January 1, 2009
First Word
Fitness Industry Experts Join Advisory Panel
January has become a traditional time for new beginnings and re-evaluation, perhaps even more so this year as owners determine that they must be more...
News For You
The editors at Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro magazine pride ourselves in providing you with industry news as quickly and accurately as possible...
Top News
The State of the Health Club Industry in 2009
As memberships decrease and attrition increases, health clubs will need to do a lot of little things to improve their bottom line in 2009....
Trend Watch
Increase Your Health Club’s Retention Rate Through Member Data Mining
Most clubs are barely scratching the surface when it comes to analyzing their membership data. By leveraging this information, facilities can more effectively target their marketing campaigns and retain members....
Health Club Operators Adopt Green Cleaning Practices
Some cleaners claim to be environmentally friendly, but what makes a cleaner "green," and are green cleaners effective?...
25th Anniversary
Health Clubs of the 1990s
In the third installment of our 25th anniversary retrospective, we look at the health clubs that made waves in the 1990s....
Fitness Business News
Urban Active Celebrates First Year
The Urban Active brand, started by former Gold's Gym franchisee Royce Pulliam, turned 1 year old last month. In the past year, Urban Active has opened nine locations...
Boston JCC to Become a YMCA
The Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston recently announced it is closing the Striar Jewish Community Center in Stoughton, MA, and transitioning its services...
Tyndall Air Force Base Breaks Ground on New Fitness Center
Last month, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, broke ground for an energy-efficient fitness center. ...
Plus One Manages Nestlé Fitness Facility
Last month, more than 700 enrolled employees of Nestlé USA were able to take their first steps into The WING (Wellness In Nestlé Glendale) Powered by Plus One, a new fitness center located inside Nestlé USA's headquarters in...
Texas Gov. Rick Perry Issues Fitness Challenge
Texas Gov. Rick Perry challenged other U.S. governors to a two-week Capitol Steps Challenge, beginning Jan. 1, 2009. Each governor was encouraged...
Chelsea Piers Joins the List of Health Clubs Going Green
Chelsea Piers is joining a growing number of health clubs in becoming more eco-friendly by launching a complex-wide initiative....
Boot Camp Programming Gaining in Popularity
Boot camp workouts have been growing in popularity because they provide a total-body workout that's varied, fun and challenging, according to the American Council on Exercise....
PA Health Club Sues LA Fitness
B&R Family Fitness Center in Feasterville, PA, is suing LA Fitness in Huntingdon Valley, PA, claiming that LA Fitness employees are dissuading prospective members from joining B&R by...
Pool and Spa Safety Act Controversial with Health Club Operators
Fitness facility operators who have pools in their facilities must now be in compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa SafetyAct, or risk up to a $1.825 million fine and...
Bally Fitness Files for Bankruptcy, Closes 19 Clubs
The company line from Bally Total Fitness is that the closures of 19 of its clubs in the weeks after Bally filed for bankruptcy are not related to the filing....
Fitness Industry News Briefs January 2009
American Family Fitness; Life Time Fitness; Rinehart Fitness Center; 2008 California Physical Fitness Test; Xavier University; Corporate Fitness; and more....
Stat of the Month: 65
The percentage of Americans who do not meet the daily exercise amounts recommended by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department....
Inside Manufacturers
Precor Constructing a Plant To Manufacture Strength Line
To meet growing demand for its Icarian strength line of commercial equipment, Precor Inc. will build a $26.2 million manufacturing facility...
New Program Measures, Tracks Functional Strength
Performance Health Systems and SCIFIT Systems Inc. recently introduced bioDensity Isometric Strength Technology, a bio-mechanically efficient and personalized approach to...
Life Fitness Promotes from Within the Company
Life Fitness, Schiller Park, IL, has promoted Tim McCarthy to vice president of the international business unit and has promoted Mike Zinda to...
Nautilus Pushes through Losses to Expand Plant
Despite recording a loss from continuing operations of $35.4 million in the third quarter of 2008, Nautilus Inc. has negotiated a deal to spend $1.7 million to expand its manufacturing facility in...
Focus on Clubs
What Health Clubs Must Do to Survive in a Tough Economy
As the economy creates stress, opportunities will be created for those who are bold enough to take advantage of them....
Focus on Design
Can Green Design Boost Your Health Club Profits?
The cost of going green has to properly relate to your health club's profits—directly or indirectly—but should be able to be measured to some degree....
From the Lip
Will 2009 Be the Year of Reckoning for Health Clubs?
The fitness club industry is still primarily a small-business venture, and the majority of health club operators expect the economy to negatively affect them this year, according...
