Fitness Frontiers: The IDEA World Fitness Conference

(Orange County Register) - The IDEA World Fitness conference is a pulse check on the fitness industry. The annual six-day event, held recently in San Diego, enabled fitness professionals from all over the world to gather to try out the newest workouts, gadgets, machines, exercise clothing and shoes.

Creating classes tailored to kids and seniors were among the most important themes of the conference. A 2004 survey of IDEA members showed that classes geared toward children and older people are among the fastest-growing areas in the fitness industry.

So what might we expect for these groups at fitness centers in the coming months and years? Pilates that accommodates aging boomers, after-school classes that center on physical activity, speed and power training for seniors and easy dance classes for kids.

Here, a look at other trends and noteworthy items at the conference:

Customizing Pilates and yoga: Now that these core-training and flexibility workouts are widely available, teachers are modifying the classics to address various needs. Some examples: Pilates and yoga classes that target the back, or are specifically for personal fitness training.

Centering on our Chi: Chi (life force) is a major buzzword. Tai chi is becoming more popular, but the next big thing may be an aerobic tai chi class. Although aerobic tai chi might sound oxymoronic to tai chi purists, remember that hatha yoga didn't start out as a workout. Other chi workouts: chi running, in which runners use their chi to control pain and discomfort from running, and yoga combined with a small energy ball called a chi ball.

Indoor group cycling becomes more like outdoor cycling: The days of pedaling at maniacally high revolutions while standing on the pedals are numbered. Instructors are learning that sprinting at high speeds for long periods off the saddle can increase long-term risk of injury to the knees and ankles. More and more rides are simulating the road bike experience. This is good news for those who have always wanted to take an indoor cycling class but are intimidated.

Using gravity. A few have tried, but no one has succeeded in the realm of machine-based group strength training. Gravity Group strength classes appear to have a good shot. These classes are slowly making their way to gyms across the nation. Instead of lifting barbells and dumbbells, exercisers use their body weight on a sliding platform that looks like a Total Gym. The same machine doubles as a Pilates reformer.

Exercise gear: The newest exercise gadgets and equipment include Gliding discs and the Trixter bike. Gliding discs are Frisbee-like objects that you place on hardwood floors or carpet. Put your hands or feet on the discs and you can add smoothness to some movements such as lunges. Trixter is an indoor stationary mountain-style bike that pedals like a real bike and has movable handlebars.

A convention postscript: One of the most refreshing aspects about attending IDEA is seeing women and men of various shapes who demonstrate that fitness comes in many packages. Not every fitness instructor falls into the stereotypes of model-thin or super-muscular.