Falls resulting from trips are a leading cause of injury and can sometimes result in death, especially in the older population. Numerous researchers have studied the biomechanical mechanisms that differentiate fallers from nonfallers and determined whether training can beneficially impact those outcomes. Exercise and task-specific interventions have demonstrated fewer falls after trips but can be costly and often require specialized equipment, making their applicability less practical. Qualified health and fitness practitioners can develop evidence-informed, exercise-based programs focusing on 3 components (balance training, task-specific training, and resistance exercise). Such programs may help to reduce fall risk in older adults based on previously documented studies identifying the biomechanical demands of a successful fall arrest after a trip perturbation. These multicomponent programs should include a safe task-specific training element that does not require specialized equipment.
Learn the basics of conducting a needs analysis for tactical athletes based on the athlete’s goals and desired outcomes, assessments, limitations on workout frequency and duration, equipment availability, health and injury status, and occupational physiological demands.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designTesting and EvaluationTacticalNeeds AnalysisTSAC-F
During the rehabilitation process, a client may need therapy outside of the personal trainer’s scope of practice. This article discusses safe and effective modalities that personal trainers can use with clients in the post-rehabilitation phase process.
Personal trainersExercise ScienceProgram designCross EducationMirror TrainingPhantom LimbRehabilitation Process
The effects of alcohol on athletic performance vary depending on quantity, demographics, and type of exercise, making it difficult to determine specific recommendations. From an athletic performance standpoint, the acute use of alcohol can influence motor skills, hydration status, aerobic performance, as well as aspects of the recovery process.
CoachesNutritionalcoholsports nutritiondietary recommendationsstrength and conditioningNSCA Coach
This article is part of a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical strength and conditioning communities.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designTesting and EvaluationFirefighterMilitaryTactical PoliceBody CompositionOccupational TasksMusculoskeletal Injury
Static and dynamic conditioning of the core musculature is important in activities of daily living and in sport. This book excerpt includes sample static exercises to strengthen the core muscles responsible for stabilization against, or movement through, the four basic movement patterns.
Hear from two-time Olympian, Meg Stone, the first female strength and conditioning coach to head both men’s and women’s strength programs at a major American university. Stone shares her story from being an elite discus thrower towards an unexpected coaching career, with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Manager, Eric McMahon. She discusses what she believes needs to change to further the strength and conditioning field in support of athlete health and safety. Stone also tells us about what makes the Sport Science Program at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) so unique and beneficial for students.
The episode highlights the ongoing work of the NSCA for the prevention of catastrophic injury and sudden death in sport. You can read more about this topic in a recent NSCA press release: NSCA Reaffirms Position on Appropriate Qualifications for Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches.
Connect with Meg by email at stoneme@etsu.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
Law enforcement and correctional officers have the potential to be in a physically demanding situation at any time. This article is an overview of a conditioning program that can be used in physical training for recruits in the academy.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise TechniqueProgram designTesting and EvaluationPhysical TrainingAerobic CapacityAerobic TrainingConditioningTactical Recruits