We really did sign up for a career of learning and development. Now that you have built a strong foundation of your manipulation skills, nutrition base, movement assessments and business knowledge, it's time to keep up with the American College of Sports Medicine's 2017 worldwide health and fitness trends. Here are some of the top 10 trends with my comments relative to our profession and practices; to review the entire list, check out the ACSM's Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2017 online.
#2. Body-Weight Training
Body-weight training is the most minimal approach to fitness, and you'll be surprised how effective body-weight exercises can be for increasing and maintaining muscle and fitness. I live on the beach in the Santa Monica – Venice area and on any given Sunday, you can see groups of young men and women with the most fit, sculptured bodies working out using only bars and rings.
The benefits of body-weight training include cost (free); it's usually the first type of exercises I teach patients; it's versatile, with many different variations; it can be done anywhere; it improves movement; it improves relative strength; and it can improve reactive strength. My favorite body-weight exercises are push-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups, and ab roll-outs.
#3. HIIT Training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) describes any workout that alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less-intense activity or even complete rest. For example, a good starter workout is warming up for a few minutes, running as fast as you can for 1 minute and then walking for 2 minutes.
Super-efficient HIIT is the ideal workout for a busy schedule, whether you want to squeeze in a workout during your lunch break or get in shape for a fast-approaching event. You can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) than the person jogging on a treadmill for an hour. It's popular because in just two weeks of high-intensity intervals, you'll improve your aerobic capacity as much as 6-8 weeks of endurance training.
HIIT workouts are efficient, you'll burn more fat, it's great cardio and you don't need any equipment. You'll lose weight and increase your metabolism, and you can make it as challenging as you want.
#4. Qualified, Educated Fitness Professionals
The average Joe and Jane chiropractors are good for their annual required license renewal credits, but you will become more appealing to the public if you can pursue certifications and higher education that allows you to offer new services (rehab, exercise training, soft tissue, taping, functional nutrition coaching, etc). Look to your local chiropractic college for diplomate or certification programs.
#6. Group Training
Group training is my favorite part of the week in my office. I originally started my in-office exercise classes for patients suffering from low back pain who were afraid to go to a gym (they'd get re-injured easily, didn't know what to do, etc.). I started teaching classes more than 15 years ago with body-weight exercises, concentrating on very low-load exercises. Some of the same people are still with me and we now work out with heavy bands and kettlebells.
You can start a kids-only class, a women-only class, a low back class, and age-45-55-only class, etc., and charge appropriately for a "small-group exercise class."
#8. Yoga
Yoga just continues to expand and trend. I think it is a great in-office therapy to offer. At home, I can look out my window and see 50 people gather on the beach every Saturday morning doing a large-group, low-cost yoga session.
The take-home message is that you can do yoga and any class outdoors with enough space. Yoga is breath, flexibility, strength and metabolic activation, and group classes create community. I learned rhythmic flexibility and understand flow from my time spent in yoga classes.
#9. Personal Training
Personal training is very much what I do as rehab specialist. If you don't have the time, hire a qualified trainer and bring them to your office. Selecting an exercise type or mode for patients is based on the person's goals, functional capacity, interests, available equipment and time constraints.
Have the ability to explain and get the patient to engage small and/or large muscle groups and create cardiorespiratory workouts. Once a core and cardiorespiratory base has been developed and a plateau has occurred, the exercise mode should be manipulated every two to three weeks in order to keep the patient from physiologically adapting. This helps to keep caloric expenditure high without adding time to the workout.
#10. Exercise & Weight Loss
Along with writing exercise programs, you'll need to help patients navigate "super" foods like quinoa and kale, as well as supplement choices and meal plans like the Paleo diet, the Mediterranean diet, the ketogenic diet and the vegetarian diet. We are still dealing with more than 30 percent of Americans classified as obese.
My Additions to the List
Additional health trends not on the ACSM's list, but on the Dr. Jeffrey Tucker 2017 list, include the following:
Cleansing the kidneys, liver and other organs is going to remain popular. Cleanses are not necessarily fasts, and cleanses are becoming more widely practiced and give the organs a rest while introducing more whole foods, organic foods, and non-processed health foods that contain high levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and immune-cancer-fighting substances.
These cleanses give patients an opportunity to jump-start weight loss and help reduce inflammation in tough conditions. I have my patients drink shakes with supplement powders, fresh berries and fresh veggies, while eating a whole-foods diet.
The term functional medicine has been around for years (the even newer term is triage medicine), but is becoming more and more prevalent, especially marketed toward aging baby boomers. While going to your regular MD may help keep you out of trouble (or not), functional medicine practitioners blend intelligent, modern medicine with alternative therapies. They focus on doing specialized blood work or other tests independently.
Functional medicine is a complement to your traditional medical practitioner, yet may work in tandem, incorporating optimizing and balancing hormones and vitamins. The practitioners who are practicing functional medicine are doing great work, and I'm sure will continue to trend and grow. In my area, one smart chiropractor started a monthly functional medicine group made up of MDs, DCs, nutritionists, etc. Each month, a different practitioner comes and talks to the group.
Innovation and technology that speaks to the movement toward "get me out of pain now." Invest in new equipment such as lasers, vibration and percussion devices, lymphatic drainage machines (Michael Phelps popularized this during the summer Olympics), shockwave machines, and even more.
I continue to feel intense amounts of pressure to get patients better faster and keep them healthy. We are in a competitive market and patients are less rigid about who they go to for pain relief as long as it is fast. It seems long-term plans have peaked over the past few years. I hear shorter (30-day) cash ("Get me out of pain'" plans geared toward pain relief is going head to head with the "pay for the year" care these days.
Vendors of supplements and equipment have a lot to say to us small-business owners in chiropractic. I recommend spending time each quarter with different vendors to learn about new products and services. Vendors are committed to our professional growth, educational development and well-being. If we do well, they do well!
I think the new standards are laser, deep muscle stimulators, and shockwave therapy. These devices have a clean feel, and the modern, aesthetic look of these devices is appealing. Selling supplements and other health-related items in the office that makes it convenient for patients to purchase also is appreciated. There are many supplement companies that market only to doctors for health or weight loss. I think this and private-label products are a popular trend.
Low overhead by having shared space with multiple practitioners under one roof will remain the trend, but you may need to spend money on new carpet and paint. It's important to keep your office looking clean and fresh. In addition, I know spending money in this time of health care flux is scary, but investing in new equipment such as an exercise station, lymphatic stimulation device, shockwave therapy, laser, deep-muscle stimulation, instrument tools, electrotherapy, body composition machines, and posture / gait analysis equipment will expand your services and enhance patient care.
Take Action Now
I honestly think this is going to be one of chiropractic's best years ever. What do I think you can do to start making that happen? Add one or two of the ACSM's top trends to your office now. Enroll in a rehab, sports or other diplomate program. Become familiar with exercise, nutrition, taping and quality movement. Learn how to coach patients in diet, weight loss and exercise therapy.
Everyone from chess players to the NFL is conscious about chiropractic. Raise the bar for yourself, your practice and patients through exercise, fitness and diet. Cheers to 2017 being a happy, healthy year for each of you and yours.
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