New fitness trends take center stage at IDEA convention

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- The sun was barely up but the people at the IDEA World Fitness Convention in Anaheim were raring to go.

One early morning boot camp class jumped, slammed and sprinted to the finish. It was just one of 360 sessions featured, where 12,000 health professionals came to get the 4-1-1 on fitness trends.

"Our whole mission is on Monday morning for the instructor or the personal trainer to be able to go back to their club or go back to their client and use immediately what they've just learned over the weekend," said Kathie Davis, Executive Director of IDEA Health and Fitness Association.

Fitness pros and other health experts came from 64 countries. Among them: Jamila Alansari, who took a 19-hour flight from Dubai to attend.

"It's a very, very nice experience and I love it," said Alansari.

The convention featured seemingly every type of workout possible, including one for man's best friend.

"As we as a nation get more obese,our dogs get more obese beside us," said Tricia Montgomery of the K9 Fit Club.

Her company provides about 300 exercises so you and your best friend can work out correctly.

TRX suspension training and indoor cycling are still in fashion, but innovations such as Lebert bars and others, give trainers tools and techniques to be able to mix things up.

An example? Olympic Gold Medalist Charles Austin created the Total Body Board.

"I injured my knee back in 1990 and to take a lot of pressure of my joints and tendons so I can still get a pretty decent workout, I spent a lot time on the slide board," said Austin.

Keeping baby boomers happy -- a vital theme for this industry.

"It's easy to get the 20 year olds into fitness. It's not easy to get the above 50 generation to embrace. It so it has to be softer and gentler," said Davis.

An exception, swim champ Diana Nyad, whose record setting Cuba-to-Florida swim at age 64 primed all of us for bigger adventures.

"But you know what I'm going to do next Lori? I'm going to walk across America in the summer of 2016," Nyad said.

"And were going to get a million people to walk with us, including you," she challenged. So I better get busy.