About Cathy Spencer Browning

Showing 1 - 8 of 8 Articles

A Fork In the Road
Getting the Fit Fitter or Getting the 80% Moving?
February 2021 - Look straight ahead, squint your eyes. Can you see it? Right there. It is coming up right there in front of us. Can you see it now? It is a fork in the road. Stop. We have to make a decision. We have two choices. Veer left, and that is the road where we get the "Fit Fitter." The traffic is really light, not many cars on that road. The road is paved with an abundance of shame-based motivation promising ripped abs, better glutes, arms to die for and quick weight loss. And, the way to achieve this? No pain, no gain! The road to the right has many people who have been living two pandemics simultaneously, COVID-19 and the pandemic of physical inactivity. Read Article...

Are You in the Recruitment Business?
October 2021 - Jim Collins, researcher, business consultant and iconic author wrote, "The old adage 'People are your most important asset' turns out to be wrong. People are not your most important asset. The right people are." We all know this to be true, so why is it that recruitment doesn't seem to be anyone's priority? Instead, it seems like a lot of complaining along the lines of "good people are hard to find." Read Article...

Are You REALLY Ready to Get People Moving?
September 2021 - Our oldest daughter, Riley, is learning to drive. My husband is in charge because I discovered early on that it was not my forte. He is patient, assuring and not as much of a catastrophizer as I am. He did his due diligence before he started, looking for information on the web on how you go about teaching someone to drive. What he learned and what followed with driving lesson number one is a lesson that we all could learn, whether we are teaching someone to start driving or teaching someone to start exercising. Read Article...

Fit, But Broken.
Are You Muscle and Movement Strong?
November 2022 - Ten years ago, I thought my career in the fitness industry was over. Debilitating injuries had sent me straight to the proverbial bench, then straight to... first, a couple of misdiagnoses, then some "pushing through the pain" and then... straight to the operating room for two surgeries on each hip, a total of four operations in 12 months. It was a harrowing time. As we all know, hindsight is 20-20. I can see clearly how I ended up where I ended up. Read Article...

Is Your Facility Socially Fit?
June 2023 - What if we could simultaneously offer a cure to two epidemics? Yes, we're all in the business of battling the inactivity epidemic, but our mission to get more people moving can also address this increasingly common public health problem: Loneliness. Look at the social potential of your facility. With the right programs and people, it's the perfect environment for friendships, a place where everyone knows your name, a place where physical fitness and social fitness can be equally important. Imagine the battle you could wage against isolation, as well as inactivity, not to mention member retention, by making your facility more socially fit. Read Article...

Myths About Pre-Choreographed Group Fitness
August 2023 - Freestyle versus pre-choreography. It's a debate as old as group fitness itself, or at least as old as the leg warmers, thong leotards and cassette tapes we sported when I started teaching "aerobics" in the 1980s. Early in my career, freestyle, where instructors build a class any way they want, was the only model. Pre-choreography, or pre-programming, came along later, and today, delivers workouts that are pre-designed from the ground up, including movements and music. Which model delivers freedom for instructors? Excitement and results for members? And, a program that's easier to manage? Having experienced group fitness in every form, I'll share my feelings on the great debate, and I hope to debunk some common misconceptions about pre-programming. Read Article...

The Importance of Movement Health
December 2020 - Just as movement is medicine, a lack of movement can cause disease in our bodies. During this time of fewer visits to the gym, fewer activities and much more time at home, many are moving less and less. After all, the walk from the kitchen to the couch to the bathroom to the home office... that isn't very far to travel. The incremental movement that occurs between the things we normally do in life is absent. Maybe not noticeably at first. But, that achy back, those sore knees, the brain fog, or even that physically "flat" feeling we sometimes complain about can actually be because our bodies are designed to move, and the lack of movement results in a reduction in what we call "movement health." Read Article...

The Next Big Thing In Fitness
Your Team
August 2022 - Let me cut through some noise and cut to the chase: I get a wee bit fatigued from the many articles, webinars and "expert" opinions that speculate about the next big thing in fitness. Is it going to be virtual? Is it going to be gadgets and trackers? Is it HIIT or mind/body? Is it the biggest thing ever? No, no, the smallest ever! Is it the lightest? No, wait, heaviest! During my 30+ years in this industry, I have seen many a thing come and go. Slide anybody? Ab Roller? Tai Bo? The list goes on. But, here's the thing: People, and their basic needs, have not changed. We desire social connection because we are social beings. That said... no noun, no "thing" is going to be a magic bullet in this industry. Read Article...

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Showing 1 - 8 of 8 Articles