IHRSA Newsletter
August 2010

IHRSA Website

IHRSA Meetings & Events The 10th Annual IHRSA European Congress 18-21 October 2010 Barcelona, Spain Prices increase 31 July, Register Today! Join us in Barcelona for the 10th Annual IHRSA European Congress.   This event will be taking place 18-21 October 2010 in Barcelona, Spain. Now in its 10th year, the IHRSA European Congress attracts leaders from across Europe for four days of interaction, information, and education that will help continue to drive your business forward and impact the communities you serve. To register or for more information visit ihrsa.org/congress or contact us at intl@ihrsa.org. Sponsor Spotlight Go Figure, Inc., is proud to announce its certification as a Gold Partner in the Microsoft® Partner Program. Gold Certified Partners represent the highest level of Microsoft's Partner Certification program, which recognizes Go Figure's expertise and impact in the club technology marketplace. "Achieving Gold Certification status is another way of showing our customers that we are committed to maintaining a high standard in our products and it assists us in providing superior customer service.", says Kyle Zagrodzky, President of Go Figure, Inc. Thousands of facilities worldwide trust the iGo Figure® Member & Business Management Software to run their fitness centers, martial arts studios, yoga and Pilates studios, gymnastics centers and more.  Learn More Ask an Industry Leader Lori Lowell, Phillip Mills, and Bob & Jolyn Esquerre discuss whether continuing education costs should be reimbursed by employers:   Q: "As fitness professionals, is it or is it not part of our profession to do continual learning and CEC's? How much of this time should be paid? I am referring to Group Exercise - should time spent learning the music/moves be paid?" Read on... Quick Links Read the latest issue of CBI Magazine healthclubs.com/jobs  IHRSA LinkedIn Group  IHRSA Facebook Group

In This Issue Lifestyle Intervention Reduces Preschoolers' Body Fat, Improves Fitness Vivafit Signs Master Franchise Agreement for the Indian Market Parents of Obese Children May Be Guilty of Neglect The Best of Ask an Industry Leader Are You the European Club Leader of 2010? Featured CBI Article - The IHRSA Global 25 Lifestyle Intervention Reduces Preschoolers' Body Fat, Improves Fitness "The public health program in this study attempted to reduce the risk of obesity among preschool children from areas of Switzerland with high migrant populations. Specifically, it encouraged the children to increase their physical activity, improve nutrition, get more sleep and reduce audiovisual media use, especially TV watching.... Compared with the control group, the group of children who participated in the program had significantly improved overall and aerobic fitness, according to the abstract. Additionally, the intervention group had greater reductions in total and percent of body fat, waist size and media use." Read on... Vivafit Signs Master Franchise Agreement for the Indian Market Vivafit, the largest fitness chain operating in Portugal, signed its first master franchise agreement to expand the brand in the Indian market.  During the next 10 years Vivafit plans to open more than 1,000 centers in India. In the European market the Vivafit plans to extend its presence to countries such as Italy and Germany. Read on... Parents of Obese Children May Be Guilty of Neglect "Dr Russell Viner and colleagues from the UCL Institute of Child Health in London say that the weight of a child by itself is not a reason for child protection staff to get involved. But in an article on what they accept is a potentially contentious issue, published online today by the British Medical Journal, they suggest that it may be appropriate to consider the child protection register if the parents consistently fail to change the family's lifestyle and will not engage with outside help. 'Parental failure to provide their children with adequate treatment for a chronic illness (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc) is a well accepted reason for a child protection registration for neglect,' they write. 'We suggest that childhood obesity becomes a child protection concern when parents behave in a way that actively promotes treatment failure in a child who is at serious risk from obesity and when the parents or carers understand what is required, and are helped to engage with the treatment programme.' That might involve failing to keep appointments or get involved with healthcare staff or other professionals who want to help the child, they say, or 'actively subverting weight management initiatives.'" Read on... The Best of Ask an Industry Leader IHRSA launched Ask an Industry Leader one year ago. Since its inception, we've published your questions with answers from some of the most successful fitness industry professionals.  Our Industry Leaders include club owners and operators, IHRSA speakers, fitness industry consultants, and personal trainers. Their levels of expertise span across the entire industry, from marketing strategies to group exercise programming ideas. To celebrate Ask an Industry Leader's first birthday, we've put together an e-book featuring the best posts of our first year. Download the e-book and enjoy a condensed version of the most popular posts. Are You the European Club Leader of 2010? IHRSA is seeking nominations for the 2010 European Club Leadership Award, which will be presented at the annual European Congress in Barcelona. The award recognises the European club leader who has done the most to advance their company and the industry through strong leadership and performance. Individuals may nominate themselves or others for the award. Deadline for entries is 31 August. Download a nomination form online at ihrsa.org/congress. Featured CBI Article - The IHRSA Global 25 If you've been listening carefully this year, you may have detected the sound of a collective sigh of relief throughout the fitness industry. Read on...