SOURCE: National Academy of Sports Medicine
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March 07, 2008 14:01 ET
American Specialty Health and the National Academy of Sports Medicine Unveil Innovative FitnessCoach Program
New Online Health and Fitness Resource Provides First-of-Its-Kind Programming Tools and Revenue Opportunities
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - March 7, 2008) - American Specialty Health (ASH) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
today announced the launch of FitnessCoach®, an innovative Web-based
health and fitness resource for both professionals and consumers. The new
online platform will be unveiled during a co-presentation by NASM President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Micheal Clark and
ASH Chief Health Services Officer Dr. Douglas Metz at the International
Health, Racquetball and SportsClub Association (IHRSA) conference in San
Diego on March 6, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Developed by ASH and NASM, FitnessCoach is comprised of two Web sites: FitnessCoachPro.com
for health and fitness professionals (facilities and individuals) seeking
greater education and revenue opportunities; and FitnessCoach.com for
consumers seeking resources to help improve their health.
"Our participation at the IHRSA conference is the perfect time to introduce
FitnessCoach," said Dr. Clark. "Fitness facility owners and managers
attending the show will be excited to learn how the FitnessCoach business
model will help them better serve their clients, grow their business,
educate their staff, and generate more revenue."
"We believe FitnessCoach.com is a 'best in class' personal health
improvement Web site for consumers. And FitnessCoachPro.com provides a
unique opportunity for fitness clubs and their professionals to link with
their customers and have access to industry-leading information and
educational opportunities," said George DeVries, chairman and CEO of
American Specialty Health.
Value to Professionals
For professionals, FitnessCoachPro allows them to expand their knowledge
with access to in-depth health and fitness
educational resources, as well as free continuing education courses and
exclusive pricing on the NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) and
Corrective Exercises Specialist (CES) advanced specializations.
Furthermore, the platform allows professionals to:
-- Create customized resistance, cardio, and nutrition programs for
clients.
-- Design easy-to-follow, individualized meal plans based on clients'
goals, such as weight loss, weight gain, or moving to specialized dietary
needs.
-- Monitor their clients' progress and manage all of their activities and
progress in a centralized, automated environment.
The site also provides an array of features, including expert bylined
articles, an exercise library, up-to-date glossary and research reviews.
The information and programming tools available through FitnessCoach are
based on expertise developed by ASH in its health coaching and fitness
programs and in clinically-tested studies conducted by the NASM Research
Institute at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
FitnessCoachPro also offers new revenue streams for facilities and
individual professionals with access to new business opportunities and new
clients via a professional registry database. Professionals are able to
increase their earning potential by securing new referrals through the
FitnessCoach Professional Network.
"FitnessCoachPro serves as a tremendous resource for fitness facilities,
allowing access for the entire staff of a member organization," said Ben
Tucker, NASM Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "It allows the facility
to better manage their clients, monitor their staff's educational path, and
earn more revenue by referring consumers to join FitnessCoach.com."
Value to Consumers
For the consumer, FitnessCoach.com allows users to take an overall health
assessment; input their health and fitness goals; create individualized
exercise and meal plans; monitor their progress with health trackers; view
their daily plans on their personal health calendar; and find the nearest
health and fitness professional through a national directory. The program
conveniently helps users execute the most effective fitness solutions on
their terms and schedules -- either online or in-person -- through the
professional directory and a forthcoming phone coaching application.
Consumers can receive a free seven-day trial to FitnessCoach.com with a
promotional code from a participating FitnessCoachPro professional. Upon
completion of the trial offer, paid memberships are available in three-,
six-, and 12-month increments.
Following the presentation by Dr. Clark and Dr. Metz, IHRSA attendees are
invited to booths 739 (ASH) or 3942 (NASM) for an interactive tour and
demonstration of FitnessCoach. After the IHRSA conference, ASH and NASM
will conduct a series of webinars for professionals seeking a demonstration
of FitnessCoach applications, resources and benefits. Fitness facilities,
individual professionals, and media interested in participating in a
webinar can learn more at: www.nasm.org/FitnessCoach.aspx.
About ASH:
American Specialty Health Incorporated is one of the nation's premier
personal health improvement organizations, providing specialty network
administration, fitness programs and wellness programs to health plans,
insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds nationwide. Based in
San Diego, ASH has over 600 employees and covers more than 13 million
members. For more information, call (800) 848-3555 or visit ASH online at
www.ASHCompanies.com. FitnessCoach is a federally registered trademark of
American Specialty Health Incorporated.
About NASM:
Since 1987, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has been the
recognized global authority in certification, continuing education,
solutions and tools for health, fitness, sports performance and sports medicine
programs for professional trainers. Today, NASM serves more than
100,000 members in 80 countries. In addition to its evidence-based
NCCA-accredited fitness certification program, Certified
Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT), NASM also offers a progressive career
track with access to Advanced Specializations, Continuing Education
courses, and accredited Bachelor and Master Degree programs. The NASM
educational continuum is designed to help today's health and fitness
professional enhance their career while empowering their clients to live
healthier lives. For more information, call (800) 460-NASM or visit
http://www.nasm.org.
About Dr. Micheal Clark:
Recognized as one of the top physical therapists in the industry, Dr.
Micheal Clark, DPT, MS, PT, CES, PES, CPT joined NASM in 2000 and soon
after introduced the proprietary Optimum Performance Training™ (OPT)
method used by thousands of health and fitness professionals worldwide. His
innovation and leadership have redefined NASM as a global leader and
authority in the health and fitness industry. Dr. Clark oversees NASM's new
business development, product research and development, relationship
management with partners and customers, the clinical practice. He also
serves as the physical therapist to the NBA's Phoenix Suns and his list of
athlete-clients includes a Major League Baseball Cy Young award winner,
world champion figure skaters, National Basketball Association (NBA)
All-Stars, NBA Most Valuable Players, National Football League All-Pros,
national champions, Olympic gold medalists, and Hall of Fame athletes.
About Dr. Douglas Metz:
As chief health services officer and executive vice president at ASH, Dr.
Douglas Metz oversees health services, which includes research, clinical
product development and analyses. At ASH,
Dr. Metz plays a critical role in implementing the national standards of
the National Committee for Quality Assurance and URAC. Dr. Metz was elected
to the URAC board of directors in 2004 and serves as the chairman of the
URAC Standards Committee. Dr. Metz's articles have appeared in many
professional and community publications, including Archives of Internal
Medicine, Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, and Topics in
Clinical Chiropractic, and he frequently lectures.