SAÚDE DE PERSONAL TRAINERS

O objetivo geral consistiu em investigar de que maneira o trabalho tem afetado a saúde de professores de Educação Física que atuam como Personal Trainer (PT) em Florianópolis/SC. Foram realizadas entrevistas e observações in loco em espaços públicos e academias de ginástica onde trabalhavam três PTs. Dos procedimentos metodológicos resultaram três categorias de análise: 1) Clientes Pré e Pós-pagos e profissional ilimitado; 2) O desgaste físico e psicológico; 3) O treinamento pessoal do treinador pessoal. Concluímos que os PTs entrevistados, na maioria das vezes, não colocam em prática nas suas próprias rotinas o que recomendam aos seus alunos e que existem enormes barreiras para que isso aconteça, seja pela sobrecarga de trabalho ou pelos desgastes físicos e psicológicos inerentes à prática laboral ou ao ambiente de trabalho.

Rhabdomyolysis After Implementing Whole-Body Electromyostimulation: A Case Study

Whole-body electromyostimulation is a new approach used to achieve weight loss and build muscles by activating different muscles groups through voluntary contractions generated by electrical impulses. This alternative approach is operated by a certified personal trainer, regulating the intensity of the electrical impulses to aid the muscular system to contract. Unaccustomed use of this technique leads to muscle destruction and a rise in creatine kinase level. A 25-year-old female began this therapy and experienced right flank tenderness associated with elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) levels. An impression of Rhabdomyolysis in the Emergency Department was given, followed by intravenous (IV) fluid administration. The patient consequently improved and was discharged with instructions. The study was projected to spread awareness regarding Whole-body electromyostimulation, which is tremendously promoted in Bahrain. This therapy may aid in client monitoring and improve the prognosis. Keywords: Adult; Electric stimulation therapy; Muscle; Musculoskeletal physiological phenomena; Rhabdomyolysis; Weight loss

“Gymmy”: Designing and Testing a Robot for Physical and Cognitive Training of Older Adults

Physical and cognitive training can maintain and improve older adults’ independence and quality of life. Given the demographic growth of the older adult population and the shortage of caregivers, there is a need for personal trainers for physical and cognitive activities. This study suggests that social robots can satisfy this demand and presents the development of “Gymmy”, a robotic system for the physical and cognitive training of older adults. The system design includes a humanoid mechanical-looking robot to demonstrate exercises, an RGB-Depth (RGB-D) camera to measure performance and a touch screen and speakers to provide instructions and feedback. Experiments with 26 older adults (65–84 years of age) were performed in home environments to examine the effect of users’ characteristics (age, gender, education and attitude toward robots), the addition of cognitive training and the success rate of the acceptability of a robot trainer. The results showed that age, attitude and education influenced the acceptance of the robotic system. The findings highlight the importance of customizing the system to the needs of different users and the role of meaningful feedback. The system was proven to be robust and reliable, demonstrating clear potential to be used as a personal trainer and as a means of motivating older adults.

Challenges of Self-Presentation and Athlete Branding Among Saudi Female Exercisers: An Auto-ethnography of a Muslim Saudi Personal Trainer Instagram User

Some athletes have attracted millions of audiences, even if being namely recognised. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar JR., and David Beckham have the most Instagram followers on a global scale. Online Social Networks (OSN) allows users to establish their profiles to communicate with others through actions such as follows and comments. Currently, athletes prefer to utilise Instagram for self-branding purposes. Therefore, many studies have examined their practices. From the rising of Model of Athlete Brand Image MABI offline practices to the development of online athlete branding consumers’ engagements on social media, all studies have concerned three main categories to build athlete brand image, namely Athletic performance, Attractive appearance, and Marketable lifestyles. As a Saudi female personal trainer who uses Instagram to build a brand image, this auto-ethnography aims to reflect on my personal experiences, including cultural aspects that affect athlete branding strategies. Athlete branding studies have not focused on cultural differences yet. Most Muslim Saudi women are culturally conservative; they cover their bodies in public as a religious practice. This qualitative study describes my own experiences and Instagram visual content selections. It attempts to understand the motives, outcomes, and online self-presentation challenges and strategies of Muslim female exercisers who aim to build their athlete brand image. A key result indicated that Attractive appearance category was not applicable in the self-presentation of a Muslim female athlete in her athlete branding strategies. The trainer encountered some cultural challenges, for instance, religious values such as veiling and gender segregation, which conflict with the ability to rely on the self-characteristics for branding. Therefore, other strategies were applied, such as presenting body composition before and after test results and testimonials for clients.