The NFPT Blog

On May 19, 40 states will be participating in National Kids to Parks Day by hosting special events. The 2nd Annual celebration has a simple, yet life changing mission – "to remind adults to take a child in their lives to a park..."- where they can hike, learn about a historic site, canoe down a river or have fun playing on their neighborhood slides and swings.

So, what does this have to do with you? As personal trainers, it's important for you to connect with your clients and to show you truly care about them. It's also your mission to make sure they don't just "live fitness" when they are an arm's length away from you, but they integrate it into their daily lives – and the lives of their children. You are their role model, they are their children's.

National Bike Week is May 14-18. May 18 is National Bike to Work Day. The entire month of May, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, is National Bike Month. Use this opportunity to help your clients take fitness to the next level.

Your job is to encourage clients to live healthier lives through fitness and nutrition. And, that should extend beyond the gym. Fitness is a lifestyle—it's full time. Not just a one-hour session, three times a week. While you can't be with your clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you can give them the tools they need to stay active and healthy when you aren't around.

May is Global Employee Health & Fitness Month (GEHFM). May 16 is National Employee Health and Fitness Day. As personal trainers we need to stay in-the-know with what is going on in the world around us.

The economy has been questionable for the past few years. Unemployment has been at an all time high, and health insurance has been a stressful topic for many Americans and small business owners. So, do you need some good news? You can make these times of uncertainty work for your business. You can flourish in this economy; especially where health care is concerned!

As a part of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, May 13-19 is National Women's Health Week. The entire week is dedicated to bringing together communities, businesses, government and health organizations, and other groups to promote women's health.

The theme this year is, "It's Your Time". As fitness professionals how can you help women see the benefits of working hard to stay healthy? Not just for a week, but year after year.

It is an important time for fitness professionals. This is your month. Take advantage of this great opportunity to encourage physical activity and empower Americans to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Get out and make the most of it. Help others get involved with some of the activities taking place in your community. Use this month to share the gift of fitness with others.

Certain days and weeks throughout May have been designated to observe different initiatives to get Americans active.