MINNEAPOLIS -- Snap Fitness Inc. topped the fitness club rankings on the 2009 list of Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500. The magazine also ranked fitness as one of eight franchising categories that hold the most promise for 2009. Entrepreneur editors noted that niche fitness centers would be the ones to watch in the coming year.

“Health and wellness have been a top concern ever since headlines warning of obesity took over the nation,” writes Entrepreneur. “But it's not the heavyweights, like Curves and Gold's Gym, that have captured our attention. Instead, we predict the more niche concepts like boxing and prenatal and postnatal fitness will experience the healthiest growth in 2009.”

The top 10 fitness facilities from Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 are:

• Snap Fitness ranked No. 24 on the list of 500, No. 2 on Top 10 New Franchises, and No. 5 on the Top 10 Fastest-Growing Franchises list.

• Jazzercise Inc., which specializes in group fitness programming, was No. 42 on the top 500 list, as well as No. 8 on the Top 10 Low-Cost Franchises and No. 7 on the Top 10 Fastest-Growing Franchises list.

• Anytime Fitness was No. 47 on the Franchise 500 list and No. 9 on the Top 10 Fastest-Growing Franchises list.

• Fitness Today personal fitness training ranked No. 100 on the Top 500 list.

• Gold’s Gym Franchising LLC was No. 112 on the Franchise 500.

• Planet Fitness was No. 116 on the Top 500 list.

• The Little Gym children’s development fitness program was No. 126 on the Franchise 500.

• My Gym Children’s Fitness Center was No. 259 on the Top 500 list.

• Curves was No. 381 on the Franchise 500.

• IM=X Pilates Studio was No. 468 on the Top 500 list.

Visit the Entrepreneur site for the complete Franchise 500 listing.

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