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88 of 588 courses · National members receive member rates. Prices from the ACSM PathLMS catalog.
“Inspiration porn” includes the use of depictions of disabled people* to motivate non-disabled people to exercise. Though the depictions show fit and positive images of disabled people, disabled activists view them as dehumanizing and devoid of social context related to systemic injustice. The…
This course explores the impact of the menstrual cycle on psychological responses and exercise experiences, promoting individualized exercise prescriptions based on clients’ symptoms. Learn to better support your clients in the achievement of their goals by recognizing and understanding the…
The benefits of engaging in regular physical activity are well known, however, a majority of adults in the United States fail to meet Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Incorporating novel strategies like digital fitness may reduce barriers to physical activity and help more people…
Children are enticed by sedentary behavior anywhere they go; thus, during these formative years, it is important to offer many active play opportunities. As children play, their motivation for physical activity sparks and they begin to create healthy habits that support their physical, social,…
The emergence of remote work has opened the talent pool for companies since access to top talent is no longer limited to local or regional workers. However, to successfully recruit top virtual talent, companies will have to make supporting remote workers a strategic priority. The challenges…
Low and high glycemic index foods seem to have different benefits for different types of exercise performance. Based on the research presented in this Nutritionist’s View column, it appears that low glycemic index foods are better to consume prior to longer duration events, while high glycemic…
Corporate wellness can be defined as a grouping of benefits or programs provided by employers that go beyond typical medical insurance and financial benefits, aimed to improve employees’, and sometimes their families’ lives both inside and outside of work. Providing wellness programming is now…
For individuals living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a carefully devised exercise prescription is essential. Since exercise professionals may conduct exercise testing and prescriptions in a variety of health care settings, it is critical that they understand MS as it relates to exercise testing…
Fitness professionals are knowledgeable in the science of exercise. When working with clients, a focus should be on educating them on what fitness assessment results mean, including what aspect of fitness the assessment is measuring and how their results reflect status and impact future exercise…
Obtaining the ACSM-ACS Cancer Exercise Specialist certificate is a significant step for exercise professionals dedicated to making a difference in the lives of cancer patients and survivors. This certificate empowers certified professionals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide…
The 400-meter walk test is a safe, valid, reliable, and inexpensive field assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness and function. It can be administered at maximal, safe sustainable pace in more active apparently healthy older adults as a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness or at usual walking…
Discover how motivated interviewing can re-center our coaching approach on our clients’ experiences and abilities rather than idealized expert opinions alone — allowing us to better understand how to help them successfully modify their behaviours.
Mental preparation doesn’t start from the inside. Instead, you first need to think about the external factors you have control over: the activity you’re going to perform, the people you’re going to perform it with, etc. Learn strategies for properly taking these external factors into account…
Quadrupedal movement training includes exercise sequences in which all four limbs make contact with the ground, such as hand-foot crawling. These programs are reflective of the “fundamental movements” philosophy of functional fitness, which is the idea that an individual’s proficiency in a few…
Parkinson’s is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that reduces motor function, and some of its symptoms, such as tremors, bradykinesia, and flexed-forward head posture, can reduce gait efficiency and increase fall risk.
All health and fitness professionals help people to move more. This can happen in several ways, through:
A wide use of social media and virtual communication platforms enable people to interact with each other. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are actively being used by social media content creators and influencers. Content creators and influencers in the fitness and wellness space…
Rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE) and protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation (PRICE) have long been the go-to answer for many in the sports medicine world when confronted with an acute soft tissue injury. However, in 2013, a new model was proposed by researchers that presented a…
The results from ACSM's Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends guide the health and fitness industry in making critical programming, resource, and investment decisions. These results are applicable not only to commercial, clinical, corporate, and community fitness programs worldwide, but also…
If current projections are correct, in the next 30 years, the number of people in the U.S. who have lost a limb will increase to more than 3 million. To better serve this population, learn about the components of prosthetic limbs and how prostheses affect movement during resistance training.
Learn how the benefits of resistance training compare to those of aerobic exercise, especially in the aging population — including how both reduce premature mortality.
From a safety perspective, risk management (RM) can be defined as a “proactive administrative process that will help minimize legal liability exposures facing exercise professionals and fitness facilities”. Legal liability exposures are situations that create a risk of injury or reflect…
Everyone has a preferred “default” posture, based on a number of factors, that best stabilizes their spine and peripheral joints. Identifying the thresholds at which a client’s posture changes during a static or dynamic assessment can help us understand their impairments, prescribe useful…
The simple strategies discussed in this course can help reshape how exercise professionals think about programming while providing them with a framework for structuring a training program that helps clients see improvements in strength and range of motion. Learn how to challenge clients’…
