You know how it can be challenging as Indoor Cycling Instructors to convince those in the weight room that it's important to cardio train in addition to lifting?
Sometimes it's the same way for me about skin care, sunscreen and convincing people of our skin's importance in general.
I worked with an instructor other day that wanted to do something about her age/ sun spots. I was excited to see her and had great products in mind that would help reduce her current spots and prevent new ones from forming. When I mentioned sunscreen was the #1 thing she could do to prevent new spots from forming, she said, “No way, I never have, and never will wear sunscreen”.
Hmmm, I wondered. Why no sunscreen, ever? (Too psychological for me to figure out). But I did wonder…if we thought about caring for our skin like we do our cardiovascular system, it might hit home.
So, here's a quick look at our skin:
-It's our largest organ and needs to be taken care of!
Age spots, sun spots, or any new unwanted skin occurrence, is a sign of trauma and onset of skin weakening. Just like we would address high blood pressure/ sugar, weight gain, chest pain, etc., we need to address noticeable changes in our skin. A note here: if you recognize a new mole, change in an old mole, or any troublesome spot that won't heal, please consult your doctor immediately.
– It's the first line of defense against pollution into our body!
The ‘invasion' if you will, of pollutants- free radicals, elector-magnetic rays, UVA and UVB rays and all the other unidentified pollutants flying around. I used to scoff a bit at this pollution thing (living in Minneapolis and all), but I don't anymore. All I need to do is look at my car after it's been parked all day downtown Minneapolis. The build up is rather amazing. It didn't take long to correlate the fact that this build up was also happening to me…us…on our skin. Yikes! If our skin is compromised through years of abuse (as mine has been), it can't do a good job of protecting us against pollutants getting into our system. The good news is it's never too late to help it repair and restore itself- much can be done. We can also use products to add additional protection. These products do not have to be expensive to do a good job.
-It's complicated and has many facets:
The top layer of our skin is the epidermus and the layer underneath it is the dermis, followed by the subcutaneous layer.
Our skin is our biggest organ.
Cosmetic products work at the dermal/epidermal junction (DEJ). This is significant because, at the DEJ, the bloodstream and lymphatic system is not affected. (However, cellular renewal and transformation is still greatly effected at the DEJ.) Prescription (Rx) products work beyond the DEJ, going into the bloodstream and lymphatic system. For all intents and purposes, we will be discussing cosmetic products working at the DEJ here at PRO/STYLE.
As I tell my daughters, it is SO much easier (and less expensive) to prevent aging (i.e. compromising our skin) than it is to reverse aging (which is possible at different levels depending on the damage).
We have such an amazing and unique opportunity to be in the elements practicing and honing our trade. Whether it's biking, running, walking, swimming, skiing…whatever we're doing, I'd love to hear from you about what's worked and hasn't, what you love and don't, or any questions you have.
And, as always, let me know what you'd like me to post about. Thanks!
Please contact me: amyjo@groupfitnessradio.com, or comment below.
If you're anything like me, good ideas are easy to come by – especially when it comes to “ideas” about how to improve my class, changes (desperately) needed at our studio and new formats / programming we should be introducing as new classes.
But unfortunately many of those fabulous ideas of mine are never realized… and it's typically my fault.
Why?
Because I hadn't invested the effort to really think through everything and then formally present my “idea” as an actual “plan” to management. In the past I've figured that my “idea” was so good, that I could just throw it at my Dept Head and she'd run with it. Doesn't work that way.
The person you report to (Manager/Dept Head/Owner) also has a boss, or at the very least a partner. They need to be well armed with the details of your plan, before they will even consider discussing your “idea” with upper management.
ICI/PRO member and Zoning Specialist Kay Mamo successfully worked through this process and was rewarded with her very-own new class on the schedule. Kay and I discuss the steps she took in this episode of the Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast.
Kay has provided a template you can use to bring detail to your idea. You can download it here.NOTE: Kay's plan is specific to the introduction of a Boot Camp that include a Zoning 30 minute cardio session. Feel free to change it up to reflect your dream class 🙂
By Jennifer Lintz, Registered Dietitian and ICI/PRO Member Soigneur
There is a woman who comes to my classes at least once or twice a week and, for the life of me, I cannot remember her name. I know I wrote it down once to help jog my memory, but I can't seem to find that piece of paper. I would ask her to remind me, but I've already done that a couple of times in the past several months.
Sound familiar?
I am always impressed when people remember my name in everyday life and, consequently, feel frustrated when I can't remember someone else's. Historically, I have kept Post-Its in my gym bag to remind myself that Dan is the guy who wears the sleeveless shirt and uses class for cross training; Karen is the gal with the curly brown hair who is just getting back into cycling; and Holly is the woman who sits in the front row and brings her daughters to class from time-to-time.
One of my goals as an instructor is to connect with my participants on a personal level, and I feel more equipped to do that when I know their names. Dale Carnegie also reminds me to “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
I know it probably isn't realistic to remember all of our participant's names, particularly if they don't consistently come to class. However, I do think it is doable for us to at least become familiar with the regulars.
Because the Post-Its I once used always seem to get lost, I have started keeping track of names in my iPhone. I make a point to record names as soon as I learn them, along with a couple details like “wears hat, has quadruplets, only comes to early morning classes.” So far, it is working pretty well, provided I don't lose my phone :-).
When I taught last Thursday, I remember that even though my class was small, I knew the names of almost every participant in the room. That made it fun, because I was able to address people individually during class. For instance, “Amanda, I'm not used to seeing you on that side of the room! You're mixing it up today.” Or “Looking good, Sabrina!”
If you would rather not address people by name in front of the group, I find it is just as powerful to approach people afterward and say, “How did it go today, Kelsey?” or “I'm glad you were able to make it this morning, Katrina!”
The name game seems to be a constant battle, but I think there are definitely some ways to make it a little easier. What are your tips and tricks for remembering names?
Slapping up 6 coats of paint in 24 hours allows one to listen to many playlists (I am ‘un-nesting': meaning painting over the yellow/ orange and turquoise blue walls Abby and Carly chose for their bedrooms, now that they've moved out). Among the artists I listened to this week:
-Imagine Dragons- Calvin Harris- John Mayer- Toby Lightman- Tristan Prettyman – Bruno Mars- Lorde- Justin Timberlake- Frank Ocean- Yuna- Everything But the Girl- Alex Claire- Vicci Martinez. An eclectic list and I'm pretty sure I kept the cement guys putting in our new sidewalk guessing!
Out of that list comes today's music suggestion by Tristan Prettyman. It's a quick flat road called ‘Bad Drug' that's already in my profile/playlist for Saturday. At 89 rpm's and 2:50, I'm going to use it as we ramp up out of our warm up.
Check out all of Tristan's tunes on SoundCloud. Not only is she beautiful to listen to (and look at- she's a former Roxy model), but most of her tunes are free to download! Thanks Tristan.
Okay, we may not be screaming for it, but we might be silently screaming about it because:
We've heard enough about SPF to last us a lifetime.
We didn't wear it, the damage is done (although we know we can stop further damage) and we just don't like the stuff.
We've given in…and we're wearing it, but we hate it because it's shiny and it feels terrible.
We're currently exhausted from trying to apply it to some kind of child/ children in our life, or are still exhausted from the memory of chasing said child/ children around the yard to apply dreaded sunscreen.
We are guilt ridden because we've run out and know we must replenish in the next 24 hours or something very bad is sure to happen.
Thankfully, I'm not going to extol the virtues of sunscreen. As Fitness Instructors and active people, we know them. And, if you're like me, and didn't use it when you were young(er), the benefits of using sunscreen (and the side effects of not using it) are very apparent in life as we know it today. Plus, I just hate the look and feel of a sunburn!
So…because I've been on a long quest for a face sunscreen- one to wear faithfully on a day to day basis that doesn't make me look like a ‘shine ball' and feel like I want to scrape it off with a putty knife, I thought it would be useful to share what I finally found:
Clarins UV40HP is so light, I can't feel it after I put it on. And, bonus….I don't shine. This stuff sells like hotcakes at Nordstrom where the Cosmetic Department ‘inter-sells'. This means the staff sells between cosmetic lines, so they really sell what they love and what works for their clients. Titanium Dioxide is the sunscreen ingredient (natural vs. chemical) and cantaloupe extract is among the plant ingredients for nourishing the skin. Not only does UV40HP give sun protection 40 from UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays, but also free radical and elector-magnetic (i.e. cell phone, computer, lights, etc.) protection. Best of all, it comes in 4 options: UV40HP Untinted, UV40HP Light, UV40 HP Medium, UV40 HP Dark. It's $40 for the untinted and $42 for the tinted. The tinted is beautiful, for most, as a substitute foundation! I've been using mine since April, so it's lasted over 5 months.
Here are a few of the face sunscreens I've tried and not liked at all (not complete by any stretch):
–Neutrogena Ultra Light, Ultra Sheer: It wasn't either ultra light, or ultra sheer, but it was ultra shiny! My Dermatologist swears by Helioplex, an ingredient in this, so I gave it a shot. I do like the body spray sunscreen though.
–Lancome Bienfat UV50+ Super Fluid: No thank you! It left a white gray cast on my face that would not rub in and it was shiny, thick and greasy feeling all day. Yuck. I put it on my body to use it up before a bike ride and John said, “Why do you look all pasty like a mummy?”
–Skinceuticals Daily Sun Defense SPF 20: I do like this for outside protection (riding, swimming, boating, etc.) It's too thick and shiny for everyday use however.
Have you found a sunscreen you love? Or, at least one you can tolerate and use daily? Let us know and comment about it. Is there anything you'd like to talk about here at PRO/STYLE? Please let me know: amyjo@groupfitnessradio.com.
*I receive no compensation from anyone for writing this, including John 🙂 . If I do in the future, I will happily reveal that information. You can reach me: amyjo@groupfitnessradio.com
I'm excited to attend the MINDBODY FitPro Conference in Los Angeles at the end of this month for a bunch of reasons. Are you planning to attend?
Please say hello if you are at the Friday morning networking breakfast. Or, if you're not afraid of heights, at the Saturday evening party up on the helicopter pad. In between you can text me 612-868-0064 so we can meetup.
There's a good chance you'll run into me at the Spinning® booth where Performance IQ will be showing off their display system, connected to the new Spinner® Blade ION indoor cycle with power. I don't have all the details yet, but it sounds like Performance IQ will be integrated at some level into the Spinpower education program. Very cool and I'm excite to hear what studio owners have to say when they see it in action + get their thoughts about using rider performance data as a retention tool.
This all connects with your MINDBODY Online system!
Tae Yoo and Mark Davids from Performance IQ invited me to attend this year and are sponsoring my trip. Thanks Guys 🙂
There are a number of workshops featuring Josh Taylor, Natashia Iacovelli, Marci Williams and others. I'm waiting on a response from Josh to know if there will be any power based classes and will update this once I know more.
Studio owners can partake in a ton of informative business sessions. Here are a few I'm hoping to attend:
Corporate Wellness: Making it Your Business — David McAtee
Join David McAtee, Sales Manager for MINDBODY Exchange, to review the latest trends in the corporate wellness market and learn how to promote your practice through the new MINDBODY Exchange.
Connecting the Dots: How to Build a Breakthrough Business– Rick Stollmeyer
Join MINDBODY Co-Founder and CEO, Rick Stollmeyer, for an inspiring discussion of what it takes to build a business from the ground up. Rick will share his own entrepreneurial journey from garage start-up to global leader, highlighting the “dots” every entrepreneur needs to connect before a business can truly break through the barriers to success.
Creating, Cultivating and Living Your Brand in the Fitness Industry — Jessica Matthews With a plethora of information and services out there, what makes you or your business different from the rest? The road to becoming a recognized and respected name in the world of health and fitness begins with identifying and embracing who you authentically are, clearly establishing what it is that you uniquely offer, and ultimately building trust and maintaining the loyalty of those that you interact with. From leveraging your knowledge and skills to optimizing your reach and enhancing how you communicate your message, discover how to establish and grow your personal brand while inspiring others to live happier, healthier, fitter lives.
You can download the full schedule, session descriptions and register here. You can save 20% on the registration fee using the coupon code READY4FITPRO
