Harness the Power of the Outdoors
Almost every Saturday since last November, I’ve had a standing fitness date with IDEA membership director Annina Torri. We meet at about 9:00 am for a long, well-paced run at Mission Bay Park, one of San Diego’s main outdoor activity hubs. On any given weekend, we see runners, racewalkers, cyclists, kids on jungle gyms, moms on roller skates, people flying kites and dogs chasing Frisbees (not to mention dismayed owners chasing and scolding cheeky mutts that have ignored the Frisbees and instead have double-timed it into the bay for a dip). Inevitably, Annina and I comment on how impressive it is to see hundreds of other people outdoors with us getting the benefits of exercise, companionship and fresh air.
It’s also rewarding to see all the organized fitness activities. Fitness and wellness pros are successfully harnessing the power and allure of nature to inspire others to new heights in their exercise routines. The tastiest piece of all this is looking around and seeing IDEA members spearheading some of the bigger, more sophisticated outdoor fitness groups out there each week. One morning we were running along when we saw about 20 or so sweaty adults with childlike grins jogging directly toward us. We heard their leader singsonging a playful cadence, which was making them all chuckle. I looked up just in time to see that the singing comedian-coach was our very own Todd Durkin, 2004 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, who runs Fitness Quest 10 here in town. He and I slapped each other a righteous high-five and said our howdys as we passed. How cool is that? For me, at that moment, he was “everymember”—a living, breathing symbol for the profound impact each of you has on your clients, day in and day out.
Todd’s is just one of about five boot camps that Annina and I regularly see in action over the 90 minutes we spend there each week. We also see small-group and one-on-one personal training, mom-and-baby stroller groups and many individuals who simply buddy up to get their daily dose of movement. When I stop and consider that this is just a single time block in one of many parks in the city that have this going on all day, every day, I smile and am thrilled to know that our Inspire the World to Fitness® mission is making a mark. It’s also phenomenal to realize that more trainers and instructors are exploring the outdoors as a programming venue and profit center.
As evidenced by two of the features in this issue (starting on page 38), there is a lot happening in this realm, and you have many options to consider as you create your own outdoor training offerings for clients. We are well into spring—what are you waiting for? Get your clients out there and enjoy the abundance of nature. You’ll see smiles and high-fives all around.
Wellness Revolution Hall of Fame
Congratulations to IDEA co-founders Kathie and Peter Davis for their recent induction into the Wellness Revolution Hall of Fame. The hall of fame honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the cause of wellness—changing the world for the better, one person or one patient at a time. “This year’s honorees have helped tens of millions of people lead happier, healthier and longer lives,” said Paul Zane Pilzer, hall of fame founder, wellness guru and best-selling author. “Their contributions and accomplishments serve as an inspiration to future generations.” Kathie and Peter were among an illustrious class of honorees in the wellness industry, including Tod Cooperman, Steve Demos, Patrick Gentempo, Bob Hoffman, Jill Kinney, Frabrizio Mancini, Joseph Mercola, Carl F. Rehnborg, Russ Reiss, J.I. Rodale, Geoff Tabin, Paul Wenner and Frank Yanowitz.
“As IDEA celebrates its 25th anniversary, we are proud to accept this recognition on behalf of our members but also realize that we need to intensify our efforts to help fitness and wellness pros motivate people of all ages and capabilities,” says Kathie. “If we all join forces, we can combat the factors that lead to childhood obesity, as well as adult sedentary lifestyles, while accelerating the wellness revolution for future generations.”
Cheers,
SANDY TODD WEBSTER,
EDITOR IN CHIEF
