ACSM Clinical Exercise Specialist

I have been eye-ing on this course for few years! Finally, after 5 years, I can afford the time and money to take this course - ACSM Clinical Exercise Specialist Certification course!

In the past, like many other trainers, I trained my clients with mild lifestyle diseases (like high blood pressure, diabetes) with a lot of caution and common sense. But now after the course, I am armed with the knowledge to be much more confident in dealing with high risk clients with cardiovascular and metobolic diseases.

I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to learn so much from Mr Peter Brukner (the only angmo in the photo below) and other fellow course mates who were doctors, cardiologists and physiotherapists. I just love attending courses because not only I get to learn new knowledge but also to reflect on the old and think of ways in improving my practice.

Now I need to study real hard for the certification exam. As i do so all those vague memory of physiology and biochemistry i learnt from my undergrad and postgrad are slowly creeping back...Gosh, how i wish i can do so by gulping down the 2 inch thick text book. S The exam is not easy as 90% of my course-mates failed and re-taking...

Wish me luck (a lot of it) to pass!

Give your brain some downtime

I was checking out my friend's status updates on Facebook during my few minutes "work" in the toilet, an interesting article from New York Times caught my eyes:

"scientists (from Universities of California, San Francisco) point to an unanticipated side effect: when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas."

I am definitely one of those who constantly occupy my shortest available "free" time with my iphone, hoping to make myself more "productive". Check and reply emails, socialise with friends on FB, admire Charles' photos, chat on Whatsapp and read the Bible on my iPhone, in the tiniest windows of time, like when I am walking down the corridor at home and even when I am doing business in the loo. My phone literally lives and breathes in my palm almost 24/7. My "productivity" reached new height when i mastered the skill to read magazine/books while I jogged on treadmill!

Maybe lack of downtime is causing me running out of creativity and mental focus. No wonder it is now so difficult for me to sit down, organise and blog my thoughts! I am sure I am not alone in suffering iphone-obsession syndrome. So often that we see families sitting together at restaurant but each member individually dwell on their own iphone/ipad/PSP and have minimal conversation or interaction with each other. It is so sad to see precious family time is invaded by technology...

So let's take few minutes off reading this blog or net-surfing, look out of the windows and look at the trees and flying birds outside, take a walk with your family, or lie down on a mat and do some simple pilates exercises. Let our over-worked brain rest and recharge, so to allow it to take up other challenges in our daily life.