2012 Inner IDEA Inspiration Award Recipients

Founders of Merrithew Health & Fitness™ and the STOTT PILATES® brand
Named 2012 Inner IDEA Inspiration Award Recipients

San Diego – November 2, 2012 – Fitness leaders Lindsay and Moira Merrithew were the recipients of the 2012 Inner IDEA Inspiration Award at the 7th annual Inner IDEA Conference that took place in La Quinta, CA, October 25 – 28. Inner IDEA, produced by IDEA Health & Fitness Association, is the world’s premier education event for Pilates and yoga instructors, personal trainers, mind-body studio owners and wellness professionals.

The Inner IDEA Inspiration Award recognizes individuals whose outstanding leadership in the wellness field has inspired people toward mindful activity and a healthy lifestyle. Since founding Merrithew Health & Fitness™ in 1988, the Merrithews have been committed to developing high-integrity wellness and fitness programs, products and services that help people to fulfill their potential.

Their revolutionary premium fitness brands include STOTT PILATES®, ZEN•GA™ and CORE™ Athletic Conditioning & Performance Training™. Through Lindsay and Moira’s dedication and desire to share Pilates’ well-kept secrets, STOTT PILATES has become an acclaimed fitness brand educating over 34,000 students in more than 100 countries.

“We are honored and humbled to be the recipients of this award and the recognition it bestows upon us. We feel most fortunate to share this industry with such an extraordinary group of people” said co-founders Lindsay and Moira Merrithew.

Lindsay Merrithew is the driving force behind the growth of Merrithew Health & Fitness™ and is instrumental in designing, producing and marketing the company’s extensive fitness equipment and video lines. He was nominated twice for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award and is a five-time recipient of PROFIT Magazine’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies award.

Moira started her career as an accomplished ballet dancer before becoming certified as a Pilates instructor under the tutelage of Romana Kryzanowska at the original Pilates Studio in New York. In addition to creating the curricula and support materials for the STOTT PILATES education & certification programs, Moira is a content creator and a featured performer in the STOTT PILATES video series.

Over 450 people attended the Inner IDEA Conference which offered more than 100 sessions on the most relevant topics and programs in Pilates, yoga, and wellness areas such as tai chi and qigong, Nia®, GYROTONIC® exercise, mindfulness and meditation, nutrition, research, preventive medicine, and wellness business and career development. For more information, please visit, www.ideafit.com.

About IDEA Health & Fitness Association
IDEA Health & Fitness Association is the world's leading organization of fitness and wellness professionals. We deliver world-class content and continuing education to fitness professionals through three channels: our five publications, including the award-winning IDEA Fitness Journal; our world-renowned fitness conferences; and hundreds of streaming videos and DVD courses available on our website www.ideafit.com. Additionally, with IDEA FitnessConnect, we have created the largest national industry-wide directory linking over 250,000 fitness and wellness professionals to more than 16 million consumers. Through IDEA professionals in over 80 countries, we Inspire the World to Fitness®.