Industry Issues/Trends
BLinG-Health™: Black Leadership in Girls’ Health
Training adolescent black girls as peer physical activity leaders in high school promoted health, fitness and community, according to a small, qualitative study published in Journal of Healthy Eating and…
Wake-up Call from the World Health Organization
New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) represent a wake-up call for health and exercise professionals. The title of the WHO’s press release says it all: Nearly 1.8 Billion Adults at Risk of Disease from Not…
Secrets of Super Agers
What’s their secret? Why do Super Agers, people who live past 90, have such long lives? What can you do to live a longer, healthier life?
Embracing the Future: Top 5 Projected Fitness Trends for 2024
Now that 2023 is over, let’s explore the top five future fitness trends that will shape the fitness industry in 2024 and beyond.
2023 Fitness Industry Compensation Trends Report
This compensation trends report provides data on current wages in the industry as well as benefits and hiring and promotion criteria.
Make It Outdoor Group Fitness!
Exploring the necessary considerations, planning and programming elements of teaching an outdoor group fitness class.
Fitness Community and Exercise Levels
To increase involvement, fitness managers and directors may want to facilitate ways for members to develop a fitness community.
Neighborhood Walking and Social Connection
Fitness professionals may want to consider supporting simple local activities, such as neighborhood walking, to boost “social capital.
The Connection Between Pets and Wellness
Is there scientific evidence that pets can help us heal and thrive? And should personal trainers factor it into their program design?
Postpartum Moms Seek Group Exercise
Researchers in Australia conducted a qualitative study to identify what is needed to engage and maintain exercise among postpartum moms.
With Gyms Open, Are Clients Ready?
With many gyms open again—some after long closures—IDEA put three questions to five fitness pros from around the country: Are you now operating at full capacity? How are clients adapting as…
Tips on Teaching Virtual Fitness Classes
Discover how other group fitness instructors have forged the way to virtual fitness classes, and learn from their insights, tips and mistakes.
Safety Tips for Outdoor Group Exercise
The following tips from the San Francisco Department of Public Health will help fitness professionals take training outside to promote health and safety.
Unleash Your Greatness and Build a Career That Inspires
Jack Welch, American businessman and former CEO of General Electric, once said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” This is the reason the IDEA World Convention exists—to bring together some of the brightest people in the fitness industry so they can grow into greatness and inspire that growth in clients, students, athletes, co-workers and staff.
Comprising more than 330 sessions led by top coaches, entrepreneurs, and fitness, nutrition and wellness professionals, IDEA World offers the full spectrum of education you are seeking for instant and ongoing career growth, regardless of your position in the industry.
What Are This Year’s Top Fitness Trends?
To be “well” means seeking a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. Wellness is a lifelong effort, and fitness is a part of the quest. There are multiple dimensions of wellness—including physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social, and occupational. It turns out that when you work out, you’re not only boosting your physical wellness but other dimensions as well. As part of the Mindbody Wellness Index, we asked more than 20,000 Americans from 50 major U.S. cities about their fitness habits. We learned which cities are most dedicated to fitness, how often they’re getting their sweat on, and what forms of exercise they want to try next.
Add Competition to Boost Benefits of Wearables
If you use wearables with clients, consider adding competitive challenges to improve results. University of Pennsylvania and Deloitte Consulting LLP researchers found that simply giving wearables to people in the workplace did not increase physical activity; the key was to add fun and competition.
Virtual Reality and Indoor Cycling
Indoor cyclists who wore virtual-reality headsets experienced less leg-muscle pain during brief, high-intensity intervals than cyclists who wore headsets showing static images, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2019; 51 [10], 2088–97).
January 2020 Question of the Month: Equipment and Activity Trends
What activities or equipment-based program trends are you seeing in the new year? Are you boosting promotion of any particular programs like high-intensity interval training, indoor cycling, yoga or barre? Or are you offering shorter class times or opportunities for virtual training? Please share your success stories.
Social Media Gives Insight on Training Patterns
Walking was the most popular activity. Western women and Midwestern men did more intensive exercise than those in any other region. The South had the biggest gender gap in exercise intensity
