition from Texas Woman’s University. She is also a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics.  

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Association Administration has just released data that show that May 2018 was the hottest May on record at an average of 65.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Every state in the U.S. reported record temperatures, and there were 8,540 record highs recorded in May. The record high of 100 degrees Fahrenheit occurred in Minneapolis on May 28, 2018, when many attendees started to arrive for the 65th ACSM Annual Meeting.

Higher temperatures lead to higher ground level ozone, which is a pollutant that affects everyone, especially people who live in urban areas. Cities are growing in population, especially in certain parts of the U.S. where rapid increases in population lead to more cars on the roads. Motor vehicle traffic is concentrated along highways and major urban thoroughfares. Increased temperature and ground level ozone lead to poor air quality, leading to more air quality action alert days (Code Orange or Code Red) where outdoor activities need to be limited either for sensitive groups or for all. The populations most affected are persons of lower socioeconomic status, minority populations, children, senior adults, and persons with chronic diseases. Air pollution and high ground level ozone can promote asthma attacks and cause direct damage to blood vessels, making persons with heart disease vulnerable to heart attack and stroke. These challenges are not limited to the U.S. in that poor air quality, climate change, and its effects on health are global problems.

The World Health Organization advocates that by addressing and investing in active transportation, municipalities can address air quality, climate change, and health equity.  Walking, bicycling, and use of public transportation reduce vehicle emissions that add to pollution and ground level ozone while increasing the health of the active transport participants. Planting more trees not only leads to increased neighborhood aesthetics, the increased shade helps lower ambient temperatures for those persons walking and biking to help reduce urban heat island effects. Trees can capture both carbon dioxide and ozone. If municipal leaders emphasize active transport and aesthetic walking and biking routes they will help mitigate some of the effects of climate change, including its effects on air pollution, while promoting physical activity and health equity. As leading experts in sports, exercise, health, medicine, and physical activity, it is important that we collaborate and advocate for active transport as a way to improve air quality and reduce the effects of climate change for everyone.

Janet R. Wojcik, Ph.D., FACSM, ACSM-EP, ACSM/ACS CET
Associate Professor and Program Director, Exercise Science
Winthrop University
Chair, ActivEarth Task Force

Healthy knees just might help with longevity and better performance

As amazing as the human body is, it is still prone to injury.

Taking part in any physical activity is obviously good for us; it builds strength and flexibility, and the stronger and more flexible we are the less likely we are to get injured. Our reactions are faster and we have better balance and coordination.

"...the desire to improve performance – to be faster, stronger or more flexible – can lead to the body being stretched beyond its natural limits which can lead to strains and sprains."

Below is a list of the type of injuries that involve the feet and knees and how to recognize and treat them.  That said, because muscles, tendons and ligaments are repeatedly and rapidly flexed and contracted during exercise, it is important that we are aware of how to care for them in order to avoid unnecessary injuries, especially as the desire to improve performance – to be faster, stronger or more flexible – can lead to the body being stretched beyond its natural limits which can lead to strains and sprains.

How to maintain healthy knees

Let’s look at how we can maintain healthy feet and knees while running by looking at sprains and strains – how to recognize them and what to do about them so that you can spend more time enjoying what you love, and less time recuperating. 

To help prevent such injuries from occurring, runners can learn about their RUNNING RATE, which will help many of the common injuries from impacting on your performance.  Sprains are injuries to ligaments, the tough bands connecting bones in a joint.  Strains are injuries to muscle fibers or tendons, which anchor muscles to bones.

As with all things, knowledge is power, so the more you know about how to recognize and treat injuries that can sometimes occur, the faster you will be able to recover from them and get back to your training.

Discover the type of injuries that involve the feet and knees and how to recognize and treat them.

About Technogym

Technogym, world-leader providing innovative products, services and solutions in wellness and fitness to enhance quality of life through physical activity. www.technogym.com

5 ideas about how your business can head outside for the summer

By: MINDBODY

As the weather warms up, people are spending more time outside. While you could throw in the pool towel, summer is actually the perfect opportunity for your business to celebrate the outdoors with special events.

We’ve gathered up five ideas about how your business can head outside for the summer to get you started:

• Move class outside - If your business offers classes, take the opportunity to conduct a special class outdoors. Host a Pilates session in a park, team up with a local hotel for rooftop yoga or teach a water-based boot camp at a local pool. Advertise the class on social media and your newspaper to maximize how many people attend—you might end up with a number of new customers. If you do decide to hold an event, don’t forget about the details. A business management software like MINDBODY can help you manage bookings and registrations for your event, as well as collect payments and waivers from participants.

   

  "Don’t forget to think about youth programs. Many summer or day camps will host guests to educate their students, so there’s a good chance that a program near you will welcome you."

   

• Get active in a local event - Does hosting your own event sound like a logistical nightmare to you? Then look into joining other events being put on by community organizations. From 5Ks to charity walks, summer is loaded with events where you can sponsor a team or host a booth. Some events even offer the opportunity for your business name and/or logo to be on a T-Shirt, which gets your brand in front of potential customers AND helps your community at the same time.

   

• Don’t forget about International Day of Yoga - Does your business offer yoga? Keep an eye out for a local International Yoga Day celebration, traditionally celebrated on June 21. While the biggest event annually is in Times Square, cities and studios around the country take part—and if your local area isn’t planning anything, hosting an event is a great way to move your business outside for a day to increase visibility into what you do.

   

• Get a booth at a Farmers’ Market - Even if you focus solely on appointments, you could benefit from taking advantage of the season. Contact your local Farmers’ Market to find out if they have a wellness week, and if not, ask about having a booth to educate your community on living healthy. For example, if you run a physical therapy business, offer free consulting sessions to people who drop by. You never know who might turn out to be a valuable customer for you!

   

• Go back to summer camp - As you think about how to engage with your community, don’t forget to think about youth programs. Many summer or day camps will host guests to educate their students, so there’s a good chance that a program near you will welcome you. Teaching at a summer camp offers you an opportunity to do community outreach and service at the same time. The only limit to what you can do is your creativity—these five options are just a spark to get you thinking about your own ideas on how to get your business outside.

And, if you do set up a special class, MINDBODY can help you manage it.  We’re happy to show you how. https://partner.mindbodyonline.com/acsm

About MINDBODY

Headquartered in San Luis Obispso, Calif., MINDBODY is the leading technology platform for the wellness services industry. Local wellness entrepreneurs worldwide use MINDBODY's integrated software and payments platform to run, market and build their businesses. Consumers use MINDBODY to more easily find, engage and transact with wellness providers in their local communities. For more information on how MINDBODY is helping people lead healthier, happier lives by connecting the world to wellness, visit https://partner.mindbodyonline.com/acsm