Amy Boone Thompson
Amy Boone Thompson
Article Archive
This week, our community comes together at IDEA World. Across disciplines, roles, and regions, fitness professionals are gathering in National Harbor, Maryland for one of the most meaningful moments of the year — the 2026 NIRSA + IDEA World Conference & Expo. And if you’re nearby, there’s still time to be part of it. IDEA…
Spring is a season of renewal and in our profession, renewal often begins with learning, leadership, and community. This month, we celebrate all three. Join Us at NIRSA + IDEA World 2026 Our industry’s most anticipated educational event returns. This year in partnership with NIRSA (leaders in campus rec), taking place in April and on…
IDEA Health & Fitness Association is proud to announce the release of Inspire the World to Fitness®, a new multi-author book featuring ten internationally recognized fitness leaders whose careers have influenced education, research, business development, and professional standards across the global health and fitness industry. The book includes a foreword by Elaine “LaLa” LaLanne. Originally…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE San Diego, CA – February 18, 2026 – IDEA Health & Fitness Association announced the release of Inspire the World to Fitness®, a new multi-author book featuring ten internationally recognized fitness leaders whose careers have shaped education, research, business, and professional standards across the global health and fitness industry. The book includes…
For more than four decades, IDEA® Health & Fitness Association has existed for one reason: to elevate the professionals who move the world. Long before fitness was recognized as an essential pillar of health, IDEA was building a professional home for instructors, trainers, educators, and leaders who believed that movement could change lives. From introducing…
Leadership in the fitness industry has always been demanding, but the current landscape has raised the stakes. Rising operational costs, pressures from stakeholders, evolving client expectations, and an industry-wide staffing challenges have forced leaders to navigate complexity with fewer buffers and less margin for error. In this environment, leadership styles built on charisma, control, or…
Each new season brings change—and with it, opportunities to reflect, refine and reinvest in our roles as health and fitness professionals. This issue of IDEA® Fitness Journal invites you to lean into those opportunities with intention, curiosity, and community. From the playground to the studio, from mental health clinics to obstacle courses, this edition explores…
Let me take you back to a pivotal moment in my life—an experience that forever altered the trajectory of my career and ignited a passion within me that continues to burn bright to this day. It was 1997. I had just moved to California (from Virginia) and started building my personal training business at The…
Brace yourselves for a groundbreaking event that is set to redefine your career trajectory and take your expertise to new heights. We are thrilled to announce our inaugural collaborative event with the esteemed American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): the 2024 IDEA & ACSM Health & Fitness Summit. This unique summit brings together the best…
As we approach the end of another remarkable year, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to each member of our IDEA community. The holiday season is the perfect time to pause and reflect on the many accomplishments of the year gone by, while contemplating the possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead. Reflecting…
First and foremost, we want to welcome our yoga teachers from our sister brand Yoga Journal Teacher’s Plus. We are excited to announce that we are bringing over all of your courses and content and merging it with IDEAfit’s thousands of articles and hundreds of online courses to give you an enhanced membership offering. As…
We’ve got some exciting news and updates about a positive change that’s on the horizon. As an association dedicated to promoting excellence in the fitness industry, we constantly strive to evolve and adapt in ways that benefit both our valued members and the world around us. For over three decades, our award-winning magazines and newsletters…
Get ready to supercharge your knowledge, forge meaningful connections and ignite your passion for wellness at IDEA® World—the highly anticipated annual global event for health and fitness professionals. This unparalleled gathering, set in the heart of our vibrant global community, promises an unforgettable experience that will empower you personally and professionally. IDEA World offers an…
April 15th, 2020 – San Diego, CA –IDEA Health and Fitness Association, the world’s leading organization of fitness and wellness professionals, and part of the Fitness Groupfor Active Interest Media, is pleased to announce a “Limited Parntership” plan with Crystle Bay Insurance Services to offer Medical and Dental Insurance to the Fitness Industry across the…
January 6, 2020 – San Diego, CA –IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the world’sleading organization of fitness and wellness professionals, and part of the Fitness Groupfor Active Interest Media, is pleased to announce a formal license agreement with theKorea Beautiness & Arts Agency (KBAA) to hold its first convention, the 2020 IDEAKorea. Together, IDEA and…
I have worked with hundreds of managers in the fitness business. I have promoted most of them from roles such as personal trainer, group fitness director, café manager, massage therapist and leagues director. While these people were all knowledgeable and skilled in their job areas, most of them had never overseen and managed a team.…
Communicating policies to your members in a timely and accurate way is critical for your business to operate smoothly. As a fitness manager, you depend on your staff to communicate policies effectively. You trust that your employees are transferring important information about company policies and operations from you to the membership. But the reality is…
Many companies hire project managers to oversee and implement initiatives set forth by the organizations. Project managers are adept at ensuring that those initiatives are successfully completed in a timely manner. As a fitness manager, you are also expected to manage projects as part of your job description. Unfortunately, few fitness managers are given the…
“As a young and newly appointed general manager of an exclusive multisport health club, I felt inexperienced, chronically behind in my tasks and alone. I needed to find someone outside the walls of my club and the world of fitness in whom I could confide—someone I could talk to about the formalities of my job,…
At this point in our series for new fitness managers, you have learned how to make the best impression possible on your staff, managers and members. You have also learned your club’s essential business practices and worked hard to determine the needs of your department. Finally, you have been shown exercises to narrow your broad…
