What's Hot in Personal Training & Fitness Equipment

In fulfilling its mission to "Inspire the World to Fitness," IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the leading membership organization of health, wellness and fitness professionals worldwide with more than 23,000 members in over 80 countries, polls personal trainers around the world annually to identify the most popular fitness programs and equipment--as well as those poised for rapid growth in the future.

The results of the 2008 IDEA Personal Training Programs & Fitness Equipment Survey offer numerous insights into personal training practices while also highlighting the fastest growing fitness programs and equipment in the personal training industry.

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News Facts:

* While one-on-one personal training is still the dominant training session format, being offered by 99 percent of the respondents, two clients sharing a personal training session also made a strong showing, with 84 percent of respondents offering this kind of service. In both cases, more than 50 percent of those surveyed felt these types of sessions will continue to grow.

* Outdoor personal training also continues to be on the rise with boot camp classes held outside capturing the No. 5 spot on the list of top 10 fitness programs predicted to grow the most.

* During typical personal training sessions, 54 percent of the time is spent on resistance training; 22 percent is spent on cardio respiratory exercise; and the remainder is split between flexibility and other training.

* Of the top 10 fitness programs positioned for rapid growth, balance training, functional resistance training, back pain prevention, senior-specific training and exercise for chronic medical conditions also made the list of top personal training programs offered currently.

* The frequency of mind-body fusion, sports clinics, social activity groups (e.g., walking or running clubs) and lifestyle coaching is likely to increase, according to the survey respondents.

* Personal Trainers continue to favor small, portable fitness equipment, which is reflected in the top 10 pieces of gear projected to grow most in usage, including balance items (e.g., BOSU® Balance Trainers, disks, wobble boards, balance boards), interactive computer training programs, foam rollers and small balls, computer workout tracking, medicine balls, Pilates equipment, nutrition analysis software, Gyrotonic® equipment, elliptical trainers and gravity trainers.

Supporting Resources:

* This year's survey data was gathered from 926 IDEA personal trainer members, who offer personal training in clients' homes and their own homes as well as at multipurpose health clubs and personal training gyms.

* The survey respondents served a predominantly female client base (72 percent), ranging in age between 35-44 years (22 percent), 45-54 years (28 percent) and 55-64 years (22 percent).

* The average cost of a professional personal training session is $58.

* Contact Tabitha Bailey for additional information and a multi-year trend comparison chart.

Supporting Quotes:

Kathie Davis, co-founder and executive director of IDEA Health & Fitness Association:

* "Group personal training sessions and functional resistance training are on the upswing as are fitness assessments and the continuing adoption of small, portable pieces of fitness equipment."

* "Personal trainers realize their clientele have a vast spectrum of requirements, and the survey results show trainers are doing all they can to meet these differing demands while inspiring their clients to make active, healthy lifestyle choices."