Sandy Todd Webster
Sandy Todd Webster
Article Archive
In a world full of change, one IDEA tradition has endured: Our July–August issue is filled with in-depth features to stoke your intellect and imagination.
Most clubs and studios in North America have either already reopened or are getting ready to do so. If you are planning your return-to-work path either as an owner, manager, independent contractor or employee, you know it’s both exciting to get back to the work you love and daunting with so many unknowns.
The California Fitness Alliance has worked tirelessly to create a comprehensive document “COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Fitness Facilities” that was recently approved by the California Governor’s office, the California Department of Public Health and Cal/OSHA to provide guidance for fitness facilities to support a safe, clean environment for workers.
First there was the proverbial “pivot” to virtual, then the scramble and stress of applying for relief funding from the Small Business Administration’s Payment Protection Program (rounds 1 and 2). If you were among the fortunate who received funding, the next leap was wrapping your head around the details for proper use and tracking of the money.
After planning the 2020 IDEA® World Convention for a year and then seeing the early weeks of the pandemic wreak havoc with those plans, the unflappable IDEA events team quickly adapted to the inevitable and started creating IDEA World Virtual.
The fitness industry—like the rest of the global community—has been transformed in previously unimaginable ways since the COVID-19 crisis upended every bit of structure and normalcy we once knew.
In case you have not followed news of the Payment Protection Program and the federal loan dollars available to fitness business owners, contractors and self-employed professionals, the following information is essential to understand and act upon immediately.
The fitness industry—like the rest of the global community—has been transformed in previously unimaginable ways since the COVID-19 crisis upended every bit of structure and normalcy we once knew.
Need a quick-and-easy recipe to add to your COVID-19 shelter-at-home cooking repertoire? Try this take on greens and beans. You likely have everything you need in your pantry and may only need to source a dark leafy green for the fresh part.
A primary reason fitness professionals are drawn to IDEA is for our gold-standard educational content. IDEAfit.com is constantly abuzz with pros researching the latest evidence-based and most practical health, exercise, nutrition, behavior change and business information available in the trade. Members share their best practices and advice within IDEA Answers and strengthen their body of knowledge by accessing the dynamic news unfolding on the site daily.
Until a couple of years ago I was still attacking my workouts with the same intensity I did when I was a young competitor with lofty goals and dreams of athletic greatness. Eventually, I found myself dreading sessions and feeling burned out. There was no point in hating my workouts, I decided, and I vowed to let go of the negativity. Though I still craved movement, I was doing it for the wrong reasons—or I really didn’t have a good reason—and it was affecting the outcome of my hours in the gym.
It’s hard to believe another year of serving this incredible industry is winding down. As we at IDEA reflect on all we’re grateful for, as ever, IDEA members are at the top of our list. On behalf of our team, we wish you a rich and happy holiday season, and we thank you for your continued belief in and support of our shared mission to Inspire the World to Fitness®!
While we strive for content balance when planning each issue of Fitness Journal, every so often we seem to assemble a collection of articles which—just by a quick scan of the table of contents—looks like a heck of a lot of fun to learn from. Welcome to one of those issues!
This month I have the pleasure of introducing you to a new era of leadership at IDEA and in the health and fitness industry at large.
Purpose, passion and people! The fitness industry is all about forging relationships that lift others up. Fitness professionals have energy to spare, and they are dedicated to mentoring new generations of pros, networking with peers, and motivating clients and participants every day.
There’s hardly anything more satisfying for many professionals than getting out of their own heads and feeding their minds with new ideas and skills. The sheer pleasure of immersing oneself in the waters of knowledge for even a few days each year can make an ocean of difference over the course of a career.
It’s part of IDEA’s DNA to keep evaluating our membership model and look for new and relevant ways to increase the value of our offerings to you. This drive for excellence is the holy grail of our Inspired Service deliverables as we strive to help you be the smartest and most successful fitness professional you can be. With that in mind, I’m thrilled to tell you about a few new initiatives that our team has just launched or that are on the cusp of release.
In North America—and around the world—people are suffering or dying from the ravages of chronic lifestyle diseases that are mostly preventable. It’s troubling to write those words as a flat statement of fact, especially in an era of such astonishing medical advancements paralleled with a daily firehose of new health research that further pressure-washes what we already know.
When I first paid for personal training sessions many years ago, I remember specifically telling my trainer that I wanted to focus only on my upper body, with maybe a little core work sprinkled in.
Legs? No way!
Whether you’re the owner of a large gym, a small-studio entrepreneur, a mobile personal trainer, or a yoga or Pilates specialist, a basic tenet of keeping your edge sharp with clients is to shake things up frequently enough that they (and you!) don’t get bored. Certainly, that means changing your programming regularly, but it also means looking at your equipment with fresh eyes and considering some new tools for experimentation—all while being judicious about your budget.
A few weeks ago, I purged my extensive collection of cookbooks to make way for new ones. Like the 30 or so I just weeded from the mix, the new books will be learned from, splattered upon and well-loved until I’ve extracted all of their goodness.
