ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® strives to provide health and fitness professionals with accurate, unbiased and authoritative practical information that will enhance their day to day work with clients and patients. Beginning in 1997, the journal has published six issues per year that cover a wide variety of exercise, nutrition and other topics that are of interest to the health and fitness industry. Additionally, each issue of the journal provides continuing education credit opportunities. Each issue consists of special columns written by the journal’s associate editors and two to six feature articles that have gone through a peer review process.

Since 2015 the September/October issue of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® has focused on a specific theme (weight loss, resistance training, and behavior change). In 2018 the journal published two themed issues with the September/October publication a special issue on nutrition followed by special fitness trends issue in November/December that highlighted ACSM’s Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends.

In 2018 the journal published 23 feature articles and a total of 38 columns penned by the journal’s associate editors. The relative interest in these 61 articles can be quantified by comparing the numbers of times the online version of the article is viewed and/or referred to through social media platforms and the mainstream news media.

The most accessed article through the journal website was a feature article written by Joel E. Williams, MPH, Ph.D.; Brian Helsel, M.S., CSCS; Bryce Nelson, M.D., Ph.D.; and Ransome Eke, M.D., MPH, Ph.D. titled “Exercise Considerations for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.” With the incidence of diabetes continuing to increase throughout the world this article was timely and presented important considerations that health and professionals must be aware of when working with these populations. The authors provide a number of practical application strategies that fitness professionals can utilize with clients and patients.

The most popular paper referred to by social media platforms and mainstream media was our annual “Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2019” penned by Walter R. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM. The 13^th annual survey conducted by Dr. Thompson continued the tradition of the article being one of the most referred to articles published in the journal. This year’s survey was the basis of a special trends issue that featured a number of the top trends and compared U.S. survey results with those collected in China and Spain.

Outlook for 2019

The articles and columns to be published in 2019 will continue to present topics and associated practical applications that will be of interest to health and fitness professionals and supportive of their work with clients and patients. The planned content will once again include two themed issues:

• September/October: Combating Physical Inactivity
• November/December: Special Trends Issue with an expanded international focus

Upcoming 2019 feature articles will include topics on aquatic exercise/water-based training, children and youth, connecting healthcare and fitness professionals, resistance training, lifestyle medicine and more. We appreciate each health and fitness professional that has submitted their work for publication in the journal and encourage you to consider sharing your expertise with our readers. If you are interested in submitting an article to ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®, details on how to write and submit a feature article can be found on the website.

Additionally, our exceptional associate editor team will continue to provide quality practical health and fitness information through their respective columns:

Column	Author	Description
Fitness Focus	Grace T. DeSimone, BA	A clip and distribute article that health and fitness professionals can give to clients/patients.
Take Ten	James A. Peterson, Ph.D., FACSM	Ten specific insights into a pertinent health and fitness topic.
Wouldn’t You Like to Know	Barbara A. Bushman, Ph.D., FACSM	A practical review focused on answering a specific question based on a topic of interest to health and fitness professionals.
A Nutritionist’s View	Stella L. Volpe, Ph.D., R.D., LDN, FACSM	A concise column that covers a hot topic in nutrition.
The Legal Aspects	Anthony A. Abbott, Ph.D., Ed.D., FACSM, FNSCA	An important column that addresses legal issues that affect the health and fitness professional.
Business Edge	Jennifer L. Bacon, M.S.	A practical column that covers relevant business-related topics that affect the health and fitness professional.
Research Bites	Mary M. Yoke, Ph.D., M.A., FACSM	Translates three or four pertinent research articles into information that the health and fitness practitioner can use.
Worksite Health Promotion	Nico P. Pronk, Ph.D., FACSM, FAWHP	This thoughtful column covers all aspects of employee wellness in the context of the worksite.
Do It Right	Peter Ronai, MS, FACSM	Each column illustrates a specific resistance training exercise with photos and videos and explains how to correctly teach the activity.
Health & Fitness A to Z	Gary Liguori, Ph.D., FACSM	Reviews an important topic from its inception to today and where it may be headed in the future.
Enhancing Your Behavioral Tool Kit	Janet Buckworth, Ph.D., FACSM	Provides insights into behavioral change and coaching strategies health and fitness professionals can utilize with their clients/patients.
ACSM Certification	Yuri Feito, Ph.D., MPH, FACSM	For 2019 this column will focus on presenting case studies that will provide insight into working with clients/patients from the initial referral forward.
Celebrate Success	Dixie Stanforth, Ph.D., FACSM	An inspirational column that highlights real-world, positive change that is happening in many communities through individuals, organizations, and/or improved public policy.
Clinical Applications	Kristi M. King, Ph.D., CHES	Covers the clinical aspects of the health and fitness profession.
Medical Report	Written by various clinicians	Provides practical medical information the health and fitness professional needs to know.

Columns shown in blue publish in each issue of the journal. Columns in purple publish in the January/February, May/June and September/October issues. Columns in green publish in the March/April, July/August and November/December issues.

Most Read Articles of 2018

Exercise Considerations for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Targeting Abdominal Obesity Through the Diet: What Does the Evidence Say?

Lifestyle Modifications to Promote Healthy Blood Pressure *associate editor column, Wouldn’t You Like to Know?

The Evolution of Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramp Research *associate editor column, Health & Fitness A to Z

The Four Social Media Apps That Rule Digital Fitness Marketing and How Best to Use Them

Behavioral Strategies, Including Exercise, for Addressing Insomnia

Developing the P (for Progression) in FITT-VP Exercise Prescription *associate editor column, Wouldn’t You Like to Know?

Food with Benefits: Gain the Competitive Edge With a “Food-First” Approach

Twelve (Plus One) Thoughts from Our Nutrition-Themed Issue *editor column

Shareable Resource: What to Eat Before, During and After Exercise *associate editor column, Fitness Focus

Conversation Starters: Highest Altmetric Attention Score

Altmetric calculates a score based on the on-line attention an article receives. The score is calculated based on two primary sources of on-line attention: social media and mainstream news media.

Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2019

Interval Training for Cardiometabolic and Brain Health 

Physical Inactivity in Youth: Can Exercise Deficit Disorder Alter the Way We View Preventative Care? 

Targeting Abdominal Obesity Through the Diet: What Does the Evidence Say? 

Stimulant-Containing Energy Drinks: What You Need to Know

Biology of Aging: Identified Drivers and Interventions for Optimal Healthspan

Gluten-Free Diets and Exercise Performance *associate editor column, A Nutritionist’s View

Developing the P (for Progressions) in a FITT-VP Exercise Prescription *associate editor column, Wouldn’t You Like to Know?

Food With Benefits: Gain the Competitive Edge with a "Food-First" Approach

The Evolution of Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramp Research *associate editor column, Health & Fitness A to Z

ACSM Alliance of Health and Fitness Members receive each issue of ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal® in both print and digital formats. Additionally, Alliance members receive discounts on ACSM Certification exams, continuing education credits, the ACSM health & Fitness Summit and consumer products. Learn more and join today!

Brad A. Roy, Ph.D., FACSM, is an administrator/executive director at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. He is responsible for The Summit Medical Fitness Center, a 114,800 sq ft medical fitness center located in Kalispell, Montana, and a number of other hospital departments. He is the editor-in-chief of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®.