Inspired by Our Members

Warm-Up:

If you attended the IDEA World Fitness & Personal Trainer Convention^® this summer, we are sure you’ll agree it was an exciting affair and the perfect way to kick off our efforts to Inspire the World to Fitness^™. By far, one of the most valuable benefits that comes from attending an IDEA educational event is the ability to network and interact with your fellow fitness professionals.

This fact was brought home as we, and other IDEA staff, held a series of meetings with IDEA members to obtain their thoughts on association issues. In meeting with your fitness peers, we discussed two topics:

how we can work together to Inspire the World to Fitness

how IDEA can continue to be an effective organization that meets your professional and educational needs

A primary source of input was the wide cross section of fitness professionals who serve on IDEA’s membership committees.

Inspiring the World. One of the best ways we know of to Inspire the World to Fitness is to showcase the programs and individuals that are truly making a difference. Over the coming months, through our publications and our Web site, www.IDEAfit.com, we will bring you these stories so they can serve as models for others. The committees gave us some great suggestions on how we can officially recognize IDEA members for their efforts in this area and how we can promote Inspire the World to Fitness to the media and the public at large.

Membership. The IDEA personal trainer, group fitness and water fitness committees, along with a focus group of program directors, also gave us valuable advice on ways to enhance the programming at IDEA educational events. We covered article ideas and possible authors for the IDEA publications. In addition, we discussed ways to bring new benefits to IDEA membership, along with ways to develop credible career paths for persons just entering the fitness industry. The fitness professionals serving on our committees are a wonderful sounding board, and we really appreciate the time they spent with us. Committee members, thank you for your excellent suggestions.

We would also like to thank IDEA’s group fitness committee and in particular, Karla Overturf and Lawrence Biscontini, for organizing this year’s charity workout for the National AIDS Fund. Entitled the “Zenergy Hour” because it combined a number of mind-body formats, this year’s charity event raised more than $3,800 for the National AIDS Fund. Of this amount, $1,000 was donated by the Golden Door^® Spa at Las Casitas Village in Las Croabas, Puerto Rico. Our thanks go to the Golden Door for its generous contribution and to all who participated in the workout.

Personal Training. Looking through this issue of IDEA Health & Fitness Source with its theme of personal training reminded us to remind you that dates for the IDEA Personal Trainer International Summit^® have changed. We are leaving winter behind and shifting to the autumn months. The 2004 Summit will be held in New York City, October 8 to 10. The 2004 IDEA World Fitness & Personal Trainer Convention will convene in San Diego, July 7 to 11.

We look forward to seeing you at these events, but please do not wait until then if we or the IDEA staff can be of assistance.

Yours in good health,

Kathie and Peter