Offering services such as doctor-referred exercise programs could encourage the people who need it most to join a health club.

Take a glance into the group exercise studios and fitness areas of the average fitness club and chances are most of the people you’ll see are young, fit and healthy. But outside that club, it’s a very different story.

The majority of Americans aren’t in great shape, and they’re not doing anything about it, including not joining fitness clubs. Paul Zane Pilzer, entrepreneur and author of “The New Wellness Revolution,” says that’s because most people don’t perceive an environment of acceptance. They think of clubs as a place where people who are already fit and healthy go, rather than seeing them as a means to become that way.

“The word ‘gym’ still creates an image of body builder,” says Pilzer. “We need to turn that image into something that conveys the idea of wellness and positivity to get those 250 million Americans who don’t belong to a club to feel more comfortable with the idea.”

Part of the solution, Pilzer says, is for clubs to make a more concentrated effort to approach members’ well-being as a whole, rather than focusing solely on exercise. For example, he points out that a large percentage of people quit going to clubs because they fail to meet their primary goal for joining—to lose weight. So why aren’t more clubs integrating nutrition services, since we know that healthy eating and exercise must go hand in hand to achieve that goal?

Some clubs are already doing just that—and more. From forming strategic relationships with health care providers to incorporating therapeutic and medical services into their facilities, forward-thinking clubs are finding ways to attract the people that need them the most—and they’re reaping the benefits, from better retention rates to increased revenue streams. Could your club do the same?

NEXT PAGE: INCORPORATING NEW SERVICES

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2012 Penton Media Inc.