Urban green spaces: A “green third place” to promote community

I love my local public green spaces. I have two (a town park and a nearby school) within easy walking/biking distance from home. We see friends and acquaintances regularly when at the playground, swimming in the river or attending community events like concerts, fairs or athletic competitions. It is wonderful to connect with your neighbors and […]

Alzheimer’s and Exercise: What Do We Know, and What Can We Do?

Author’s note: This blog post is based in large part upon “Alzheimer’s Disease and Physical Activity” published in ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal and authored by Barbara Bushman, ACSM, ACSM-CEP, ACSM-EP, ACSM-CPT, and Madison Pullen, ACSM-EP — a more in-depth piece for readers interested in the nexus of Alzheimer’s and exercise.  Alzheimer’s disease is “an irreversible, progressive […]

Play(grounds) for All: Inclusive Playgrounds and the Fitness Professional

For children, playgrounds offer numerous physical, social and cognitive benefits, including the development of motor skills, social skills, creativity and independence. These structures, defined as a designated play area that contains traditional play equipment linked together by paths, provide rich contexts for children to explore their social and physical environments. As a result, playgrounds offer […]

Social Determinants of Health

Your client’s health and well-being, and your ability to understand and meet their needs, are affected by the context you each live in — your social determinants of health.

Inspiring ACSM Leaders: Antronette (Toni) Yancey, MD

Antronette (Toni) Yancey, M.D., was born in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1957. She studied biochemistry and molecular biology at Northwestern University before attending Duke University for her M.D. and going on to pursue a long and successful career in public health and public health education. Dr. Yancey received a posthumous ACSM Citation Award in 2014.  […]

Pedaling toward Activity-Supportive Workplace Environments

Approximately 80% of jobs in the United States are predominantly sedentary. Sedentary work time is also increasing worldwide. National and global policy guidelines recommend breaking up sedentary work time to improve population health and reduce premature mortality. However, policies and job demands requiring workers to remain at their desks, along with limited funds and space for exercise equipment, can […]

Combating Obesity as a Family

Obesity is one of those diseases that just breaks my heart. After almost 24 years in the health care field, I have not personally witnessed a reduction in this “lifestyle” disease, and the official statistics in the U.S. and worldwide don’t reflect that much progress has been made toward prevention. There are many reasons why […]