realizing your dreams

For an editor, being charged with launching a brand-new publication is alternately a dream and a nightmare.

The dreamy part is weaving together every creative notion you’ve ever collected into a resource that will be useful and meaningful to tens of thousands of people. The nightmare? Well, like anything worthwhile in life, the logistics, organization and plain old-fashioned worry over whether it will be good enough can cause even the most steely nerved veteran to wake up regularly in a cold sweat during the small hours before daybreak. Those of you who have launched your own businesses or worked long and hard on projects about which you cared a great deal know these feelings well. You also know that, when all is said and done, every bead of perspiration and hair-raising moment on the journey was well worth it.

The outstanding news is that this debut issue of IDEA Fitness Journal would never have left the IDEA offices if we didn’t think it was good enough for you—our cherished members—and that’s a pretty high standard. The IDEA editorial and design teams are very proud of this work and thrilled to present you with the content package we so carefully brainstormed, assigned, edited and seamlessly meshed together with such an elegant graphic design.

There are many wonderful highlights built into this new publication that we hope will heighten your sense of belonging to a true fitness community and make your ongoing education a simultaneously enlightening and delightful journey. Here’s a quick guide to some of the new things you’ll find inside:

• An expanded IDEA membership section (see page 12).

• A monthly section chock-full of information on personal training (see page 31).

• A monthly section dedicated to group exercise (see page 83).

• A comprehensive monthly section covering the research and practical dimensions of nutrition (see “Food for Thought” on page 69).

• Practical and timely new columns, including “Inner IDEA”—which covers a host of mind-body, wellness and motivation topics—“Career Path,” “Just for You” and “Parting Shot,” a fun photographic look at the industry yesterday and today.

One aspect that hasn’t changed is our goal to bring you the most timely and credible information available to help you grow personally and professionally. The editors have culled several familiar columns from IDEA Personal Trainer and IDEA Health & Fitness Source to ensure that you won’t miss any of the information you’ve told us has been so useful in your important work to Inspire the World to Fitness™. You will also continue to find the same high-caliber, in-depth features and CEC sections that have nourished your minds and consistently garnered publishing-industry awards of excellence for IDEA throughout its 22 years.

So, here’s to making dreams come true! We’re looking forward to helping make yours a reality. Let your team of IDEA editors know what kind of information we can deliver to help you take the next step in your fitness career. Send your feedback and questions about IDEA Fitness Journal to me at content@ideafit.com.

Cheers!

SANDY TODD WEBSTER, EDITOR IN CHIEF