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Sweating in San Francisco: IDEA Convention 2001 --by Joan Price ©Joan Price. May not be reprinted without permission. If you thought there were an unusual number of extraordinarily fit bodies dashing around San Francisco's Moscone Center the weekend of July 6-8, you were right. 3,500 fitness professionals from more than 60 countries attended World Fitness IDEA 2001, the international convention of IDEA, the association of fitness professionals. Originally the International Dance Exercise Association, IDEA has changed--as has the fitness industry--to reflect the variety of group-exercise leaders, personal trainers, and fitness facility owners and managers. Each year IDEA's international convention brings together attendees and experts to explore the latest fitness trends and the latest research information--and, of course, exercise from early morning to night with master instructors from around the world. I've attended this convention as a writer and a fitness professional for about 15 years, since before step aerobics was born. Back then, it was high impact, low impact, and hi-lo. Through these conferences, IDEA helped us develop from legwarmer- and leotard-clad, aerobic bunnies to educated, certified professionals who understood exercise safety and the needs of different populations. I remember the year that step aerobics hit the scene. Instructors fell in love--they bought the steps themselves and begged their clubs to order them. Within a year, group exercise was transformed. Every club had step, and many exercisers were taking step classes daily (not a good idea, as overuse injuries revealed). Over the next years, each IDEA convention had more, more, more step choreography. The simple up-up-down-down gave way to long strings of complex patterns. And in case you wanted variety, we developed double step, aqua step, step and sculpt, Latin step, kickboxing step, sports conditioning step, funky dance step--you get the idea. This year, step showed no signs of waning, with step leaders from all over the world wooing instructors with new ideas and choreography. But there's a new kid on the block: the Reebok Core Board (http://www.reebokcoregear.com). Inspired by the balance board, it's sort of like an oval cut out of an exercise step and suspended on a mounting so that it moves in all directions. Step on it and it see-saws to the side, front, back, and diagonal. Twist, and it twists and recoils. You have to use all your power just to stay balanced on it. But you don't stand still--you do a variety of aerobic and strength exercises which constantly challenge your balance. Besides adding variety to a workout, the Core Board workout develops your core muscles--the muscles that stabilize your body--especially the abdominals. I predict this will be big. (Marin and Sonoma County clubs: Invite me to take a class when you get your Core Boards!) IDEA attendees loved the core training classes, which are already popular and continuing to gain more converts. These classes train the trunk muscles, and we're finally discovering how important those stabilization muscles are. Yes, your abs will look better (that's why people flock to these classes), but more important in the long run, you'll strengthen the area most important for posture and injury avoidance. "You're only as strong as your weakest link, as the TV show says," said Petra Kolber, IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year. Strengthening your core assists all your physical activities. "If you fall down, you'll recover faster," says Kolber. "If you're a weekend warrior, it will improve your game and reduce injuries." Some core training classes used equipment, such as the Body Bar, a personal favorite of mine (http://www.bodybars.com). This is a long, weighted bar, which strengthens all the usual muscles while challenging the core muscles. The Body Bar videos are all excellent, so you can purchase a Bar or two and a couple of videos and have great, varied home workouts. A hugely popular core conditioning class was Pilates. Stott Pilates presented an all-day stability chair workshop, and a varied selection of Pilates mat classes drew instructors eager to learn and practice this discipline. Pilates, which is actually 90 years old, has hit the exercise circuit with a bang. The name Pilates used to be trademark-protected, but a recent court case released it, so you'll see Pilates classes popping up all over. Like yoga (another practice enjoying a huge resurgence in interest), Pilates takes years to master well enough to teach. Look for instructors with training, certification, and experience. Surely you've been told about the importance of a neutral spine (neither arched nor rounded) for exercise and real life. If you have trouble keeping your spine neutral when you're doing traditional abdominal exercises, ab guru Len Kravitz, Ph.D., and SPRI Products introduced a cool tool: FitAbs Plus (http://www.fitabsplus.com). It's an inflatable cushion designed to fit under your back for abdominal exercises and under your hips for lower-back exercises. You lie on it and press the button, and it deflates to just the right size and conforms to the shape of your lower back. Suddenly ab exercises are so much easier and more comfortable. The popularity of aerobic kickboxing has branched into other combative and martial arts inspired classes. The Crunch Urban Stick Fighting workout used lightweight sticks with strike drills and kickboxing. Attendees also experienced Aqua Kick-Punch (cardio kickboxing in the pool), Turbo Kick, Ringside Express, and Urban Motion (capoeira-inspired). The brave flocked to Crush Kick, Body Attack, and Team Knockout. Of course aerobic dance, the original attraction that brought women into health clubs, had plenty of new slants, such as Riverdance Rhythms, Dance Sampler (moves from Latin, hip-hop, jazz, Celtic, and more), Groove Funk, Asian Hi-Lo Matsuri, and Cardio Caliente (Latin moves). If you take a spinning class, be prepared for new variations. Plentiful stationary bike classes taught sweating instructors how to design classes that develop strength and power. Instructors also learned new concepts for indoor rowing, stability ball, and strength-training classes. The convention didn't just cater to the young, strong and sprightly. Workshops geared at the health and injury concerns of the aging population drew many attendees, which is fitting because 78 percent of their exercise clients are over 35, and exercisers over age 55 are the fast-growing age group in health clubs. According to a study sponsored by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, total U.S. health club membership grew by almost 90 percent between 1987 and 2000. But the number of gym members over age 55 grew 380 percent in the same time period. Instructors are aging along with their clients. Although I saw more young, perfect, slim, muscled bodies and less body fat than I've seen in one place at one time (since the last IDEA convention), I also saw plenty of muscled, energetic instructors wearing wrinkles and dimply thighs like badges of honor. Fitness is helping us redefine what aging looks like and feels like. Have you noticed that your group exercise leader is always smiling? Fitness instructors are happier with their jobs than most U.S. workers, according to a new survey conducted by IDEA. While 67 percent of workers say they're "satisfied" with their job overall, 85 percent of fitness instructors claim this. While only 54 percent of workers agree with the statement, "The rewards for achieving the results expected of me are worth the effort," 84 percent of fitness instructors do. And this is despite the finding that only 43 percent of fitness instructors are satisfied with their pay, and only 22 percent are satisfied with their total benefits program. So take your exercise instructor to lunch, and thank him or her for a job well done! This article first appeared in the Pacific Sun, 8/1-7, 2001.
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