Author: Lisa S

Common Pilates Myths – BUSTED!

Posted on by Lisa S

Myth #1: Pilates is just another form of yoga.
Fact: Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates, a German immigrant to the United States who taught his method at his studio in New York City and later at the YMCA. While he incorporated some yoga-inspired movements into his program, he also incorporated elements from dance, gymnastics, and other physical activities.

Myth #2: Pilates is only for women.
Fact: While Pilates was developed specifically for women in mind by Joseph Pilates, who believed it could help them regain their pre-pregnancy bodies faster than traditional exercise programs, it is now widely used by men as well. Many gyms offer both male and female instructors who can teach you how to do the exercises correctly so you get maximum results from your workouts!

Myth #3: You should feel pain when doing pilates moves like the Hundred or Barrel Rolls—it means that they’re working!
Fact: While some muscles may feel sore after doing these moves for the first time (and even more so on subsequent days), this doesn’t mean they are working harder.

Myth #4: You should wear loose clothing when you do Pilates.
Reality: No, you don’t! A tight t-shirt is fine, as long as it doesn’t restrict your movement in any way.

Myth #5: You have to be flexible to do Pilates.
Reality: While it’s true that Pilates can help improve flexibility, you don’t need to be super-flexible to start. In fact, many people start on the reformer with just a few exercises and build up from there.

Myth #6: Pilates is only for people who want a slim waistline and tight abs.
Reality: While Pilates is an excellent way to get lean and toned, it’s also a great way to improve strength and flexibility in your whole body—including your back, hips, shoulders and arms (even if you don’t want those areas to look smaller).

Myth #7: You can’t do Pilates if you have a bad back.
Reality: The truth is that most people who think they have bad backs actually just need to work on their core. The reason their backs hurt is because they’re weak, not because they’re injured. And the best exercise for your core is Pilates!

Myth #8: You can’t do Pilates if you’re pregnant.
Reality: While there are some exercises that may not be appropriate during pregnancy (and we’ll let you know which ones those are), most of our clients find that they feel better after taking classes during this time in their life than before they were pregnant! Pregnancy is a great time to work on improving strength and flexibility.

Are you a pilates instructor trying to grow your business? Learn how My Best Studio can help with your pilates studio operations.

Steps To Disinfect Your Fitness Studio Effectively

Posted on by Lisa S

One of the biggest turn offs about gyms and fitness studios is the hygiene. In fact many people choose to workout at home simply because the thought of using a public space with sweaty individuals is just plain disgusting. Now, whether you’re a fitness studio owner, or just a gym-goer who wants to keep germs at bay, you know that being sick is no fun. It’s easy to get sick when we’re working out hard, particularly if we’re sweating profusely and sharing equipment with other people.

Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure your fitness studio is as clean and safe as possible!

1. Wash your hands before entering:
Thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water before entering the studio is respectful to other people who use the studio. It ensures that anything you touch is touched with clean hands at the very least.

2. Maintain equipment & hygiene:
Make sure all equipment is wiped down after each use. This includes treadmills, ellipticals, and weight machines. Use an appropriate disinfectant for your equipment and surfaces. Keep your equipment in good condition by regularly oiling or greasing moving parts to avoid rusting or corrosion.

3. Keep the floors clean:
Maintain a strict routine for cleaning of the floors—sweep them after every use and mop every day or two. Wash floors with a disinfectant once per week (more often if possible), then rinse well with warm water If you have carpeting in your gym, consider using a carpet cleaner to keep them as fresh as possible. Keep anything that touches the floor clean by keeping a broom and dustpan nearby so you can sweep up any debris as soon as it occurs—don’t let it sit long enough to attract pests!

4. Disinfect all water bottles:
Wash down all water bottles with hot water and soap before refilling them for customers’ use—and don’t forget about their caps!

5. Disinfect any personal items:
If there are any personal items lying around (like headphones or water bottles), make sure they’re disinfected regularly so that germs don’t linger on them for longer than necessary

6. Seal up any open areas of the studio:
This will ensure that no bugs can enter from outside or at least prevent a bug infestation (because bugs are everywhere!). The last thing you want is customers shrieking because of bugs while they are working out.

7. Check for mold in corners:
If it has been more than three months since your last cleaning, there may be mold growing in those damp corners, which is  dangerous for you and your clients! Do a deep clean of your studio at least every quarter.

8. Make a cleaning schedule:
Have the cleaners clean and disinfect your locker room, sauna, whirlpool, bathroom and steam room thoroughly so your studio is a clean and hygienic place for your customers to come to.

Once you have your cleaning and disinfecting regime on point, make sure other functions of your studio are running smoothly. One of the best ways to do that is to invest in a studio management software like My Best Studio.

Are You Using the Right Fitness Software?

Posted on by Lisa S

If you’re a fitness professional, then you know how important it is to have the right tools for your job. Your clients are counting on you to have everything they need in order to reach their goals, and if you don’t have the right software, then that just won’t happen.

So what kind of fitness software should you be using? The answer is: it depends! There’s a lot of different kinds out there, and we’ve decided to break down all the most important aspects so you can find one that fits your needs perfectly.

If you’re a gym owner or manager you know that keeping your business running smoothly is crucial. You know how hard it is to keep track of all the different things that go into running a business. From scheduling workouts and classes, to tracking members’ progress, to making sure your equipment is working properly—it’s easy to get overwhelmed. One of the most important aspects of that smooth running is having a fitness studio software that works for your needs. But with so many options out there, how do you choose which one is right for your business?

My Best Studio is a fitness studio management software designed specifically for gym management. It will help you streamline your business so you can focus on what really matters: helping your members achieve their fitness goals!

Here are a few signs that the fitness management software is best for your fitness studio’s needs:

It helps you be more efficient
A good fitness software automates much of your day-to-day work so that you can spend more time doing what matters most—running your business.

It tracks all of your clients’ personal information and workout data
You can track which classes are most popular, and how often each client attends each class. This information helps you plan accordingly. For example, if one class is always full and another is never full, then maybe it’s time to change things up!

It lets you easily schedule classes
This means, when a client calls in sick or doesn’t show up for their appointment, you can easily reschedule. You should also be able to schedule appointments and classes on the go, so you never have to miss out on a single potential client!

It lets you track payment history
As your business grows in size, it is virtually impossible to keep track of all the payments you are due on your own. Instead of hiring a full finance team or even a salaried accounts professional, let a fitness studio management software do the hard work for you. A good software will alert you about payments due and let you send out reminders for payment, all in a matter of seconds.

If you’re considering a fitness studio management software, explore My Best Studio. It is a simple solution that makes your life easier as you help your clients get in shape faster!

5 Facts About Zumba We’ll Bet You Didn’t Know

Posted on by Lisa S

Zumba is a form of dance fitness that combines upbeat Latin and international music with aerobic steps. It’s a fun, energizing high-intensity dance fitness program that helps you burn calories, reduce stress and depression, and improve your overall health.

Fact No. 1
The creator of Zumba is a Colombian dancer named Alberto “Beto” Perez. He created Zumba in the 1990s as a way to incorporate Latin dance into his classes at a Colombian dance studio. The name Zumba comes from the word “zamba,” which is an Afro-Colombian music style that originated in the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Venezuela.

Fact No. 2
There are more than 100 million people worldwide who practice Zumba! That makes it one of the most popular forms of group exercise in existence today—and since nearly all participants are women, it has also become one of the most female-dominated forms of group exercise in history (that we know of). There are more than 13 million people who do Zumba every week!

Fact No. 3
There are over 200 different types of Zumba classes offered around the world—from reggaeton to hip hop to country music! You can even find classes that focus on specific dance styles like ballet or salsa.

Fact No. 4
If you’re interested in becoming a certified instructor yourself, there are over 100 different certification programs available through various organizations around the world! In fact, if you start your own dance fitness studio, there are fitness management software services available that can help you streamline all your operations.

Fact No. 5
Zumba has several health benefits. It can help improve your mood. When you’re having fun, it’s easy to forget about the stresses of life and just focus on having fun. Working out also releases endorphins—chemicals in your brain that make you feel happy—which may make you feel more relaxed once class is over. It helps improve flexibility and balance because it incorporates lots of different movement styles, including stretching, dancing on one foot (or both), pivot turns, squats, lunges, jumps, etcetera.You’ll work muscles in ways that you didn’t even know was possible.

Cardio or Strength Training? Which Is Better?

Posted on by Lisa S

Cardio and strength training are both important components of a healthy lifestyle, but is cardio or strength training better? It depends on your fitness goals. Here are some factors to consider.

If you’re looking to lose weight
If you’re looking to lose weight and improve your overall health, cardio training is the way to go. Cardiovascular exercise burns calories and increases your metabolic rate, so it’s great for shedding pounds if that’s what you need to do.

If you want to get ripped
If you want to build muscle mass and get ripped, strength training is the way to go. Strength training builds lean muscle tissue, which increases your metabolism so that you burn more calories even when you’re not working out. Plus, when combined with a healthy diet plan, strength training can help you gain weight in a healthy way—no bulking up here!

If you have a longer period of time
Cardio workouts are typically longer (such as running or swimming), and they’re designed to get your heart rate up for extended periods of time. These workouts are usually done at a moderate intensity level—not too hard and not too easy. The goal is to raise your heart rate so that you burn more calories throughout the day. The best part about cardio is that it’s great for your heart! Studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke by lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.

If you want more than weight loss
Strength training burns more calories even when you’re not working out! It also increases bone density which helps prevent osteoporosis later in life. Strength training also improves balance, coordination, flexibility, and posture which makes it easier to do everyday activities like walking up stairs or getting out of bed without hurting yourself (which happens often when we get older).

Which should you do first?
We recommend starting off with strength training because it will help you develop good form for doing cardio exercises later on (and vice versa).

Is there a third option?
We’re not saying that cardio and strength training are mutually exclusive—in fact, we think they should be done together. But what we do want to say is that there’s one thing that both have in common: they’re not for everyone. That’s why we believe that you need to figure out what works best for your body before you start adding exercise routines into your life.

Fitness studio owners are committed to helping people get the most out of their workout sessions, whether its through cardio, strength training, or other means. If that sounds like you, explore My Best Studio, a fitness studio management software designed to help you manage your business more effectively.

Why Yoga Teachers Should Use Studio Management Software

Posted on by Lisa S

Being a yoga instructor with your own yoga studio is now a rewarding and profitable career choice. With yoga studio management software like My Best Studio, many of the studio functions are automated for you, making studio operations easier and letting you focus on what you do best. If you’re a yoga teacher, you may be wondering why it’s important to use fitness studio management software. Here are some important reasons why.

1. Its time saving
Imagine all the time you can save just by automating some of the key functions of your fitness studio. My Best Studio also gives you access to a mobile app which lets you access important studio features at the click of a button.

2. Save client information
You can keep track of all your students’ information in one place. Securely manage confidential client information. Get class reviews and ratings to get live feedback and keep a tab on instructor performance.

3. Mange communications effectively
You can easily communicate with your students about appointments and class cancellations or season-specific offers and discounts.

4. Book classes and manage your schedule
The fitness software makes it easier to schedule classes at different times and days of the week or change a schedule around (which means less time spent on administrative tasks).

5. Track client progress
Your students will love knowing their progress is being tracked through an online dashboard. Track their attendance history and follow up with them if they’ve been missing sessions, all from the gym management software.

6. Better manage finances
Yoga studio management software like My Best Studio provides reports on how much money has been collected from memberships since studio inception date until the present date. If you sell merchandise such as yoga mats and other accessories, it will also help you keep a track of sales, so you know how profitable your business is at any point.

7. Customized Reporting
Filter reports by any number of criteria so that you can better understand how well your classes are doing and where you need to improve.

Top Workouts To Improve Core Strength

Posted on by Lisa S

The core is the center of your body. It’s made up of your abdominal muscles, back muscles, and hip flexors. The core is important because it stabilizes your spine and pelvis, which helps you maintain proper posture while standing or sitting. It also helps you perform daily activities by supporting your back and abdominal muscles.

Your core is essential for protecting your spine from injury during high-intensity movements like running and jumping. In addition to helping protect your spine, a strong core gives you better balance and posture as well as improves your overall physical performance. If you’re looking for ways to improve your core strength so that you can run faster or jump higher, these are some of the best exercises for building core stability.

Plank
Side Plank
Side Plank With Leg Lift

1) Plank
Planks are considered one of the most effective exercises for strengthening the abdominals because they require stabilization from other muscle groups in order to hold the position without falling over or moving away from it during its duration (usually around 30 seconds).

2) Side Plank
A side plank is very similar to a regular plank, except that instead of lying on your back with hands on the floor, you lie on one side with one leg straight and feet together, toes lifted off the ground; other foot should be perpendicular to ground (as close to perpendicular as possible). Use arm on same side as bent leg for support; other arm should rest beside head at shoulder level with elbow bent at 90 degrees. Hold this position for 30 seconds on each side (60 seconds total).

3) Side Plank With Leg Lift
If planks are too easy for you then try doing them on one side with a leg lifted off the ground at a time; this will make them harder but still safe enough not to hurt yourself.

4) Mountain Climbers
This simple exercise is perfect for building up your core strength. Start by getting into push-up position with your legs extended and your hands on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Then bring one knee up toward your chest and return it to starting position, alternating each leg as you go. This is one rep. Do 10-15 reps per set and 3-4 sets total.

5) Plank Crunch
This variation on the traditional plank will help strengthen your obliques while giving your abs a workout too! Begin in plank position with hands directly below shoulders and toes on floor, then lift right knee up toward right elbow as you simultaneously sit back into a crunch until reaching 45 degrees or so (or as far back as possible without losing form). Hold briefly then return to starting position before repeating on opposite side, alternating between sides for 30 seconds total time (10 reps per side).

Purposeful strong athletic sportive beautiful attractive sportswoman lying on the floor and doing crunches stretching abs, she is imitating video lessons

Just as people invest in fitness studio memberships to build up their strength and overall health, fitness studio owners should consider the benefits of investing in a studio management software. Know more.

Can Exercise Reverse Diabetes?

Posted on by Lisa S

Diabetes is a serious disease that can lead to life-threatening complications. A person with diabetes has high blood sugar, either because their body doesn’t produce enough insulin or because they’re resistant to it.

As a result, their cells don’t get the energy they need and may begin to die off. The patient’s organs are also at risk of being damaged by high levels of sugar in their blood.

Can exercise reverse diabetes? It’s a question that many people dealing with diabetes have asked themselves: Is it possible to exercise your way out of the disease?

The answer is yes and no, depending on the kind of diabetes you have. Either way, there are ways to help you manage your diabetes while also giving yourself an opportunity to get fit.

Insulin Resistance and Exercise
Insulin resistance is a common cause of type 2 diabetes. In fact, most people with this form of diabetes are insulin resistant before they develop the disease. That means that their bodies don’t respond as well to insulin as they should—insulin needs to be released into the bloodstream for glucose (sugar) to be absorbed by cells. As a result, blood glucose levels rise higher than normal and stay elevated longer than usual.

Exercise can improve insulin sensitivity but only if done regularly at moderate intensity for more than 30 minutes per session. It doesn’t work overnight. You’ll need to stick with it over time in order to see any results!

Type 2 diabetes is often managed with diet and exercise
If you have type 2 diabetes, exercise is an important part of managing your condition, with or without medication.It can reduce blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, improve blood flow in the arteries (which reduces the risk of heart disease), and even boost mood.

Type 1 diabetes requires insulin injections to stay healthy
People with type 1 diabetes cannot produce enough insulin naturally in their bodies to keep their blood sugar levels under control, so they need to take insulin shots daily to survive—and exercise is not recommended while taking these shots without first consulting a doctor.

If left untreated or poorly managed, however, it can cause serious health problems such as heart disease or stroke.

Exercise helps to minimize the risk of developing gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. It usually goes away after the baby is born, but exercise may help speed up the process and even prevent its occurrence.

One thing is clear, exercise does have the power to reverse even severe health conditions or prevent them at the very least. If you are a fitness studio owner or personal trainer who is passionate about helping people live their best and healthiest lives, explore My Best Studio. It is a fitness studio management software to help you run your business efficiently.

Web Designers Share The Worst Client Feedback They’ve Gotten

Posted on by Lisa S

We’ve all been there: you do your best work and put in the time and effort, but the client is not happy with it. It’s a weird feeling, like you’re trying to explain something to someone who doesn’t speak the same language.

Web designers are a special breed. They’re the ones who make the magic happen, and they have to be ready for anything—including the worst client feedback possible.

We asked some of our favorite web designers to share the bad client feedback they’ve received –  most bizarre things clients have said about their designs – and we got an earful. Here’s what they had to say:

“I don’t like the color blue.”
The client shares his brand guidelines which have blue all over it. All of his marketing materials have blue and shades of the color. But when it comes to the website, he suddenly wants it to be in a completely different color that is not in sync with any of his other promotional material. Frustrating, to say the least.

“When I click on that button, can you make it do this thing? It’s really important.”

You know what’s the worst? When your client doesn’t understand how websites work, and then they tell you that your work is “bad.”. Hearing a client say “”I’m not sure if I’m supposed to click on this button or not.” Is slightly worse.

 “Can you make it look like that other site?”
We’ve heard this feedback over and over again. First, the client starts by talking about how unique and innovative he wants the site design to be. As soon as you deliver a clutter breaking web design, the client gets scared to be too different. The copy cat game is one that every designer hates.

“I don’t like the color of our logo”
One of the worst feedback we received was to change the color of the brand logo. It was a deep, royal blue, and the client wanted it to be teal. We tried to explain that the royal blue connoted strength and authority, but she insisted that teal would be more modern and up-to-date. Eventually, we gave in and changed it to teal—but only after explaining that we would not take responsibility if this change caused her business to fail.

We’re all human, right? Even the most talented web designers make mistakes. But sometimes, even when you’re working your hardest and doing everything right, clients just don’t get it.

“I don’t know what you can do to improve this site”
The one thing that every designer finds worse than a lot of feedback is getting vague feedback.When a client does not know what they want, you can be sure that there will be multiple rounds of back and forth, and late nights at work trying to telepathically understand what the clients preferences really are.

If you’re looking for powerful and impactful web designs for your business from talented and professional web designers, get in touch with the design team at My Best Studio here

How to Start A Personal Training Business From Home

Posted on by Lisa S

Here’s a step by step guide to set up your own personal training business – the best part is that most of it can be done from your couch, right at home.

Get certified personal trainers
You’ll need to hire certified personal trainers before starting your own business. Certification can take anywhere from 3-6 months depending on the state regulations. Most states require that personal trainers have some kind of certification. The certification process includes taking courses and passing exams.

Ensure that your hires have previous experience working as personal trainers with clients or at a gym. If you’re looking for clients who will pay for one-off sessions with no recurring costs (like one-on-one coaching), then certification isn’t necessary and won’t give you any more credibility than just having experience and expertise in the field.

Decide on a business model
First, think about what you want your business model to be. There are two types of personal trainers: independent contractors and employees of gyms or fitness clubs.
The risk with the former, is greater risk of freelance personal trainers not showing up for classes as there is less accountability. The advantage is that you can work with a wide variety of people with different skill sets and are not limited to the few trainers you hire. Having a set of employees as personal trainers though keeps your studio running and is good for your clients who need a more consistent approach with their workouts.

Evaluate your training experience
Next, consider what kind of training experience your instructor have and how much time they are willing to devote to learning about different types of exercises. This can make or break your business because if clients aren’t getting results from your sessions then they won’t come back—and that means lost revenue! You may need to consider investing in periodic training sessions for them to refresh their skills and bring their best to the studio at all times.

Get insurance
Once you’ve decided whether or not certification is necessary for your business model, make sure that you have proper insurance coverage. This will protect both yourself and your clients from liability issues in case something goes wrong during exercise sessions. You might also want to consider getting additional coverage such as life or disability insurance so that if something happens while working out with someone else, insurance will cover that.

Choose a niche that interests you
Since you’ll be spending so much time with clients, it’s important to choose a niche that really interests and excites you—you’ll need this passion to motivate yourself throughout the day! If you don’t know what niche might interest you yet, just try thinking about what types of exercise are fun for YOU personally. Try doing some research on different types of workouts until something piques your interest enough that you’d want to promote it every day for months or years at a time!

Set up your personal training studio
From finding and renting or owning a space depending on your budget to fixing chinks, working with a gym designer to set up your studio, there’s a lot that goes into starting a personal training studio. Setting up equipment such as dumbbells and exercise balls as well as purchasing any other items needed such as yoga mats comes next. Nowadays, you can get almost every kind of equipment and even rent some of the larger equipment if you’re on a restricted budget.

Invest in a studio management software
Leading fitness software provider, My Best Studio has a specialize fitness studio management software product that helps you manage class bookings and your studio schedule with ease. Plus manage clients, employees, customize pricing packages and more. It also gives you access to comprehensive reporting so you can track the business performance of your studio and access to real time technical support at your fingertips.