I noticed something different when I checked into my room on Thursday, and I’ve carried it with me the entire weekend. The front desk staff at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare hotel has noticeably stepped up their customer service. Front desk personnel are generally affable people, otherwise they wouldn’t be put in this front-line service opportunity. But the man who checked me in punctuated his service with one small gesture that made a difference. After keying in all the proper details, he stepped out from behind the desk, came around to the front where I was standing, handed me my room key and showed me which way to go.

Have you ever admired someone else’s strength—physical, mental or emotional—only to discover one day this very person staked no claim to this strength? Was it shocking? Did you instantly see the disconnect between this person’s lack of ownership and some divots in his or her life? Fitness professionals tend to model positive attitudes and behaviors, but are just as human as everyone else. One theme at today’s show is shaping up to be how to model a positive attitude on a consistent basis.

Now that’s an IDEA—member!

I can spot an IDEA member from a mile away, without wearing my glasses and not necessarily within the context of an IDEA event. An IDEA member walks quickly through the aisles, takes the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, has energy bars sticking out of his or her pocket and generally offers free health and fitness advice to anyone who will listen. Congenial in the face of sleep deprivation, IDEA members have found that one sure path to happiness in life is through making best friends with your own body—and sharing that path with others.

I am not gonna lie ... I am wiped out! I've been saturated in 4 and-a-half days of pounding music, whoops and wails, thoughtful professional challenges and cool tips, tricks and toys. I've walked up miles of escalators, taken pages and pages of notes and shanghaied a few stability balls to experiment with flexion and extension. I rolled out of bed this morning and had to borrow a smile from my neighbor. My feet ache, my back hurts, my shoulders are scrunched up permanently around my ears and you know what? It was all so worth it.   read more >>

Sometimes I have dreams that I am “swimming” through the air. I love it when I wake up from one of these dreams because for a few brief moments I can actually still feel the solid molecules of this ambient space. This is what Tai Chi feels like to me. I felt like I was dreaming in an awakened state while watching Scott Cole’s session “Yoga Tai Chi Fusion” this morning. First let me say that Cole has an amazing presence. He commands softly, and effuses balance. He’s a wonderful presenter.   read more >>

I'm curious. Do you think group fitness has a future? Think about it before you answer and consider the state of the industry itself. Now, I have another question for you. If you are an instructor, are you full-time or part-time? Are you what Shannon Griffiths Fable calls a "hobby instructor"? Do you do it for fun because you get a free membership and you get a good workout in? At this very point in the industry's lifetime we are at a crossroads. read more >>