From Activity to Sleep: A Balanced Lifestyle Approach to Brain Health
Dementia is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide, and modifiable lifestyle factors may be critical for preventing up to 45% of all-cause dementia occurring after age 65. Two key modifiable risk factors associated with reduced dementia risk and improved brain health are regular physical activity and good quality sleep. Physical activity […]
Post-Games Recovery: Lessons from Olympic Athletes
Now that the 2024 Paris Olympics have come to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the incredible performances we were privileged to witness. Over 10,500 of the best athletes in the world from 184 nations competed in 329 medal events over 16 days. As I have experienced with previous Games, I left feeling inspired by the Olympians […]
Goal Setting that Builds Trust and Self-Efficacy
Humans are driven toward autonomy – the need to have control over one’s choices; to march to one’s own drummer and be the captain of one’s own ship. This leads to the kind of motivation that supports sustainable engagement in healthy behaviors. Using the coach approach, you are not responsible for your client’s choices but […]
6 Ways to Support Your Clients’ Mental & Physical Well-Being
Regular physical activity provides several long-term benefits that can help prevent and treat mental health disorders. Check out these six tips for fitness professionals looking to support their clients’ mental well-being developed by the ACSM American Fitness Index. Click on image to download PDF.
Building Client Connections with Beautiful Questions
The first instinct many exercise professionals have is to share their extensive knowledge with their client; the relationship moves in one direction, from the professional with the expertise to the client who’s hired them for their expertise. And in general, that’s the idea — exercise pros solve problems, design interventions and help people advance in […]
Visceral Fatness and “BrainAge”
There is little doubt that our brain changes as we age, with changes in structure that contribute to cognitive decline over time. However, the degree of change is highly variable across individuals in terms of its onset, rate and magnitude. How should we behave, and what should we change to ensure that our brains stay […]
Doing What We Mean to Do: Following Through with Fitness Goals
As February comes to a close, I have to ask — have you kept up with your fitness resolutions? We’re in the period where people tend to fall off, after all. If you’re reading this, you’re probably not the kind of person who needs to make a New Years’ resolution to get in shape. But […]
Applied and Clinical Performance Psychology
Dr. Gillham, performance psychology coach at Sanford Sports, covers a number of topics related to applied and clinical performance psychology.
How to Prescribe Exercise for Brain Health
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are among the world’s foremost health and economic challenges, impacting over 55 million people worldwide and costing more than 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars in 2019 alone. With no imminent cure, there is an urgent need for interventions that reduce dementia risk in healthy older adults. Physical exercise is one of the greatest […]
Coaching Skills for Deep Empathy
Psychologist Carl Rogers believed that every person is naturally inclined to grow in a positive direction, not only for themselves but for society and their community. Rogers therefore suggested that it’s unhelpful and unnecessary to center a coaching or therapeutic relationship on telling, directing, and prescribing. When such relationships are grounded instead in authenticity, warmth, […]