Industry Issues/Trends
Americans Enjoy Fitness More Than Sports
When it comes to being physically active, more Americans choose fitness pursuits over sports, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s 2019 SFIA Topline Report. The report is based on nationwide survey data across activity categories and includes responses from children (ages 6 and up) up to older adults. In 2018, fitness categories that use equipment reflected the highest growth. And, compared with 2013, at least 3.5% more Americans attended class-based exercises such as HIIT, cross-training, barre and yoga.
Transforming Your Fitness Facility Into a Wellness Center
People originally viewed fitness facilities simply as places to work out and play sports in order to change their physical appearance. However, this has shifted. Wellness—embracing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health—has become the buzzword of the decade, and today’s fitness facilities have begun offering a myriad of services. To cover the full wellness spectrum, however, you need to combine forces with other health modalities.
Tracker Information Motivates
With the abundance of activity trackers on the market, deciding which product to choose can be overwhelming. New research suggests that the most important criterion may simply be how easy it is to access the data the device provides. Recent research conducted at the Atlantic Sports Health Research Department of Atlantic Health System in Morris?¡town, New Jersey, shows that people who wore a device and accessed data via an app were more active daily when compared with those who did not access the activity information.
UK Med School Includes Physical Activity Education
Lancaster Medical School in Lancaster, England, has been acknowledged throughout the United Kingdom and by the World Health Organization Europe for being the first medical school in the U.K. to integrate guidelines on how to prescribe physical activity. The initiative is referred to as the “Movement for Movement.”
Health Coaching: Starting Your Business
Are you excited about helping people to transform their lives through health coaching? You’ve educated yourself, earned certifications, gained practical experience and are ready to start your business. What’s next?
How—And Why—To Optimize Your Website for Voice Searches
Alexa, where is a hot yoga class near me?
Siri, how many reps should I do when I’m strength training?
If your potential clients haven’t uttered one of those phrases yet, they soon will—as voice search becomes the way of the future.
Career Advancement for Everyone
Thousands of fitness professionals consider the IDEA World Convention to be the best investment they can make to further their careers. That’s largely because the event delivers robust, multilevel education covering all facets of the industry. But there’s more to it than that, according to fitness industry veteran and this year’s IDEA Jack LaLanne Award recipient, Jay Blahnik.
Question of the Month: May 2019
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!
Fitness Pros Influence Body Satisfaction
Women in a group exercise class experienced greater body satisfaction and better moods when the instructor made motivational comments related to strength and health instead of weight or appearance.
Debating Alcohol Consumption and Risk
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.
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® World Convention in Anaheim, June 26–30.
Hiring the Nutrition-Fitness Hybrid Pro
What are consumers looking for when they come to your gym or studio? Sure, they want great workouts and access to the latest equipment in a welcoming, fun environment. But above all, they really want to attain their health and fitness goals.
The Mobile Health Map: Exploring Telehealth
Telehealth is a huge win for nutrition experts and other wellness professionals. Embracing this ecosystem of wireless devices, digital platforms and mobile apps can give you a competitive edge with clients, who increasingly receive care via telehealth tools.
Question of the Month: April 2019
When you design training programs for clients, do you take exercise enjoyment into account? What strategies do you use to find out which types of physical activities clients enjoy doing most? Through experience, have you found ways that work better than others? Share your best practices and illustrative stories on how efforts to optimize client enjoyment of physical activity have produced better training results.
We want to hear from you!
Ignite Your Passion and Watch Your Career Thrive
The most powerful industry event in the world, IDEA® World Convention, lands in Anaheim, California, June 26–30.
The Instructor-or-Influencer Challenge: Social Media and Fitness Instructors
Exceptional group fitness instructors are influential. But is their influence an outcome of great instruction or its origin? When group fitness pros apply for a job, practical teaching skills and knowledge of exercise and movement top the list of “must-haves,” so what about social media influence? Is it relevant? It’s becoming more commonplace to judge group fitness candidates on their social media presence, but should this be the case?
Ignite Your Passion and Watch Your Career Thrive at the 2019 IDEA® World Convention
You’re a forward-thinking, highly skilled professional who works tirelessly to Inspire the World to Fitness®. After hustling for clients, teaching countless classes and paying bills, the question is, what do you do for yourself to make sure the passion that drove you to become a fitness leader continues to burn bright?
The World Needs More Fruits And Vegetables
Most dietitians agree that a healthier global diet would include people eating more fruits and vegetables. Just one problem with dishing out this advice: The world’s agricultural system does not grow enough fruits and vegetables to adequately feed a rising global population, according to Canadian-led research published in the journal PLOS ONE. Humans overproduce grains, sugars and fats at the expense of fruits and vegetables, which makes it nearly impossible for everyone to follow dietary guidelines.
Question Of The Month
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?
Hashtag-Worthy Foods
In the age of Instagrammable food shots and food “influencers,” people increasingly turn to social media for advice on what to eat. And it turns out we still can’t get enough of avocado toast and that South American grain. A social media analysis from the food and nutritional consultancy New Nutrition Business showed that—in a list of 20 items marketed as healthy—avocado, almonds, blueberries, quinoa and kale garnered the most social media activity between 2017 and 2018.
