IDEA Authors
IDEA Authors
Article Archive
Do you or does your facility have specific policies or programs to create a more welcoming atmosphere for new participants? Given the evidence that more Americans are trying fitness pursuits but have not yet committed to be regular exercisers, we want to hear about your practices that succeed in converting new members into regulars. Please share your success stories.
We want to hear from you!
Whether you are an owner of a brick and mortar fitness space or an independent fitness professional, your business’s location can be a major factor in your success. According to a study conducted by New York based marketing firm distillery, using the data from cell phone location tracking logs, the average gym-goer has a short 4 mile drive to their gym. The distance will vary by style of facility but the longest distance reported in the study was only 6 miles.
For years, fat was demonized as dietary “Public Enemy Number One.” Despite the essential roles it plays in the body, including temperature regulation, hormone production and protection of organs, we were told it was also responsible for weight gain and other health woes. As a result, people stocked their kitchens with low-fat items.
A former IDEA editor once said that if Joy’s writing and reporting style were likened to a food, it would best be described as peanut butter. Why? Her work is “nutrient-dense,” packing a punch that sustains readers a long time.
Shebah T. Carfagna
Member Since 2014 • Miami
What is the status of HIIT programming at your facility? What programs, if any, are you offering, and are they growing or declining in popularity or remaining the same? Are they popular with a specific demographic group, or do they have broad appeal? Share your insights on HIIT programs and your experiences with them.
We want to hear from you!
Email executive editor Joy Keller, jkeller@ideafit.com.
Like them or hate them, soda taxes are proving effective at curbing the intake of sugary drinks. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health cites data showing that after the city of Berkeley, California, implemented a penny-per-ounce soda tax in 2014, consumption of sweetened drinks, including soda and energy drinks, plummeted by 21% in lower-income neighborhoods. And 3 years later, city-polled residents reported drinking 52% fewer of these beverages than they did before the tax passed.
The gravel-voiced sailor man was smart to make spinach his vegetable of choice. This green giant has a wealth of nutritional highlights, including vitamin K, vitamin C and lutein, a potent antioxidant. Higher intakes of lutein have been linked to healthier cholesterol levels (for better heart functioning) and improved eye health, according to The Journal of Nutrition and JAMA.
Eight in ten American adults and adolescents do not move enough! This alarming finding from Department of Health and Human Services 2018 research wholeheartedly underscores Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2nd edition) recommendations to move more and sit less. Physical activity helps all of us to feel, function and sleep better, and decreases risk of many chronic diseases. We urgently need more aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, along with greater variety of movement.
Do any of your clients struggle with weight gain? If so, let them know about new research that has found that media multitasking has now been linked to obesity.
Research from Rice University indicates that mindless switching between digital devices is associated with increased susceptibility to food temptations and lack of self-control, which may result in weight gain (Lopez, Heatherton & Wagner 2019).
It’s no surprise that Kathleen excels in her role as an IDEA brand activation strategist—she is living the dream through a lifestyle dedicated to holistic wellness and positivity. She genuinely gets excited about the products and services she helps IDEA clients bring to market, often using them herself or sharing them with friends and colleagues.
Ray Boyd
Member Since 2015 • Stamford, Connecticut
Have you or the policymakers at any facilities where you work shared guidelines about positive body talk or about language that could contribute to body shame among members or clients? Share your best practices and illustrative stories on how you or your facility management promote positive body image in staff and fitness participants.
We want to hear from you!
In our September 2018 issue of Fitness Journal, we reported on an international study published in The Lancet that found any level of drinking above 100 grams of alcohol (3.75 ounces) per week increases heart disease risk and shortens lifespan.
Whether you are an owner of a brick and mortar fitness space or an independent fitness professional, your business’s location can be a major factor in your success. According to a study conducted by New York based marketing firm distillery, using the data from cell phone location tracking logs, the average gym-goer has a short 4 mile drive to their gym. The distance will vary by style of facility but the longest distance reported in the study was only 6 miles.
The body of evidence in favor of self-myofascial release (SMR) techniques has been steadily growing. Research has shown that SMR can increase joint mobility and range of motion and reduce muscle soreness. It is used by personal trainers, athletic trainers and physical therapists alike to prevent and treat injuries in clients.
Anxious, fatigued, unhappy, uncertain? We’ve all been there, all known times when our emotional hot buttons take over. We swear to ourselves that this time we will overcome those emotions and stay committed to our goal, but when it doesn’t work, we react with indulgent self-gratification. “I had such a long day, and I just don’t feel like going to the gym today,” or “I’ve already fallen off the wagon, so I’ll just eat what I want and start again on Monday.”
Kate Watson, Executive Managing Editor, Publications
Apart from the founders themselves, no one has worked for IDEA longer than Kate. She joined the company in 1991 and has been editing the publications ever since! Kate has always appreciated language: As a student, she learned French, German, Latin and a little Russian, and all that training (along with years of writing experience) laid the groundwork for a career spent shaping words.
Like the milkman used to do, more and more retailers will deliver groceries to your doorstep. According to data analytics company Nielsen, 70% of American consumers will do some of their grocery shopping online in the next 5–7 years. How is this shift in food-purchasing behavior going to influence eating habits?
MELISSA LOWE, MS • Member Since 1987 • Columbus, Ohio
“I’ve had quite a journey in fitness,” says Melissa Lowe—from the days her mother would take her kids on long walks to teaching aerobics to put herself through nursing school to opening her own Pilates studio after a 36-year nursing career. She joined IDEA in 1987 and has attended IDEA World nearly every year since.
