ACSM Health & Fitness Summit 2003
Reno, Nevada
April 9-12

For the third consecutive year I attended the annual American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Summit.  The Summit is always the highlight of my professional year as many of the top guns in exercise science in the U.S. and Canada are in attendance and presenting the latest research.  Reebok again sponsored numerous world-class workouts flying many of the top Reebok Master Trainers in to teach the latest Reebok courses. 

I really love attending the Summit and meeting with colleagues and making professional alliances.  Key areas to note for this year are the increasing concerns over our obesity epidemic and how exercise factors into the weight loss equation.  New research points to exercise as being effective for "weight maintenance" but not really for actual "weight loss."  To lose significant amounts of body weight (>10% of total body weight), a person must adjust their caloric intake.  While physical activity and exercise are greatly important for improving numerous health factors, the actual exercise session doesn't burn enough calories to counteract the overeating of calorically dense foods such as fast food, candy, etc. 

There was a much greater focus this year on the "holistic" aspects of a person regarding emotional needs and behavior change.  Cutting edge fitness is now much more than physical workouts of sets and reps.  True health and fitness professionals are training people holistically.  This new holistic approach is being termed "wellness coaching."  Many personal trainers have enough basic knowledge to set up a workout program in the gym--but few can train clients comprehensively in regards to sport and exercise psychology, behavior change, and stress management.  These important expanded areas of training facilitate a more holistically balanced person--and thus a more healthy person!  Many people today are too stressed and busy to get to the gym at all--wellness coaches can help clients learn how to fit exercise and personal rejuvenation into today's busy lifestyles.

The Summit was great--and I had fun learning in a didactic format and interactively with Reebok and YogaFit instructors.  Whether research or workout--it was all good!  I can't wait to put all this new information to work with myself and clients!  To see what exactly I participated in at Reno, look over the entries below.

In Wellness,
Ron Jones
April 2003

(I attended the following presentations in Reno)

Special Pre-Conference Event:
"Developing & Implementing Effective Programs to Address the Obesity Epidemic"

• The spread of the obesity epidemic (Dr. John Foreyt)

• What exercise can and cannot do to prevent and treat obesity (Dr. John Jakicic)

• Exercise facts and fallacies for the treatment of obesity (Dr. Kyle McInnis)

• Dietary counseling for the treatment of obesity (Dr. Melinda Manore)

• Putting it all together: Strategies and tools for the practitioner (Dr. Gary Foster)

Conference "Key Note" Speakers:

• "The Value of Living Well" (Lynn Swann, NFL Hall of Fame, President's Council on Physical Fitness)

• "Obesity is an Environmental Issue" (Dr. John Foreyt)

• "How Much Physical Activity Do We Need to Prevent Disease?" (Dr. l.Min Lee)

• "Cross-Specific Functional Strength, Endurance, & Flexibility Training" (Dr. Tom House)

Conference Breakout Sessions:

• "The scientific basis of low back stability: Minimal pain, maximal performance" (Dr. Stuart McGill)

• "Liability issues for personal fitness professionals" (Carrie White, MBA, JD)

• "Launching your professional career & getting into orbit: 10 strategies for success" (Dr. Barry Franklin)

• "Understanding & applying the art of personal training" (Dr. Cedric Bryant & Dr. James Peterson)

• "Top research studies on prevention of osteoporosis in 2001-2003" (Dr. William Herbert)

• "Body image, personal attitude, and well-being: Promoting a better understanding between nutrition, physical activity, and self-esteem" (Lauve Metcalf, MS)

• "Future trends in worksite wellness: Get ready for the change" (Larry Chapman, MPH)

• "The physiology of Hatha yoga in health and disease" (Ralph LaForge, MS)

• "Wellcoach.Com" (Wellcoach.Com faculty & coaches)

• "Marketing for the medical fitness population" (Fred Daniels, MS)

• "Delivering impact presentations" (Dr. Len Kravitz)

Reebok Workouts & Presentations:

• Reebok Core Pilates (Lisa Wheeler)

• Reebok Straight Up Yoga (Leigh Crews)

• Mind/Body Walk (Lawrence Biscontini, MS)

• Reebok Core Training: Medicine Ball Workout (Lisa Wheeler)

• Reebok Core: Hard Core, Peace Core (Lawrence Biscontini, MS)

  • Lawrence Biscontini was an incredible instructor!  He provided much more than just a workout--but a total and holistic mind, body, and spirit experience.  Thanks Lawrence...keep spreading the positive chi!!!

YogaFit Workouts:

• YogaFit Basics (Stephanie Adams)

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