Neural mobilisation, often known as "nerve flossing," has been a go-to technique for physiotherapists and allied health professionals for years, but what about its role in group exercise? This method focuses on improving the flexibility and movement of nerves, which...
Marietta Mehanni
Blog Posts
More Than Just A Bicep Curl
Why Work Your Biceps? The biceps are one of the primary muscles in the upper arm and are involved in nearly every pulling movement you make, from lifting groceries to performing daily tasks. Strong biceps not only improve arm definition but also enhance functional...
Everything About Gymstick
Gymstick Fitness for All The Gymstick is a versatile and innovative fitness tool designed to enhance functional training and help individuals achieve their fitness goals. Originating from Finland, the Gymstick Original is a lightweight, portable device that combines a...
Understanding Neural Ischemia: Why Group Fitness Instructors Should Care
In the fitness world, we talk a lot about the importance of stretching, strengthening, and keeping our bodies in peak condition. But there's a lesser-known concept that deserves our attention: neural ischemia. Let's break it down and understand why it matters,...
How Movement Can Help Boost Brain Health
If you’ve ever looked after someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, you’ve probably noticed how their mood or behaviour can change in the evening. This is known as sundowning—a period when confusion, anxiety, or restlessness often intensify as the day comes to a close....
Gymstick Guide to Abdominal Strength
Your core is the epicentre of strength, supporting every movement your body makes. In this guide, we'll focus on abdominal and core strength, uncovering the unique benefits Gymstick offers to enhance these crucial muscle groups. Let's explore how Gymstick can be your...
Beginning Again
The Journey of Firsts Firsts are a constant part of our early lives. Our first breath, our first cry, our first meal. Then come our first smile, first step, and first word. As we grow, we accumulate hundreds, if not thousands, of first experiences. Our first friend,...
Discover the Benefits of mSwing
mSwing is a unique fitness program that uses a single light weight to create fun, challenging, and effective workouts. The natural, flowing movements in mSwing workouts are designed to make you feel like you’re not exercising, but moving with momentum. Yet you'll...
Boost Your Core Strength and Lower Back Health
Lower back issues are a common concern for people of all fitness levels, often closely related to the health and strength of the core muscles. Explore the importance of maintaining a strong lower back and core strength while emphasizing the significance of building...
Developing Upper Body Strength With Gymstick
The Gymstick, crowned Australia's best home fitness tool in 2006, has consistently proven its worth. Voted by The Daily Telegraph and featured in women's fitness and health magazines, it made a remarkable resurgence during the lockdown in 2020. Renowned for its...
Am I Included Yet?
A Reflection on International Day of Disabilities: As I sit down to write this post on the International Day of Disabilities, I can't help but reflect on the question: Am I included yet? My name is Caitlin (CJ) and I'm a 29-year-old woman living with an intellectual...
Embracing Worthiness
Acknowledging Success: A Journey of Worthiness I'm honoured to share my recent induction into the AUSactive Roll of Honour. While this recognition holds immense significance, I must admit that acknowledging what this award truly means to me has been a challenging but...
FLASHBACKS: The Evolution of Group Fitness
Hello, fitness enthusiasts of today! As we look back on the glorious days of group exercise instruction, it's hard not to feel a wave of nostalgia. Back in the day, it was all about "Aerobics," and oh, how the times have changed! Join me as we take a trip down memory...
Enhancing Exercise for an Aging Population
What constitutes functional training In recent years, there has been a noticeable resurgence in the popularity of traditional exercises, signalling a "coming back in vogue" trend. Suppose you're not engaging in chin-ups, push presses, kettlebell training, plyometrics,...
Find Your Fierce
How I found my tribe If you're like me, you love to feel inspired. You want to reflect on your life and feel you've made a difference. I recently chatted with a long-time friend (Sports science academic, Public speaker and PT genius), Nikki Ellis, on her 'Find your...
Why do you really teach group fitness?
Have you ever really asked yourself why you teach group fitness? Why did you decide that this would be the career (or part-time pursuit) that you would follow over so many other options? This article was published in the Network magazine. Finding your Why People often...
it’s hard to let go to try something new
The biggest challenge It's hard to let go of something that once worked for us, but it's even harder when we're not seeing the results we want. One of the hardest things for a lot of people to do is admit that their favourite workout is no longer working for them. In...
Can simple be effective
Keeping it Simple We've all heard the saying, "keep it simple, stupid." But as humans, we seem to be hardwired to look for complexity. So we are suspicious of things that are too simple – how can it possibly be effective? Fitness trainers tend to overcomplicate...
Confessions Of A Lazy Instructor
Tips on how to stay motivated with exercise Have you ever started doing something with the best intentions, only to lose motivation and give up halfway through? Maybe you started a new exercise program and quit after a few weeks (or days). All along, you know that if...
How To Make A Career From Teaching Group Fitness?
Group Fitness Career Wow! It's possible to make a career from teaching group fitness classes. Absolutely, it is. You can earn money and help people become fitter and healthier too. There are many opportunities to teach group fitness classes. If you have a personal...
Do You learn from others?
Always be prepared to learn something new. Teaching is a profession that is full of surprises. As instructors, we know the best way to prepare for the unexpected is to go in with as much knowledge as possible. It's one of the reasons why you're probably reading this...
3 Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Teaching Group Fitness Classes
To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. I have been in the industry for a long time, and I know how scary it is to start teaching group fitness classes! The fear comes from so many places and takes many forms. Some people are afraid they will be uncomfortable,...
3 Tricks To Boost Your Fitness Teaching Confidence
It's about the experience you create Teaching a group fitness class can be an incredibly empowering and gratifying experience. It can also be challenging, daunting and downright terrifying. There's always a little voice telling you that you don't know enough to teach...
What is mswing?
mSwing is not an aerobics class. It's about learning to move your body in a way that will integrate into your life for the rest of your days. It's fun and it can be done by anyone and everyone. Why? Because since the beginning of time, people have been swinging things...
The more you know the better
When a comment on a social media post mentioned the name of a fitness industry colleague that I hadn’t thought about for a long time, it brought the power of the word ‘learn’ vividly to mind. Meredith King was my aqua coordinator at the Ivanhoe Aquatic Centre in the...
The One Word Someone Said To Me That Reframed The Way I Think Forever
When we learn something new, we open the door to opportunity. To grow in this industry, you must keep continual learning at the core of everything you do, writes industry educator and group fitness guru Marietta Mehanni. When a comment on one of my recent social media...
4 Gymstick Exercises that you can start doing right now for free
The Gymstick is a very portable, easy-to-use fitness tool that enables you to do all the resistance exercises you can do in a gym and so much more. Costing less than a gym membership and taking up no space, it comes as a two-piece fibreglass stick with an easy...
The best Gymstick Exercises to follow Step-by-Step
A stick and a couple of rubber bands surprised me when I first used the Gymstick in 2006. Having been in the fitness industry for 15 years by then, I thought I had seen everything, and there was no doubt that I had a little more arrogance about exercise than I should...
Language of Disability
Carol Syer wrote this blog. Learning the language of disability In my 30+ years in the fitness Industry, I have seen it grow and mature. We have become more aware and more inclusive. We have become more educated, and with that knowledge, we are becoming more welcoming...
H2O Conference: A world of presenters at your fingertips
The last 18 months have been a series of firsts, from teaching virtually and getting a handle on the technology to editing videos, creating accessible education platforms and building new websites. The impetus to do all these new things may have been due to reasons...
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What Is Neuromobilisation All About?
Neural mobilisation, often known as "nerve...
More Than Just A Bicep Curl
Why Work Your Biceps? The biceps are one of the...
Everything About Gymstick
Gymstick Fitness for All The Gymstick is a...