AFPA Health and Fitness Blog

Are you looking to bring your passion for health to the next level, but are struggling with where to begin? Maybe you want to help people eat healthier and get more exercise, but you’re struggling with what steps to take to learn how to do so professionally. If this sounds like you, you’re an excellent candidate to become a certified health & wellness coach.

Buying the right holiday gift can feel like a struggle, especially if you’re shopping for the person who seems to have everything. If you’re coming up short on holiday gift ideas for the health and wellness lover in your life, this list might serve as the inspiration you need to choose the perfect present.

With the tremendous growth of wearable technology, workout gadgets have become an integral part in the health and fitness industry. Whether you’re looking to gain the edge you need against your competition, track data to become healthier, or you want something that’ll help you recover faster – there’s a gadget that’ll suit your needs.

Whether a career in personal training has been a long-term goal or you’ve just started considering taking the leap, now is the time for a jump-start that can turn your passion for fitness and for helping others into a growth-driven personal trainer career opportunity.

As daylight hours get shorter and holidays ramp up, winter schedules and routines tend to shift. That’s when your clients’ fitness and nutrition habits can take a hit. Whether it’s from rounds of holiday parties or from ice storms raging outside, there’s a tendency to downshift healthy eating and regular activity.

Strange as it is to think of health problems as responsive to fads, the truth is that their prevalence can ebb and flow in popular media. One condition that’s catching attention these days is leaky gut syndrome. While some doctors are adamant that the diagnosis isn’t real, others insist that it’s the explanation for the health problems suffered by thousands. But what is leaky gut, and how can you tell if you have it? We’ll dig into the details below.

Today, half of all Americans are battling a chronic disease, and one in four have multiple chronic conditions. By 2030, these chronic conditions could cost sufferers upwards of $47 trillion in healthcare spending. The factor that weighs heaviest in chronic conditions? Bad habits.

Changing habits is hard, and for most people, one habit alone isn’t to blame—it’s multiple negative habits. This is where the holistic health coach plays a powerful role, by helping clients reframe and change a host of negative social, psychological, spiritual, and physical habits.

If you’re concerned about eating the right foods for optimal health, you’ll need to do more than count calories. In our previous article, we touched on the topic of macronutrients and the ways you could maximize your meals to take advantage of them. Here, we will talk about micronutrients; nutritional compounds that are equally important but needed in much smaller quantities.

Pilates is one of the most popular methods of exercise in the world, and for good reason. Since its creation in the early 20th century, Pilates has become a favorite workout for health-minded individuals who want to build strength, lean muscle tone, and flexibility—all with a focus on the core. In 2017 alone, more than 9 million people were participating in Pilates training.

If you’ve been in the fitness community for any amount of time, you’ve likely heard about macros.  Understanding the facts behind macros and about your personal nutritional requirements will make a difference in your own health journey.  In this article we’ll explore what macros are, how to know if you’re getting in the right ratios and the best foods for delivering them.