Members at The Rush Expelled After Locker Room Shooting
KNOXVILLE, TN -- A shooting in the locker room of The Rush Fitness Complex facility in Knoxville, TN, has resulted in the membership cancellation of both men involved, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel....
Certification Program Launched for Health and Fitness Centers
RICHMOND, VA -- The Medical Fitness Association (MFA) has launched a facility certification program for health and fitness centers interested in the medical fitness model. ...
America Maintains Its Weight
WASHINGTON, DC -- After a quarter century of increases, obesity prevalence has not measurably increased in the past few years but levels are still high –- at 34 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 and over, according to a study released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....
Gyms Pop Up in California Parks
By: By Pamela Kufahl, editor
LOS ANGELES -- For some California club owners, new competition—or perhaps a new “feeder club”—just popped up in their local parks, thanks to a partnership between Kaiser Permanente and Trust for Public Lands. During the next three years, the two groups will put Fitness Zones in five parks in Los Angeles County as a way to encourage people to get out and exercise. Kaiser Permanente is giving Trust for Public Lands $750,000 in funding for the project, which was developed by Trust for Public Lands. ...
Curves Launches Weight Loss Subscription Site
WACO, TX -- This month, Curves International Inc. teamed with Rodale, a source for content in health and wellness, to launch www.CurvesComplete.com. The online weight loss subscription service site is based on the book Curves: Permanent Results Without Permanent Dieting, written by Curves Founder and Chief Executive Officer Gary Heavin. The service is available in the United States and Canada and allows subscribers to look at fitness information, tools, expert opinions and motivational advice to lose weight and keep their fitness goals in mind. ...
Pedometers Plus Diaries, Goals Motivate Fitness, Studies Show
CHICAGO -- Pedometers help people increase their physical activity, provided that they set a goal and log their steps, according to a recent analysis....
Billie Jean King Supports Girls’ Fitness with New Initiative
BOSTON -- Tennis legend Billie Jean King and soccer star Kristine Lilly are scheduled to launch a new initiative called GoGirlGo!, which hopes to raise awareness about the role fitness should play in the lives of girls age 8 to 18, according to The Boston Globe. The ceremony is to take place today at the University of Massachusetts at Boston campus....
Hawaii Urges Board of Education to Increase P.E.
HONOLULU -- Several health organizations in Hawaii are urging the state Board of Education to double the amount of time that students in public elementary and middle schools spend in physical education classes, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin....
Gold’s Plans to Expand In Hawaii
HONOLULU -- After the closure of four Gold’s Gym locations left the chain with only one gym in Hawaii, Gold’s Gym International is planning to open several franchised fitness centers in the state, according to the Honolulu Advertiser....
Soldier Dies During Physical Fitness Training
FORT DRUM, NY -- A Fort Drum, NY, soldier collapsed during physical fitness training and died on Nov. 20 at the Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, NY. The cause of death is under investigation, according to a statement from the Army....
Nautilus Restructures, Says No to Shareholder Group
VANCOUVER, WA -- Nautilus Inc., under siege by its largest shareholder Sherborne Investors, has turned down that group’s request to replace four of the Nautilus board members with Sherborne representatives. In addition, the company has restructured, making appointments to four positions, two of which are newly created. ...
MWR Hosts ‘Right Spirit Fair’ in Guam
SANTA RITA, GUAM -- Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, personnel and civilians enjoyed a day of sports and camaraderie while learning about staying healthy at the third annual Right Spirit Fair held earlier this month at U.S. Naval Base Guam. The event featured basketball, volleyball and other competitions held outside Charles King Gym (CKG). ...
JCC Receptionist Pleads Guilty
EAST HILLS, NY -- The former receptionist at the Sid Jacobsen Jewish Community Center in East Hills, NY, recently pleaded guilty to stealing the credit card information of 18 JCC members. After stealing the information, Elizabeth Young and others used the stolen credit card numbers to purchase more than $15,000 in high-end merchandise, according to a statement from the office of Nassau County (NY) District Attorney Kathleen Rice. ...
Wisconsin Club Closes After 22 Years of Operation
By: By Stuart Goldman, managing editor
EAU CLAIRE, WI -- Unity Health & Fitness, formerly known as Eau Claire Athletic Club, closed its doors Thursday after 22 years of operation in Eau Claire, WI. ...
Cameras Installed at Kentucky Rec Center
LEXINGTON, KY -- The University of Kentucky installed two rotating cameras in its student recreation center last month, the Kentucky Kernel reported....
World Gym Unveils Name of Key-Card Clubs
By: By Stuart Goldman, managing editor
DOVER, NH -- Although World Gym’s new key-card club model is open 24 hours, seven days a week, its name, World Gym 1440 All Axcess, doesn’t initially seem to imply that. That is, until you understand that there are 1,440 minutes in a day....
Ohio Y Tightening Security After Major Break-in
SIDNEY, OH -- The Sidney-Shelby County YMCA in Sidney, OH, is on alert after thieves broke into the facility earlier this month, stealing computers that contained the personal information of about 1,000 members, according to the Dayton (OH) Daily News. ...
Bush Visits Fit to Win Course at Fort Jackson
FORT JACKSON, SC -- President George W. Bush stopped by Fort Jackson, SC, in early November to observe soldiers in their first week of basic combat training go through the Fit to Win training course. Bush was the first president to visit the installation in more than 50 years....
TSI Revenue Tops $118 million in Third Quarter
NEW YORK -- Town Sports International Holdings Inc. (TSI) had an 8.7 percent increase in revenue in the third quarter 2007 compared to the third quarter of last year, the company announced on Nov. 1. Third quarter 2007 revenue was $118.9 million compared to $109.4 million in third quarter 2006. ...
Augie Nieto Releases Book
By: By Pamela Kufahl, editor
NEW YORK -- Augie Nieto, founder of Life Fitness, released his book “Augie’s Quest: One Man’s Journey from Success to Significance” on Wednesday, making an emotional appearance on “The Today Show” with his wife, Lynne. Nieto was diagnosed with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2005. After attempting suicide soon after the diagnosis, he has focused his life on raising funds to cure the disease. Proceeds from the book, which goes on sale Nov. 13, will go to find a cure. ...
Health Up, Fitness Down for Health Fitness Corp. in Third Quarter
MINNEAPOLIS -- Revenue for the third quarter increased 5 percent at Health Fitness Corp., the provider of integrated employee health management programs announced earlier this week. ...
Health Clubs Removed from Maryland Tax Bill
ANNAPOLIS, MD -- The Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee voted Tuesday to remove health clubs from a list of services to which a proposed expansion of a sales tax would be applied....
Report: Nation’s Health Declines
WASHINGTON, DC -- The overall health of the nation declined over the past year despite progress made in some key health indicators, according to a report released this week by the United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Partnership for Prevention. The report indicates that the overall health of the nation declined by a rate of 0.3 percent since last year....
Older Adults Benefit from Functional Training
SAN DIEGO -- Functional fitness programming works for older adults, and most of them see real-world benefits relatively quickly, according to a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, upon the request of ACE, examined physical improvements associated with functional training. ...
UMass Breaks Ground on New Student Rec Center
AMHERST, MA -- The University of Massachusetts (UMass) broke ground last week on a new $50 million student recreation center that is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2009....
