Pete Trapani
Owner – 360 Fitness For Life & Health
Pete Trapani is the Owner and Operator 360 Fitness For Life & Health, LLC. He holds certifications with NSCA-CPT, NSCA CSCS, KBC Level One & FMS Level One. Pete is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, a U.S. Army Veteran and is working toward the completion of a MPH (Master of Public Health) at the University of Missouri.
He is an approved Continuing Education provider for NSCA, NASM, and ACE and is pending approval from AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) and NASPE (National Association for Sports and Physical Education). He provides professional development workshops for classroom and PE Teachers, Occupational Therapists, and Fitness Professionals (CEC,CEU) on various topics: central nervous system approach to movement, exercise, fitness, personal training, strength and conditioning, active classroom learning, and physical education programming. Pete provides personal training and strength and conditioning services in home and on location.
Pete is currently assisting with and is a contributor for a pilot study with Washington University in St. Louis entitled “The Effects of Makoto Arena Intervention On Motor Skills and Executive function In Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorders”. Phase two of the study will start in January 2013. Washington University will present the findings at the annual AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) in April 2013.
Pete believes that active gaming or exergaming equipment can be used effectively by fitness, health, education and wellness professionals. The Makoto Arena and the Sportwall are two active gaming products that have been studied, tested and integrated into many allied health professional, personal training, and strength and conditioning programs. When used to their full capacity, these exergaming/active gaming products can be utilized as a gateway to other traditional play, games, sports, therapeutic, and fitness activities.
Pete is a proponent and advocate for the use of unstructured play and games. Dismayed about the diminished role they have taken in our children’s lives in this age of technology and video games, Pete incorporates play and games into his exercise and fitness programs. He also speaks to audiences about how they can be used as tool in the battle against obesity and how adults can integrate play into their workouts.
Pete firmly believes that movement and exercise play an important role in our lives. “Once we stop moving, our central nervous system and body begin to atrophy”. Plasticity, or neuroplasticity, is the lifelong ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences. As we learn, we acquire new knowledge and skills through instruction or experience. In order to learn or memorize a fact or skill, a motor skill, or any movement, there must be persistent functional changes in the brain that represent the new knowledge. Exercise and movement are a crucial to the continued molding of our brain.