Navigating a Fitness Expo

The New Year can signify the start of a fitness journey for someone, the start of a prep for a bodybuilding competition for many, or it can jump start the motivation for anyone who has been into fitness and/or bodybuilding for a while. A great way to learn more about fitness, get tons of free samples and deals from many popular brands, meet your favorite fitness celebrity or influencer, and get even more motivated to keep working out and eating right is attending a local fitness expo. There are so many around the country and world every year. TheFitExpo travels to many different states, The Olympia is in Las Vegas every year, and The Arnold Sports Festival travels to several different countries. In Ohio, I am lucky to have The Arnold Classic right in Columbus at the end of February/early March each year. I have attended the expo every year since 2014 and have had the opportunity to work at the Rivalus booth the last 3 years. Fitness expos can be very crowded and overwhelming. Here are some tips to make the most of your time at an expo:

• If the expo you are planning to attend is 3 days long (most run Friday, Saturday, Sunday), I suggest going on Friday or Sunday. These are the least crowded days. Some people take off work to go on Friday, but it is still generally less busy than Saturday. However, if there is a certain fitness celebrity or influencer you would like to meet or a certain product from a booth that you don’t want to miss, then Saturday is generally the best day to go.
• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. (Most people that are working the booths and attending the expo wear workout attire.) You are going to be standing on your feet all day and walking around, so make sure your shoes are comfortable. Also, dress in layers so that you can remove or add clothes if needed. Most of the time fitness expos can get quite warm because of all the people, but there can be areas that can be cold especially if it is winter.
• Wear a backpack. A lot of booths give out bags for you to collect samples or anything you purchase in, but they can get heavy and it’s sometimes hard to navigate the aisles carrying several bags and not having a free hand. You also do not want to have to run bags of things out to your car several times. A backpack is perfect to put things in and it’s easy to carry and walk around with.
• Get to the expo early. Plan to arrive up to an hour before the expo starts. This will help you get in right when it opens and you can most likely visit all of the booths that you want to see before it gets too crowded.
• Bring your patience. If you do not like crowds, an expo may not be for you. It can get very crowded and hard to walk around especially on Saturday’s. Just try to just have fun and remember that everyone there also loves fitness and is there for the same reason you are.
• Make sure your phone is fully charged. Most fitness expos do not have WiFi. Therefore, your phone will be trying to use data and with all the people in the expo center at one time, it has a harder time finding a signal and the battery drains faster. I turn mine on “airplane mode” when I am not using it in order to save the battery. You also want to be able to use the camera on your phone to snap pictures with your favorite fitness celebrity or influencer or of any products you might want to remember to order later.

By following these helpful tips, you should be able to navigate a fitness expo with ease and have a lot of fun. The Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH is February 28^th – March 3^rd this year. Maybe I will see you there! :)

LMS