Featured Article
programming
Fee Plus Free Equals Successful Group Exercise Programming
Fee-based programs can be a bridge between the personal training and the group exercise departments....
Archived Articles from Step by Step: Programming
programming
Fee Plus Free Equals Successful Group Exercise Programming
Fee-based programs can be a bridge between the personal training and the group exercise departments....
A Weight-Loss Program Can Improve Health Club Member Retention and Lead Generation
Wouldn’t it be great to have one program that offered solutions in member retention, lead generation, profit to the bottom line and staff development? ...
How to Determine Your Health Club’s Group Exercise Class Requirements
Should health club operators just go ahead and add more group exercise classes, or is there a formula to determine the most profitable number of weekly classes? ...
An Outline for Launching a Branded Program in Your Health Club
When updating programming and establishing a fee-based menu, you must ensure that the mission of the program and the vision statement of the facility match up. ...
Six Steps to Build the Yoga Community in Your Health Club
Here are six steps to consider in advancing your yoga program and building community with the foundation dependent on the abilities and intentions of your teachers....
Keep Social Networking Alive in Your Health Club the Old-Fashioned Way
Keep the uninitiated population connected to your club with something they are passionate about, even if it has nothing to do with health and fitness. ...
Bringing Back Old-School Aerobics Classes to Your Club Programming
Many veterans of our industry remember the health club scene from the 1980s and 1990s—the excitement, the energy, the dynamic flow of the well-planned aerobic classes of those decades. That nostalgia has led some programming experts to add those choreographed masterpieces into the fee-based line up at their clubs. ...
Group Fitness Directors Must Remain Connected to Staff
Implementing the following simple methods for maintaining a connection with each instructor will assist in creating a feeling of teamwork and in keeping everyone moving in the same direction....
Yoga Can Be a Profit Center for Your Club
Turning yoga into a revenue generator for your club is easy with these simple steps....
Make Room for Fee-Based Programming
Fee-based programming may make sense for a growing number of health clubs. However, switching over to this type of programming comes with its challenges. ...
Holiday Planning for Member Retention and Enhanced Sales
The holidays are just around the corner, presenting fitness club owners and their staff with the perfect chance to do something special for club members. Here are some things you can do to catch their attention this time of year....
Walk the Walk to Help Your Members Achieve Fitness Goals
Why not take a few simple steps and launch a walking group within your facility? Doing so can increase retention, revenue and referrals. ...
Top Ten Programs for Your Female Members
The following are the top 10 programs that I’d suggest offering your female members...
Eight Ways to Increase Member Usage in Your Aquatics Area
Although many club operators have taken action to fill in pools or are decreasing the number of aquatics classes on their schedule, fitness entrepreneurs are seeing the wet area as the new hub of member activity...
Investing in Corporate Wellness Programs
Healthcare reform is a hot topic and is on everyone's minds. However, it is going to take more than legislation to improve the health of our nation. For many companies, medical costs can consume half or more of corporate profits...
Establishing Record-Setting Aquatics Programming
With five swimming pools (two indoor and three outdoor), LifeCenter Plus has a unique summertime problem: overcrowding in our pool areas. As most clubs are struggling to hold onto members during the summer months...
Training Staff for Program Design Progression
When working with a multitude of clients, your trainers must understand that each and every person is different...
Adding a Martial Arts Program as a Profit Center
To be successful in today’s competitive market, health and fitness clubs need to focus on generating greater revenue per member and/or adding additional profit centers...
Offering Medical Exercise Servicing
If you don’t already offer medical exercise servicing (MES) at your facility, it may be time to consider doing so...
Team Yoga: Spotting Yoga Teachers
At a recent yoga workshop, teacher Max Strom explained the difference between a yoga teacher and a yoga instructor....
The Machine Myth — Get Kids OFF Those Machines!
Whenever I come into contact with a coach or trainer who preaches the virtues of machine-based strength training for young athletes and clients, I often hear the same argument — machines are safer for kids because they eliminate the dangerous aspects of traditional free weight training....
Aerobic Training for Kids — Good or Bad?
As the youth fitness market continues to expand and opportunities for personal trainers to work with kids ranging from 6 to 18 years old grows, fitness professionals must understand the science and application of training this unique demographic...
Why You Should Offer Active Gaming for Children at Your Club
The younger generation is a technology-driven generation that lives immersed in a digital world where life is more convenient, more educational and more engaging. It's no wonder that more clubs are combining the use of video games and related technologies with traditional exercise...
Creating Altruistic and Profitable Youth Fitness Programs
Youth obesity has become the epidemic of note throughout society...
Five Steps to B.U.I.L.D. Innovative Programs
Scanning the fitness industry over the last five years, there certainly has been many unique and innovative programs that have emerged...
Understanding the Female Baby Boomer
If I had three phrases to describe the female Baby Boomer, it would be assertive, results-oriented and affluent. Female Boomers are educated, seek immediate gratification and live longer than their male counterparts...
How to Create Wellness-Based Programs, Part 2
Putting together a wellness program is not as hard as you may think. If you are having problems thinking of an idea, go with one of the national monthly health observances. ...
How to Create Wellness-Based Programs, Part 1
Wellness is a hot topic. The wellness industry is expected to be the next trillion-dollar industry within the next five years. ...
How to Develop and Drive Fitness Programming to Increase Exercise Adherence and Retention
It’s not enough to create a nice flier and offer prizes for leading participants to ensure the success of your motivational programming. You need to be creative, personalize your program activities and make members and your staff accountable to get the most out of your programs...
Baby Boomers Are Back
It is widely known that Baby Boomers fueled the growth in health clubs in the 1980s, and it appears that they are coming back. In 1993, there were roughly 1.3 million health club members who were 55 and older....
Kids Camps: A Necessary Revenue Stream for Today’s Club
Over the past two decades, the fitness world has met the needs of a vastly expanding consumer base, creating innovative programmatic offerings in order to appeal to the largest portion of a diffused market....
To Brand or Not to Brand
Many of us don’t remember the days before the McDonald’s hamburger, but there was a time when hamburgers and fries were served up only local-style across the United States. ...
Group X Instructors: Finders, Keepers
Don’t let anyone fool you—instructors are the group fitness program. Your instructors’ attitudes, work ethic, demeanor and appearance create the canvas for the classes you present. Instructors can make or break your program, so choosing, developing and taking care of your instructors is extremely important. ...
The Seven Dimensions of Wellness
What is “wellness” per se? There are many definitions, and 20 years ago, wellness didn’t exist. But today, the industry is growing fast, and the term “wellness” is being overused, abused and it is not being used in its appropriate context...
Creating a One-Year Program Events Calendar
Programs can set you apart from the other clubs in your market. They include core programs such as personal training, group exercise and membership-oriented programs such as guest passes and new member integration...
Keep the Humbug Out of Your Club This Holiday Season
The holiday season may be one of the busiest times for your local mall, but unfortunately, it can be one of the slowest times for your club. Just when members need that daily dose of endorphins the most...
Developing Post Rehab Strategies
Post rehab training by definition is anything that involves continuing the process of returning to a pre rehab state or returning to what normal function was for that individual client. ...
Launching a Successful Outdoor Training Program
Experiencing the outdoors will change the way your clients/members feel about a cardiovascular workout. An outdoor workout gives a sense of accomplishment and exposes them to a local place they may not have known about....
Maximizing Your Class Schedule
This is one area of your club that will be in a constant state of change. Hopefully these tips, many of which I’ve learned the hard way, will help you to bring more members into your clubs and keep your retention levels high....
Creating a Successful Group Exercise Schedule
Creating a successful and diverse group fitness schedule can be the ultimate challenge for even the most experienced director. ...
Mastering the Art of Mentoring in Your Health Club
In her article, titled Mastering the Art of Mentoring, Chanda discusses how group exercise directors and club managers can implement successful mentoring programs at their facilities....
How To Spice Up Your Existing Health Club Programs
It's difficult to come up with new health club programming, so instead of always coming up with something new, try these six ways to enliven your existing programs. ...
Focus On Programming
Creating a Group Fitness Advisory Board...
Focus on Programming
Physical and Mental Fitness for Women...
Focus on Programming
Strength Training for All Teenagers...
Focus on Programming
Sports Conditioning Programs for Young Athletes...
Focus On Programming
Programming/Promoting After-School Youth Programs...
Focus on Programming
Setting Up a High-Quality Program for Weight Loss...
Focus on Programming
The Benefits of Hiring a Program Director...
Focus On Programming
Fun for Instructors...
Focus on Programming
Celebrating Mother's/Father's Day...
Focus on Programming
.jpg)
Understanding the Nature of the BEAST...
Focus on Programming
Give Your Club a Family Fitness Fix...
Focus on Programming
Creative Spa Programming...
