5 REASONS TO SPEND YOUR WEEKEND AT A FITNESS EXPO

1. GET MOTIVATED & BECOME INSPIRED

My friend from Orangetheory Fitness, Natalie teaching a drum stick fitness class.

Every Fitness Expo and Fair I have attended I have left feeling super motivated! Surrounding yourself with people who have similar interests & goals will make it so much easier to stay on track! At this past expo in Anaheim, California I met so many inspirational people and had the opportunity to talk to them and hear their stories. Whether it was about starting with an idea and ending up on Shark Tank or bringing their skills set to the expo to teach a group exercise, it was truly incredible and so inspirational to see! Not sure if you will find that kind of inspiration at a weekend brunch!

2. MEET NEW PEOPLE

My friend and Pink Iron Fitness Instructor Marlen with SHREDZ athlete Brittany Coutu.

At these fitness expos you never know who you are going to meet and see! Last year I had the opportunity to listen to Jillian Michaels speak, one of my absolute favorites in the fitness industry! I even got to do a group exercise demo and got a Jillian Michaels DVD & other goodies for participating. As the expo gets closer you can check out their websites to see who will be attending and who will be doing meet and greets and exercise demos. All of these people in the fitness industry have a story to tell about their journey to where they are now and are so happy and eager to share insight and advice to expo attendees!

3. VISIT EXHIBITORS

At a Fitness Expo you get to see so many cool exhibitors and learn about products and technology that are very new and upcoming! Whether it is a new flavor of almond butter, a fun wheel to spin at the Waba Grill, or fun, new fitness clothes there is SO MUCH TO SEE. I was so intrigued by many of the exhibitors especially one called Sports Research (photo of the man jump roping). He was jump roping demonstrating a product called Sweet Sweat, a lotion made to promote additional increase in sweating & circulation AND they were handing out free samples of it! SCORE! I can't wait to try the sample and see if it really prevents soreness like they said!

4. FREE SAMPLES GALORE

Samples of banana chips & chocolate covered snacks!

All I have to do is fill it out and send it in!

TRUE STORY: Everything in the photo above I got FOR FREE! Snacks, protein powders, protein bars, coconut waters, pre-workouts, bags, cookies, lotions, oils, peanut butters and so much more! I love getting home and going through all my samples! It really helps me decide what new products I like and dislike without having to make purchases at the store that I am not happy with. AND not only do you get to take home a ton of samples but you also get to sample A LOT of things at the expo itself! All of the samples alone give you your moneys worth on your ticket! Did I also mention with the purchase of a ticket to this particular Fitness Expo you get a free year of Women's or Men's Health! Talk about getting your money worth for sure!

5. INCREDIBLE DEALS & DISCOUNTS

If you are a sucker for coupons and deals like I am then boy are you in for a real treat! I left the expo with so many coupons my head was spinning...in a good way! The expo also sells products super discounted the day of the event. Discounts can range from 25% to even 50% off certain products and apparel. That is AMAZING! I was super excited to get my hands on this Pokemon Fitness Tank! Confession... Jigglypuff was my ALL TIME favorite Pokemon growing up!!! I got my tank for $20 normally $30. They also have a ton of fun comic fitness apparel and more Pokemon shirts. Use the code 5OFF for $5 off: http://flexcomics.com/ My other favorite purchase at the Expo was this E-Theory Concept Mellow Mist Puffer which contains melatonin to better sleep. I am OBSESSED! Four small hits and I am out! They also have a pre-workout one and a shred & smolder one to reduce appetite. Check them out: http://www.e-theoryconcepts.net/

EXTRA TIPS FOR ATTENDING FITNESS EXPOS

Arrive when they open (these things can get packed & lines can get long!)
Look for discounted tickets on social media, their websites, Groupon, and Living Social (I have even found codes to attend expos FOR FREE!)
Check the floor plan & exhibitors ahead of time so you don't miss out on anything good!
If you have to sign up for a fitness demo or competition do it early! They can fill up!
Take a bottle of water! Sometimes it can be a lot of protein and bars but no water!
Bring a bag for goodies. Unless you score a swag bag early you will have nowhere to put all of these samples and coupons!
Have fun and be open-minded!