IHRSA 2018 | Takeaways from Marylin Prado from Gainesville Health and Fitness

My first fitness conference ever was IHRSA 2018 in San Diego, California; and it was a life-changing experience for me.

The months leading up to the conference was a time in which I was confused with what I was going to do for the rest of my life, and my family really scrutinized me for having worked so hard to acquire upper level education just to “work at a gym.” I mean, was I really going to be a cheerleader for the rest of my life? Was it time to hang-up the pom-poms and get a “real job”? Then, I checked into the Marriot Marquis & Marina; and, the energy of the people around me completely reminded me of why it was never time to hang-up the pom-poms.

Fitness has always been part of my life, and inspiring my community has always been a direct result of that part of my life that fitness has always held. Walking through the trade show floor was like walking through a land of magic, and I was taken back by some of the most innovative equipment I have ever seen. As a former cheerleader, I really loved the new Les Mills Barre program; and, Les Mills Virtual was out of this world…literally.

My major take-aways from IHRSA 2018 was the knowledge I gained in the education sessions and the trade show, the friends I made with other fitness professionals around the world, and a new-found purpose in my fitness career.

Marylin Prado

Senior Fitness Counselor and Enculturation Committee Member at Gainesville Health & Fitness in Gainesville, Florida

www.ghfc.com