Academy Of Functional Exercise
Medicine
AFEM

Honors Page - Academy Appointments, Practitioners, and Students
Physicians and Students, dedicated to healthy ways to move and think, come from all over the world to certify in Academy courses. 
Academy Directors develop far-reaching ground-breaking community programs.

 

Dr. Bookspan teaches physician classes:

   

Students get up from their chairs to practice and feel each technique themselves

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Academy Appointments

Stuart Wood has been appointed Academy Director of Community Projects.
   He teaches healthy movement methods for existing organizations:

• Water reharvesting program using healthy body mechanics for digging and building,
• After-school program that teaches healthy movement is fun,
• Reduce the high rate of strain related injuries in workers through his wellness pilot program in Tucson, Arizona.

See the results:
Academy Appointment for Making Community Projects Healthy
StuartShip - Healthy Movement Programs
Natural Hard Exercise - Stuart's Community Health Stewardship Continues

• Non-Profit status and founding our Center. Stuart is also working hard to develop the Academy as a non-profit charity with a fun healthy location for you to come fix pain, learn healthy life techniques to bring to your community, and more. Contact Stuart Wood to add your law, engineering, real estate, and management experience:

See the Progress in Progress:
Project 5

To be involved, contact Stuart Wood, Academy of Functional Exercise Medicine

 

Peggy Santamaria has been appointed Academy Director of Developing Abilities.
Her program works with job coaches to train and find employment for developmentally disabled adults:

• Developmentally disabled adults learn healthy movement techniques to train useful work skills and prevent injuries.
• Job skills include snow removal, landscaping, housekeeping, and other.
• We hope this program will become a model for programs all over the nation like it.

  See the results:
  Functional Fitness as a Lifestyle By Mail Room Workers and
  New Healthy Employment Programs for Developmentally Disabled
  News article featuring this work - Cumberland Times News.

  Peggy practices what she teaches:
  Shoveling Snow - Reader Wins Mother Nature's Fitness Challenge with Fitness Fixer

• Wheel chair and Special Olympics participants - another program in development to provide healthy movement and training skills. Watch this space.

• Ms. Santamaria was awarded the Governor's Leadership in Aging Award for Health & Vitality. Secretary Gloria Lawlah of Maryland Department of Aging presented the award, pictured at right. Ms. Santamaria's Academy work was cited on the list of merit for selection for this award.

 

 

 

For media interviews and organizations wanting to initiate these programs, contact Peggy Santamaria.


Thank you Appalachian Crossroads Mail Room Role Models!

 

Share These Projects With Friends To Add Their Talents To Stuart and Peggy's Work

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Academy Practitioners

Dr. Clara Hsu, M.D. family medicine physician, Santa Monica CA.  www.clarahsumd.com. Featured in How Doctors Help Patients With Fitness Fixer and How Doctors Use The Wall Stand.

David Demets. Yoga teacher, Belgium. www.hierennu.be. Developed and teaches an improved new yoga system. He presented it at a world yoga congress. His system corrects for the widespread pain syndromes from flexion overuse, and reduces the cause instead of adhering to set ritual pose sequences - Getting the Right Yoga Medicine. 

Jim Morris, Mr. America. Venice, CA. Mr. Universe 1977. Physical Fitness Hall Of Fame with Bill Pearl, Jack Lalanne 1978. Mr. Olympia Masters 1996. More on his site www.gymmorris.com. He encourages responsibility, lifelong fitness, and my Ab Revolution retraining technique. Featured in Mr. America Urges Goodness and Responsibility.

Paul Plevakas. Shotokan Karate Sensei, Philadelphia. www.PaulPlevakas.com. Teaches healthy martial arts. Black Belt Hall of Fame Inductee. Featured on the cover of the textbook Healthy Martial Arts. Runs the Academy's Martial Arts department. Currently completing Personal Trainer Certification.

Audrey Tannenbaum, M.Ed, ATC, C.S.C.S., Pennsylvania. Certified Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Maccabean Games Triathlon Gold Medallist.

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Academy Certified Students

"I attended the Academy!" 
Student Chady Albert Yammine says:
" I am a remedial massage therapist and i was lucky to meet AFEM to learn new techniques and fulfill my dream"

 

Message to Practitioners and Students from Academy Headmaster Dr. Jolie Bookspan:
"Your students and patients will watch you for healthy ways to live and move; How you sit, bend, reach, lift, eat, and speak of others. Show them real health. Rather than mandate specific chair angles for sitting, show how to sit in healthful ways no matter what you sit upon. Get people off their chairs (and other sitting devices) if you want to call the activity real exercise. Show how to control your own ankles, spine, knees, and neck position when standing and moving. No exercises or muscle strengthening will hold you properly--you do that--and that is exercise as a lifestyle. Remember that in much of the world, people lift and carry just to have food and water. It is not progress to do artificial motions indoors on a machine, to do "fitness activities" in unhealthful ways, or to exercise then return to unhealthful motions for daily life. Live beautifully. Do good in the world. Laugh.

 

How To Qualify for Certification:
Requirements for Dr. Bookspan's Certifications: Check Class page certification info first, then See Dr. Bookspan.
For Mr. Nakhlé's Certifications: Several classes are offered with separate certification for each. Personal Trainer course is the summation of 5 seminars: 1- Functional Weight Lifting 2- Stretching 3- Functional Core Training 4- Balance Training 5- Aerobic Training. Fitness Therapist course is Personal Trainer + Swedish Massage + Techniques from the book "Fix Your Own Pain." Certification for separate units in Trainer and Fitness Therapist classes are not given or implied, unless separately taken with documented certificate through Dr. Bookspan. Mr. Nahklé bears sole responsibility for course completeness and student outcomes. His classes are only for trainers and massage therapists for healthy populations with no health risks, no history, and no injuries. CPR required and First Aid training encouraged.

 

How to Renew Certification:
Your certificate expires one year from your completion date. Your knowledge needs exercise. To stay current, send Dr. Bookspan your success stories and photos of using what we taught you to make a healthier world for people or communities. Show your work with your own students and patients and/or through a Project. Remember: Integrity, goodness, and honest healthy ways are your truest membership in the Academy. Your renewal will be listed with your name and class on this web page.

We care about the progress and successes you will have with this education. Join us for more classes and projects. Check this Academy web site frequently. Academy Headmaster Dr. Jolie Bookspan commends you for completing this Academy certification class.

 

Professional Academy Attire:

		Professional Clothes. Dress in Academy logo for professional teaching and for fun. Several designs and colors, jackets and bags. Academy Gifts Teaching Items. Back Saver reminders to carry, eat, lift, and sit with healthy spine, Send in your requests for other items to educate, inspire, and make life healthier and more fun at the same time. Check often for new designs.

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Certification Honor Roll

Fitness is not just in a gym. Health comes from all your actions.
With this honor comes the responsibility of continuing as a living example
of healthy movement, thought, and action. Always rise to this meaning.
Carry on for a healthier, happier, peaceful world.
AFEM - Making Medicine and Exercise Healthy for People and Communities

 

Fitness Therapist
Completed Aug  8, 2010. Instructor: George Nakhlé

1- Chady Yammine

 

Personal Trainer
Completed July  24, 2010. Instructor: George Nakhlé

1- Rola Morsel
2- Omar El Asmar
3- Maher Mohammad
4- Najat Saliba
5- Chady Yammine - "Fitness Trainer"

Students: Remember that health screenings are required before all personal and fitness training sessions, and periodically throughout patient contact.

Najat Saliba says:
"This was an important course, i learned many new things especially how to avoid bad exercises.
I loved it and don't regret taking it."

 

Certified - Thai Massage
30 hrs. Completed May  22, 2010. Instructor: George Nakhlé

1 - Sandra Moujally

 

Certified - Balance Training
8 hrs. Completed April  25, 2010. Instructor: George Nakhlé

1- Elias Antoine Saliba - with distinction for understanding scientific issues easily.
2- Violette Badr Saliba

 

Certified - Stretching Smarter and Healthier
8 hrs. Completed April 18, 2010. Instructor: George Nakhlé

1- Pamela el Murr
2- Zeina Kazan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Certified - Thai-Yoga Massage and Foot and Leg Massage
Thai Massage 30 hrs, Foot and Leg Massage, 12 hrs. Completed March 15, 2010. Instructor: George Nakhlé

1- Dalya Sobh

 

Certified - Stretching Smarter and Healthier
10 hrs. Completed March 14, 2010. Instructor: George Nakhlé

 

1- Beatrice Karaki
2- Roula Morsel
3- Thaer Haskour
4- Roula Aad
5- Omar El Asmar

 

 

 

Student Beatrice Karaki, physical education student says: "I loved this course. It was very useful.
George is an excellent instructor who combines theory and practice."
Roula Morsel, physical education student says: " I'm glad to be able to take your course again. Thank you.":

 

Certified - Balance Training, From Theory To Practice
6 hrs. Completed Nov 14, 2009. Instructor: George Nakhlé

1- Ghada Jaber
2- Ali Zeitoun
3- Chadi Yammine
4- Laian Ziad Najjar
5- Joyce Maasri
6- Mohammad Baydoun

 

 

 

Students learn to recognize bad movement habits - not to round the spine (demonstrated by student in white shirt left)
or slouch in hyperlordosis (blue stripes) while balancing
They learn to stand and move in healthier straighter position instead.

 

Certified - Medical Breakthroughs in Fixing Neck and Back Pain
4.5 hours. Completed Oct 3, 2009. Temple University, Philadelphia. Instructor: Dr. Jolie Bookspan

1- LInda Hsu. Congratulations Ms. Hsu, the only student to complete certification by course end.
Ms. Hsu has recertified through intelligent and successful application of this information and is renewed through October 2011.

Therapist LInda Hsu says: "It was a true pleasure and honor to experience Dr. Bookspan "live" and to see her embody everything she teaches and writes about. I have finally found a teacher who knows the "whys" of chronic pain, and is willing to take the time to explain and investigate causes and solutions. I am grateful that you have taken so much time and care to present such invaluable information in such an accessible way. Everything taught in this class was backed by research and science and can be immediately applied to activities of daily living - Brilliant!

 

Certified - Thai Massage
25 hrs. Completed Oct 10, 2009. Instructor: George Nakhlé

1 - Joyce Assaad Maasry - Finished first in the class, plus Stretch Certification
2 - Darine Fouad El Hajj
3 - Patricia Anis Bou Jaoude
4 - Wael Antonios Dagher
5 - Pierre Josef Mardini - Distinguished himself as good student.
6 - Wafaa El Haybe Sarkis
7 - Mohammad Fayez Allaw
8 - Marwan Sami Nasr

 

Student Pierre Mardini says: "Dear Mr. George, you are a professional teacher."

 

Certified - Stretching Smarter and Healthier
12 hrs. Completed May 30, 2009. Lecturer: George Nakhlé

1 - Khaled Taher
2 - Maha Marzouk
3 - Rina Mansour
4 - Heggy Edoyan
5 - Amira Khourchid
6 - Jackeline Yazbeck
7 - Moussa Ghazaly
8 - Mireille Makhraz
9 - Elie Saba
10 - Firas Samir Nassif
11 - Béninia Elias Nasr
12 - Rola Rachid Maalouf
13 - Firas Badawi Yazbeck

Student Khaled Taher, physical therapist, says:
"This course is very useful.
I changed many wrong knowledge learned at university!
I grasped many good exercises! thank you George very much
for your rich information and skills given to me!"

 

Certified - Fix and Prevent Injuries AND Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier
8.5 hours. Completed May 16, 2009 in Philadelphia. Instructor: Dr. Jolie Bookspan

1 - Ruth Baez. Congratulations Ms. Baez, the only student in these classes to complete both certifications by course end.

 

Certified - Swedish Massage
25 hours, March 28 to May 16, 2009. Multiple Instructors

1- Chady Albert Yammine
2- Joseph Antoine Srour
3- Wael Antonios Dagher
4- Pierre Josef Mardini
5- Firas Samir Nassif
6- Mohamad Fayez Allaw
7- Rony Khalil Abi Hayla

 

 

 

Certified - Stretching Smarter and Healthier
12 hours, February 28 and March 7, 2009. Lecturer: George Nakhlé

1- Sandra Basbous
2- Chady Albert Yammine
3- Wael Dagher
4- Pierre Mardini
5- Ali Zeitoun
6- Mohammad Baydoun
7- Patrick Bejjani
8- Dima Ajouz
9- Lina Itani
10- Ghada Jaber
11- Roy Ghaleb
13- Joe Srour
14- Reine Antoun

 

Certified -  Electrotherapy, From Theory To Treatment
10 hours, January 24 2009. Lecturer: George Youssef, Physical Therapist

1- Mohammad Karam
2- Maha Marzouk
3- Liliane Chamaa
4- Haydar Haydar

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Students took time to send us this wish -

Thank you students!

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Applied Learning

Student Dr. Linder Wingo, M.D. of Florida comments:
"The workshop gave me a vastly improved understanding of mechanics and rarely presented ways of utilizing them for health and problem elimination/control. The overall learning/insight is excellent; the information of immediate clinical therapeutic use. I very highly recommend this course."

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