Kelsey Cipolla

Chris Powell, the personal trainer and transformation specialist who presents ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition” shares how fitness facilities can reach out to overweight clients.

Chris Powell of “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition” shares his journey to helping the obese.

In an industry where big-name companies own hundreds of clubs across the country, generate millions of dollars in revenue and offer low-cost memberships, some small health club owners have discovered offering something different may be the best way to thrive.

Weight training alone is not an effective way to reduce the risk of heart disease or diabetes if you are overweight, but aerobic training might be, according to a new study from the Duke University Medical Center.

Newtown Athletic Club, Newtown, PA, has broken ground on a two-year, $12 million expansion project, which will include a new baseball academy, an indoor athletic field house and an outdoor recreational pool complex.

Green has shifted from a buzzword to a major movement in recent years, and the trend has spread to the health club industry, particularly when it comes to design. With a variety of environmentally friendly flooring options now available, sustainable design can be incorporated in fitness facilities from the ground up.

Health clubs might have a new and unconventional rival to fear: virtual gyms. Indiana University researchers recently conducted a study and found that participants who watched virtual versions of themselves working out lost just as much weight over a 12-week period as those who worked out in an actual gym.