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Meet an IDEA Team Member: Matt Taylor

Imagine standing in line with hundreds of fitness pros to pick up your registration at the IDEA® World Convention and the internet fizzles out. Or envision walking into a session room where all you see are BOSU® Balance Trainers for a class you thought was about myofascial release. This is the stuff of pure panic for unseasoned trade show operations people, but not for Matt. He takes these moments in stride, solves the problem quickly and moves on without drama.

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Rest, Recover, Repeat

For the health- and fitness-minded, discipline and behavior change are key tenets of keeping ourselves on a strong physical track. Whether it’s literally scheduling our workout time, thoughtfully planning and preparing our meals, or tracking our daily activity, we are pretty consistent about making these things happen.

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Hyped on the Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus occupies little real estate in the brain, but it houses nuclei critical to many of the body’s regulatory functions. Situated just beneath the thalamus, it keeps the body in homeostasis by controlling the sleep-wake cycle, body temperature, hunger and thirst, sex drive, fluid balance, emotions, blood pressure, and heart rate (Johnson 2018).

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Sample Class: Let’s Have a Ball!

“Have a ball” with your class using this fun format, which incorporates exercise balls into cardiovascular and strength intervals. Each 8-minute round uses either a stability ball or a medicine ball, 4 minutes of high-intensity cardio training (combined), and about 4 minutes of strength-focused work (combined). For those who also enjoy a core challenge, this class delivers.

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Warm Up With Rhythm

Dancing is a great workout that delivers as many smiles as it does full-body benefits. To share those benefits with participants, however, you don’t need to teach a whole dance class. A dance-inspired warmup will help patrons prepare for specific movements while setting a perfect tone for class.

In general, a good warmup includes

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No-Equipment Outdoor Workouts

It’s that time of year when springtime reinvigorates clients and participants, coaxing them to come out of hibernation and play. Why not leave the fluorescent lights behind and take class outside? Parks, fields, even parking lots are great places to lead outdoor workouts. There are options for everyone—and you don’t have to lug around a bunch of equipment, either. Maximize your time and space by incorporating simple, effective body-weight exercises that improve strength, speed, power and flexibility.

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The Key to a Prolific Career

Soccer great Pelé once said, “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and, most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” This concept forms the foundation of everything you will experience at the 2019 IDEA&reg World Convention in Anaheim, June 26–30.

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