Archive for category Education

What Can You Study in the Area of Fitness?

National Qualification in Aqua Fitness

In our constant endeavour to improve and expand on the opportunities available to our graduates, and other qualified fitness instructors, NCEHS have developed this two day certification programme to meet demand from the health fitness industry for qualified and competent aqua fitness instructors. Aqua Fitness classes are rapidly becoming a part of the standard class offering being made to clients of fitness facilities with pools.

The science of exercise and sports nutrition is a rapidly expanding field with new career opportunities and exciting career pathways for Exercise and Fitness instructors and Personal Trainers.

The aim of this programme is for fitness instructors to develop a critical understanding of Aqua Fitness Training and to enable them to obtain the high standards required to teach Aqua Fitness safely and effectively to the general public following the National Standards & Guidelines as set down by NCEHS.

National Qualification in Pre and Post Natal Exercises

The National Qualification in Pre & Post Natal Exercise has been offered since 1996 and has been established to offer Pre & Post Natal clients safe, appropriate and effective exercise, more energy during pregnancy, reduced stress and anxiety, quicker recovery from birth, fewer complications in pregnancy, shorter labour time and increased self esteem.

The National Qualification in Pre and Post Natal Exercise has been approved by the NCEHS Educational Committee and is designed to assist fitness professionals who would like to work with pre and post natal clients. Opportunities exist for professional practitioners to establish and develop pre and post natal programmes within existing health club timetables.

The aim of this programme is for fitness instructors & personal trainers to develop the advanced skills and knowledge specific to pre and post natal exercise prescription.

National Qualification in Exercise and the Older Adult

In our constant endeavour to improve and expand on the opportunities available to our graduates, and other qualified fitness instructors, NCEHS have developed this one day certification programme to meet demand from the health fitness industry for qualified and competent fitness instructors who can specialise in the specific exercise requirements of the older adult.

The aim of the module is to provide the health fitness instructor with skills that will assist them to help older adults maintain and/or develop functional fitness and age “successfully”. In order to achieve this goal current program design protocols must be altered to better address the needs of the older adult. Suggestions and recommendations for exercise programs that can improve the older adults’ ability to efficiently accomplish activities of daily living are explored.

The National Qualification in Exercise and the Older Adult is a post-graduate Advanced Certification Programme (ACP) and has been established to meet the growing demand for this rapidly expanding area of our industry. The growth experienced in this area in recent years has been enormous and has led to a big demand for qualified instructors in fitness facilities around the country to meet the public appetite for such programmes.

National Qualification in Spin Cycling

The science of exercise and sports nutrition is a rapidly expanding field with new career opportunities and exciting career pathways for Exercise and Fitness instructors and Personal Trainers. They offer Ireland’s National Qualification in Spin Cycling which can be obtained by completing our one day Advanced Certification Programme.

The National Qualification in Spin Cycling is the only professional qualification offered for Spin Cycling in Ireland. NCEHS started offering this qualification in 1997 and Spin Cycling has become one of the most popular and successful fitness class to hit the exercise industry in years with almost every health club and fitness centre in Ireland now offering Spin Cycling classes to their clients. These classes have proved extremely popular.

The aim of this programme is for fitness instructors and personal trainers to develop a critical understanding of Spin Cycling and to enable them to teach what has become one of the most popular forms of exercise in gymnasiums and health clubs around the world.

National Qualification in Stability Ball Training

The Stability Ball has emerged in recent years as one of the fitness industry’s most versatile and widely used pieces of equipment. Bridging the gap between health and fitness, the Stability Ball offers cardio respiratory, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and balance training for the entire body.

The aim of this programme is for fitness instructors & personal trainers to develop the skills to enable the safe and effective use of the stability ball in providing a work-out that is challenging and fun for clients in both group exercise and one-to-one environments.

The National Qualification in Stability Ball Training is a post-graduate Advanced Certification Programme (ACP) and has been established to meet the growing demand for ball based exercise. The growth experienced in this area in recent years has been enormous and has led to a big demand for qualified ball based instructors in fitness facilities around the country to meet the public appetite for such programmes.

National Qualification in Step Aerobics

The science of exercise and sports nutrition is a rapidly expanding field with new career opportunities and exciting career pathways for Exercise and Fitness instructors and Personal Trainers. They offer Ireland’s National Qualification in Step Aerobics which can be obtained by completing our one day Advanced Certification Programme.

The National Qualification in Step Aerobics is presently the only professional qualification offered for Step Aerobics in Ireland. NCEHS has been offering this qualification since 1993 and the NCEHS National Qualification in Step Aerobics is the only such course in Ireland with both practical and written examinations. Step Aerobics has remained an exercise mainstay for many years and will be with us well into the future.

The aim of this programme is for fitness instructors and personal trainers to develop a critical understanding of Step Aerobics and to enable them to obtain the high standards required to teach Step Aerobics safely and effectively to the general public.

National Qualification in BOSU Balance Training

The BOSU (Both Sides Up) has emerged in recent years as one of the fitness industry’s most versatile and widely used pieces of equipment. Bridging the gap between health and fitness, the BOSU offers cardio respiratory, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and balance training for the entire body.

The aim of this programme is for fitness instructors &!personal trainers to develop the skills to enable the safe and effective use of the BOSU in providing a work-out that is challenging and fun for clients in both group exercise and one-to-one environments.


This article was written by Greg Merriman of National Training Centre – http://www.ntc.ie – providing Fitness Courses Dublin, Pilates Courses, Sports Massage Courses, Personal Trainer Certification.

Top 21 Books on Brain Health, Fitness and Training, Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis

Copyright (c) 2008 SharpBrains

Given the growing media coverage of brain fitness and brain training, we have produced this compilation of the Top 21 Books that help understand these trends, the research behind them, and the implications for all of us.

For your easy browsing, we have categorized them into seven groups:

1) Fascinating books on neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to rewire itself through experience):

- Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves – by Sharon Begley.

- The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science – by Norman Doidge.

- The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind – by Elkhonon Goldberg).

- The Wisdom Paradox: How Your Mind Can Grow Stronger As Your Brain Grows Older – by Elkhonon Goldberg.

2) User-friendly scientific books on the brain:

- Best of the Brain from Scientific American: Mind, Matter, and Tomorrow’s Brain by Floyd E. Bloom.

- A User’s Guide to the Brain: Perception, Attention, and the Four Theaters of the Brain – by John J. Ratey.

- In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind – by Eric Kandel.

- Mapping the Mind – by Rita Carter.

- Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind – by V. S. Ramachandran.

- Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide To Stress, Stress Related Diseases, and Coping – by Robert M. Sapolsky.

3) On how to apply all this to education and learning:

- Magic Trees of the Mind: How to Nurture Your Child’s Intelligence, Creativity, and Healthy Emotions from Birth Through Adolescence – by Marian Diamond and Janet Hopson.

- The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning – by James Zull.

- Enriching the Brain: How to Maximize Every Learner’s Potential – by Eric Jensen.

4) On how to apply cognitive and positive psychology to solve other real-world problems:

- Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier – by Robert Emmons.

- The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person – by Judith Beck.

- Enhancing Trader Performance: Proven Strategies From the Cutting Edge of Trading Psychology – by Brett Steenbarger.

5) With a health/medical angle:

- The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan – by Larry McCleary.

- The Memory Prescription: Dr. Gary Small’s 14-Day Plan to Keep Your Brain and Body Young – by Gary Small.

- Brain Longevity: The Breakthrough Medical Program that Improves Your Mind and Memory – by Dharma Singh Khalsa.

6) Reference manual:

- The Dana Guide to Brain Health: A Practical Family Reference from Medical Experts by Floyd E. Bloom, M. Flint Beal, and David J. Kupfer.

7) Good combination of information and activities:

- Building Mental Muscle: Conditioning Exercises for the Six Intelligence Zones – by David Gamon and Allen D. Bragdon.

Enjoy!

Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains.com, which covers the brain training and brain health fields. SharpBrains has been recognized by Scientific American Mind, Newsweek, Forbes. Alvaro holds MA in Education and MBA from Stanford University, and teaches The Science of Brain Health at UC-Berkeley Lifelong Learning Institute. You can learn more at http://www.sharpbrains.com/