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The New trend of Fitness As we stand at the beginning of a new millennium, we cannot help but notice how the very word “fitness” has evolved from the last century to this. Ten years ago, for example, the word signified work almost exclusively accomplished in the venue of the gym, but this is hardly the case today. The advent of computers not only makes the wealth of information that is globally available at any one time instantly accessible within the framework of the home, gym, and office, but also grants numerous other opportunities to all involved in fitness. By exercising the fingers at the computer keyboard, then, one can now tap into a wealth of information on the internet whose value is heretofore unprecedented. To be sure, when two people meet for the first time in almost any field today, the question that years ago used to be “What’s your fax number,” has now been ubiquitously supplanted by “What’s your e-mail?” Our definitions of the very word “fitness,” consequently, need to be revised. Here we will examine how the web connects us to an “international library of fitness consciousness” of both independent fitness resources and resources that are sponsored by specific products. We will glance at the advantages of each. Think for a moment about the nature of personal training, for example. Years ago, personal training meant the same things to people around the globe: one hired a certified personal trainer to be one’s coach through the otherwise complicated sort of machinery found in workout areas. The personal trainer maintained accurate records of each client’s progress, and coached and counseled the client through various types of resistance training that were best developed for him or her. Today, however, the millennium finds that relationship quite evolved. The trainer today provides not only specialized coaching during one’s workout, but also uses the computer to track and show the client’s progress, nutritional adherence, physical and biological changes, and other information. The thorough trainer uses the computer and internet as another tool to provide additional service to his/her clients because today our clients expect more than simple coaching; they expect their questions answered thoroughly, their progress tracked, and their routines altered consistently. It is therefore a thorough trainer’s responsibility to stay abreast of both information and services that are available for clients. The more resources into which a trainer can tap, the more armed he/she is to offer to his/her clients. Some clients have even chosen to forego the physical contact all together in favor of the “virtual trainer,” a resource through which various names available on the internet provide step-by-step and video-by-video feedback from a real person via the internet to track one’s individual fitness progress. The latest in web companies that provide fitness services, for example, allows subscribers to purchase blocks of “visits” to authorized website areas that pair up clients with personal trainers that develop home-based programs. To such sophisticated levels is this type of service rising that the most advanced of these companies equips each client with microphone and small video cameras so that the interaction between client and personal trainer is not only personal, but live and visual. The emergence of such competitive offerings, then, necessitates that all personal trainers with hands-on contact remain on the cutting edge of their services. Being able to tap into the latest information available on the planet from the home office or even the kitchen table is quite a new privilege. What’s more, it requires neither an aptitude for, nor an ability with, computers or software. Once one understands how to manipulate a mouse that is connected to a live internet, the wealth of information available is astounding and profitable. The first major resource of fitness information available on the web is the not-for-profit companies that exist whose sole mission is to promote non-biased, current, and supported information in the many fields of fitness. These companies usually never exchange advertising for fees, and publish only double-blind studies and other valid forms of research analysis. Obviously, the single most advantageous reason for visiting such sites is the amount of unbiased and credible information that their pages carry. http://www.acefitness.org/ is an excellent example of such a site. It currently serves as one of the most leading resources for fitness professionals around the globe. In addition to offering one of the most comprehensive certification programs for fitness professionals, its publications, available on the web, are repeatedly consulted by the United States morning television news programs (NBC, CBS, ABC) and different parts of the US Government, for example. Another positive aspect of this site is its locator service that assists people around the globe in locating just the right (and qualified!) fitness professional in his or her area. http://www.eatright.org/ is another example, leading one to all points nutritional. It’s a good rule of thumb to know that usually sites that end in -.org and not -.com are such not-for-profit sites. This happens only in good faith, however, because as of the time of this printing, internet fitness surfers should know that there currently is no US governmental or international regulation that mandates that a site use such an ending consistent with its purpose. Yes, it’s true, that a biased, potentially dangerous site carry an -.org extension, though this is hardly the norm. The following are suggestions for further such sources of information for the fitness enthusiast. They are no means desired to be a definitive list of places to contact, but instead a starting point. For general fitness information, commence with the aforementioned ACE site and, of course, http://www.asiafit.com/. For general Europe, especially Germany and Switzerland, try http://www.totalfitness.nl/. For news and tips from other international presenters, open http://www.turnstep.com/. For Russia, see http://www.wclass.ru/. For the world of aqua fitness, including the budding nexus of aqua personal training, there exists http://www.aeawave.com/ and www.infowest.com/waterworks. For venues in soft, mind-body forms of fitness, there is the new http://www.yogasite.com/. www.unm.edu/~lkravitz will not only answer all controversial fitness topics of today, but also will lead you to reliable sources for further information on the web. Finally, remember to consult all news sites for fitness information around the globe, as they usually provide the latest in published studies. Among these are http://www.iht.com/, www.moscowtimes.ru/, http://www.cnn.com/, and www.msnbc.com. Search engines will reveal most others in your respective country. The next major resource for information on the web available to the fitness-minded individual are the company websites that not only promote their own product, but also dedicate themselves to promoting valid studies and other forms of knowledge about their product’s area in fitness. To be sure, these sites usually contain research that all ends up supporting the main product at hand, but valid sites serve as wealthy sources of fitness information. The advantage to consulting such reputable and informational sites is that, because retail product invariably is involved, more money from sponsorship and advertising fees can accumulate in a high-power website that offers a plethora of links to similar products, services, and further sources of information. Two excellent examples of this type of website are http://www.reebok.com/ and http://www.gatorade.com/. They continue to publish reports on such current topics as supplements, exercise hydration, fitness technique, and nutrition. For purposes of this article, only websites that promote education far above the promotion of any specific product are included. Other examples of retail sites that contribute to knowledge and research as well are http://www.ideafit.com/, http://www.sobefit.com/, and http://www.saracity.com/. These always have fresh names, addresses, and international links, which can lead to both sources and resources. Next come the websites that are designed completely for-profit, but the good ones are well worth the time spent visiting them because of information offered. One such internationally respected example is www.fitnessonline.com/shop/spri. The above categories serve just as an eye-opener to the fitness enthusiast who wants to stay abreast of the constantly evolving industry. With the advent of new sites daily, one always must remember to use a general search engine and type in the general word “fitness” to be given a list of new sites that may offer more valuable information. Now, more than ever, it’s possible to be steeped into the most recent research without leaving the home, office, or gym. As the millennium continues to see our fitness world evolve, we can be sure that the internet will play a larger role than ever on both its characterization and development.
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