Learn, Connect and Thrive at the IDEA® World Convention

Education is the foundation of the IDEA World Convention, but this fitness event offers plenty more than stellar instruction. For Jonathan Bernath, publicist-turned-personal-trainer, it’s where he discovered the “fitness family” that would guide him in his new career.

“[At my first event,] I spent most of my free time being the ‘fan boy’ around the TRX® booth,” he recalls. “I got to meet a massive group of master instructors and people who were so nice and welcoming. A year later, thanks to my mentor, I was assisting TRX at the booth and had been welcomed into the family. Until that point, I was alone in the industry. Thanks to IDEA World, I found a family that supported me and wanted to help me succeed. They have guided me, given me advice and, most importantly, given me a sense of home in an ever-growing industry. I am the person I am today because of my IDEA experience.”

Varied Education for All

Aside from finding his fitness family, Bernath recalls feeling awed by the array of sessions at IDEA World. Since then, he’s applied his learning with clients in both one-on-one and group training sessions.

That’s why IDEA World is such an important investment for fit pros from all corners of the industry. Whether you’re a part-time group exercise instructor, a gym manager or owner, a personal trainer, or a yoga instructor, you’ll find a wealth of education tracks to enhance your knowledge base and expand your skill set. Here’s a small sampling of the more than 350 workshops, lectures and workouts at this year’s fitness event, along with highlights of some very special opportunities included with your IDEA World registration.

Targeted Opportunities for Expanded Learning

The Tools to Create Lasting Nutrition and Behavior Change

Sustainable change is nearly impossible without addressing nutrition and the factors that motivate people to adopt healthy behaviors. The purpose of the IDEA World Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit is to do exactly that.

The summit features top nutrition experts and behavior change scientists whose primary goal is to equip you with the research-based protocols, real-world tactics, skills and programs to positively influence health and quality of life in your community.

“Cutting-edge events like the Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit have been created in direct response to the evolving needs of the field and of society as a whole,” says Jessica Matthews, MS, 2017 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, professor of integrative wellness at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and senior adviser for the American Council on Exercise. “As we come together as dedicated professionals at conferences like these to talk more about topics such as lifestyle medicine and behavior change in ways that truly address the whole person (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually), I firmly believe that together we can finally ‘bridge the gap’ and provide a truly person-centered approach to health care that supports the health and well-being of individuals in body, mind and spirit.”

In the session “East Meets West: A Mindful Approach to Health Coaching,” Matthews will provide attendees with a research-supported plan to help clients build the “skillpower” they need to successfully adopt healthy behaviors.

Another way to stimulate positive behavior change is through motivational interviewing, explains Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RDN, FAAP, who will lead a session on the subject.

“Motivational interviewing works because it respects that individuals are experts on themselves and already have what it takes to make change,” she says. “This approach helps people talk themselves into change and come up with a plan that they are much more likely to follow through on than if someone else dictates the plan to them.”

A groundbreaking session will highlight the connection among brain, gut and microbiome. “While the mind and brain are undoubtedly important, the most recent scientific advances highlight that the gut itself is critical to success and has a profound influence on mood, behavior, and overall physical, mental and emotional health,” says presenter and gastroenterologist Joseph Weiss, MD. “It has become abundantly clear that what goes on in the gut has a dramatic effect on the brain and human behavior, as well as [on] overall human health. The microbiome and diet are extraordinarily complex yet are amenable to rapid and dramatic alterations that can be directed to achieve physical, mental and emotional health benefits.”

A current and sometimes controversial topic, research can appear contradictory and confusing. Kamal Patel, MPH, MBA, co-founder of Examine.com, hopes to clear up some of the puzzlement in the session “Translating Today’s Nutrition Science for Your Clients.”

“I’ll help people understand some basics of the research process, like how research will naturally change as time goes on or what a ‘statistically significant’ finding means and what it doesn’t mean,” he says. “Attendees will also learn which websites are generally accurate and which aren’t. Some people click on whatever link first pops up in Google, but it could be a random article on a random, unreliable website or even a shallow article on a medical website.”

Check out the full list of topics available at the Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit by visiting www.ideafit.com/nutrition summit.

Learn What It Takes to Achieve Monumental Success

What drove today’s top achievers to see significant career success? At the IDEA Success Academy, a highly popular track at IDEA World, you’ll find out. In sessions offering equal parts motivation and education, you’ll hear from some of the top entrepreneurs in the business about the pathways and pitfalls that helped them form profitable and fulfilling careers.

“Success is about mastering your craft, and to do so, you must put in your 10,000 hours, as described in Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of Success (Back Bay Books 2011),” says Success Academy speaker Travis Barnes. “In the arena of business, the 10,000-hour rule applies, but it’s not about mechanical practice, but rather about what we learn along the way as we put in our 10,000 hours. For that reason, there’s an exponential way to fast-track those 10,000 hours: Learn with and from those at IDEA World who have taken that journey.”

One of those lessons is to learn to say no, says Barnes, owner and CEO of Journey Fitness.

“It’s all about bandwidth,” he says. “You only have so much of it. You must know your purpose and choose accordingly. You must focus on your niche and your reason for being. You can’t let seemingly good and synergistic ideas come in and cloud your vision.”

In the session “Growth Opportunities—How to Know What’s Right for You,” Barnes will help attendees learn to clarify which ideas are worth pursuing.

One idea that could spur significant growth is sharing your expertise online, says Sadie Nardini, host of Rock Your Yoga. But, she explains, there’s a science behind creating online content that sizzles.

“Five years ago, the name of the game was to get something, anything, up online,” Nardini says. “It was so novel that the audience was much more likely to see it and buy it just because it was there! These days, those who succeed understand how to revive and evolve their content [to attract] the savvy viewer.”

In “Make 6 Figures Teaching Classes Online—While You Sleep,” Nardini will offer effective approaches for fit pros looking to follow in her footsteps.

“My session will save every participant in that room years of trial and error. I’ll tell them exactly what people are looking for now (it’s changed), explain how [fit pros] can optimize their time and energy when creating courses (to work smarter, not harder), and offer fresh information about where people are really buying—and where they aren’t (it will surprise you!).”

Check out the other IDEA Success Academy sessions included with your IDEA World registration:

• Win With the Habits of Ultra-High Performers with Chantal Brodrick
• The Perfection Detox to Live a Happier Life with Petra Kolber
• Live Your Life . . . On Purpose with Kimberly Spreen-Glick
• Mindset Mastery—Resiliency, Happiness and Peak Performance with Peter Twist, MSc

Can’t-Miss IDEA World Exclusive Events and Experiences

IDEA World Club & Studio Summit

Club and studio owners, managers, directors, and operators won’t want to miss this education-packed IDEA exclusive fitness event, designed to take your business from good to great. Top-tier club and studio owners will be on hand to detail every step they took to create businesses and brands that excel. You’ll learn how to boost revenue, save time with efficient systems, develop a loyal following, hire first-rate staff and more in this powerful, transformative fitness event.

ACE Mover Academy

Do you want to learn real-world skills that support lasting improvements in health and quality of life for your clients and community? The first-ever ACE Mover Academy will furnish you with everything you need to do just that.

“As the leading nonprofit health and fitness certification organization with a mission to get people moving, we are constantly inspired by our exercise professionals and health coaches who are passionate about helping others and impacting their communities,” says Carolann Dekker, chief marketing officer at ACE. “This series of sessions at IDEA World will equip professionals with skills they can use immediately to effectively coach more people toward sustainable, positive behavior changes. We hope the ACE Mover Academy will inspire participants to spark their why and create their own ‘mission moments’ that help their clients live active, healthy lives.”

Strength to Serve Charity Event

Put all that hard-earned muscle to good use in an event that benefits more than 1,500 homeless youth in San Diego. In this new IDEA World “Serve Session,” attendees will team up with nonprofit Urban Street Angels to build 1,000 life-necessity kits made up of socks, soap, water and other necessities for homeless youth.

Energizing Showcase Sessions

Make sure you leave room in your schedule for some unforgettable workout experiences led by your favorite names in the industry. Here are this year’s IDEA World Showcase sessions:

• TD’s Epic Workout Experience with Todd Durkin, MA
• 22 Minute Hard Corps® Workout with Tony Horton on the USS Midway
• POP Pilates® Party—LIVE with Cassey Ho
• KaisaFit Signature—High-Intensity Body-Weight Training with Kaisa Keranen, MS
• The Extreme Transformation Workout with Heidi and Chris Powell

For more information, see www.ideafit.com/world.