It's a Wrap!

As 2009 draws to a snowy close here in Arlington, Texas, I wish to wrap up the year and secure it with a bright red bow. I acknowledge that when asked about 2009, most people I talk to almost universally use the word, "challenging". And then many of them elucidate further saying that this is the most polite way for them to label the past year. We may not always see the bright side of things, but as Americans, we feel compelled to see the glass as half full. It may have been a lousy year for many, but we find solace and motivation in cliches like, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". A couple of my other favorites are, "Sweat hardens into muscle" and "Pain is weakness leaving the body".

In my corner of the world, the Athletic Business Trade Show, which takes place every year during the week following Thanksgiving, is my yardstick to measure both the year past and the year to come. Even though this is a commercial fitness business event, it has been the number one networking venue for US Military fitness professionals for 20+ years. Every year that I have been proudly working with the US Military, which now also exceeds 20 years, I have heard the doomsayers proclaiming that there would be no money available the following year for fitness programming, personnel, or equipment. And please do not misunderstand me as I believe that money will be tight for that individual due to one of many likely circumstances such as the base commander reallocating funds elsewhere on base deemed more important than the fitness center. But I get to weigh that individual's circumstances against the field of 400+ US Military Bases worldwide. And I am here to say that the state of fitness in the US Military is STRONG!

The US Military purchased more fitness equipment in 2009 than ever before. I grant that annual growth has not been linear with 2004 being the second strongest year in fitness equipment sales and with the years between 2004 and 2009 striking a topographical Rocky Mountainesque profile. But, the trendline shows growth nearing 300% over the past 10 years. And yes, I project continung strong growth in the next decade as well. For years, military command has coined phrases like, "Fitness is mission essential" and "Fitness is a force multiplier". These words have now been put into action. Even though fitness in the military has gone through a continuous evolution, the bar is being raised to worldclass heights in terms of facilities, equipment and programming. Each of the services has amazing fitness centers available to our troops, managed by passionate fitness professionals providing engaging programming. Over the years, I have witnessed the physical condition of our troops march in lockstep with the ongoing improvements in military fitness facilities. These are exciting times in the world of military fitness!

As 2010 unfolds, we will see more changes in the military landscape to include topics such as, troop testing protocols and accountability, fitness facilities for downrange applications, bulk buys and equipment standardization, fitness and recreation integration for our wounded warriors, and many more. I intend to address each of these topics, and more, in future blogs. Your help is appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and please ask any questions and make any comments. I want to wish each of you a Happy and Healthy New Year! And I offer a HUGE debt of gratitude to our troops abroad and at home.