First Family Fitness

The fitness industry has long used spokesmodels to hawk its product. Whether they're oiled-up hardbodies at trade shows or smiling, trim "afters" in commercials or ads, spokesmodels are historically effective marketing tools. They showcase the results of fitness in a way no words ever can.

But finding the perfect spokesmodel is no easy task. It takes more than a low BMI and muscle definition to get the job done. A spokesmodel has to connect with consumers and also project an image that makes them someone consumers aspire to be.

It's a tall order.

Luckily, thanks to the 2008 election, the fitness industry now has the ultimate spokesmodels: Barack and Michelle Obama. He is a basketball fiend and she has to-die-for arms that have inspired articles and fitness programs. They are riding a wave of immense popularity.

And the best part? They aren't charging us a dime.

Tweet: Clubs and Social Networking

I just want to start this post with the following link to a recent article on Bloomberg.com: Crunch Bankruptcy Shows the Limits of Pole Dancing.

OK. I'm done now.

On to a new topic. Specifically, social networking.

Facebook and Twitter are part of the general vernacular, and I’ve been thinking about how a fitness facility can harness them. Then I read an article that made me consider that the fitness club experience may be the anti Facebook and Twitter experience. Instead of virtually connecting to everyone you may be connected to, however tenuously, Form & Fitness owner Ben Quist, Mequon, Wis., says his fitness facility is the place people can actually connect.

Member Georgia Rapkin said, “You can't see anybody on Twitter. You need that human connection to inspire you toward new ideas or new ways to market your business." I’m not sure people who tweet incessantly are looking for human connection, exactly, but I do think she’s right. After all, I’ve never been inspired by someone’s updated Facebook status.

Making a fitness facility into a social networking venue is no easy task. Quist says his studio’s layout encourages interaction between members. A bustling front desk area with complimentary coffee may accomplish the same atmosphere in a more traditionally designed club.

Is your club a social networking space? Do you want it to be?

Fitness or Fetish?

I’ve always thought “stripper fitness” was less of a trend and more of a gimmick. But the promoters of a recent event in Utah apparently disagree.

The first pole fitness competition in Utah took place in Davis County, and the resulting controversy served up a bit of media attention. Not surprisingly, the event promoters are claiming that not only is this a legitimate fitness activity, but they hope it will one day become an Olympic sport, much like gymnastics.

Really?

I think media-savvy promoters hijacked the word “fitness” to give this event legitimacy it does not deserve. And here’s why:

1. The event is officially called Pole Fetish 2009. Not "Pole Fitness," but "Pole Fetish." If the promoters were trying to keep the event out of the gutter, right off the bat it’s an epic fail.
2. The event is co-sponsored by Ogden Adult Dance & Fitness. If their services are for “adults only,” as is stated in the business’ name, it implies that it isn’t appropriate for children. And while all fitness pursuits are not safe for children due to muscle and bone development, we all know physical fitness is appropriate at any age.
3. The event rules state that, “Performers were required to keep on the same clothes from start to finish, as well as wear something that covered breasts and buttocks.” Last I checked, I don’t recall seeing similar rules in the sport to which the promoters keep trying to compare it. Shawn Johnston never got a .10-point deduction for tossing her leotard at the judges.

Maybe I’m a fitness purist. Maybe I’m being puritanical about the whole thing. But I stand by my belief that “fitness” and “fetish” are not interchangeable terms.

Pick! Your! Spin!

Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the first-ever game of Pick Your Spin! Today’s topic is how to use the recent study on caffeine and muscle pain to your club’s advantage without falling victim to the undesirable effects of poorly chosen spin.

In today’s game we’re picking the perfect article to post on the bulletin board in hopes it inspires members to take a regular pre-workout trip to the coffee bar.

We’re generous folks at the FM Blog, so let’s start off with a “gimmie” to get things going. The actual study is out of play due to its snooze-inducing title: “Effect of Caffeine on Quadriceps Muscle Pain During Acute Cycling Exercise in Low Versus High Caffeine Consumers.” Sorry, scientists.

Now grab your wheel, players, and get ready to Pick! Your! Spin!

The losers: Surprisingly, some big names are big losers in our little contest. Scientific American is a reputable source, but its headline has the “p” word: Pain. Same with a number of other outlets. Do you really want to emphasize that working out can hurt? We didn’t think so.

The runner-up: The obscure Twirlit makes an impressive showing with its article titled “Better Workout? Drink Caffeine.” It’s unlikely that any of your members are regular Twirlit readers, but the headline doesn’t mention pain so its obscurity could be outweighed by its message.

The winner: The New York Times! Its headline — "It’s Time To Make A Coffee Run" — is pure spin magic. The source is respected and has instant name recognition. Print this article, blow it up and make sure your members see it.

Thanks for joining us in the FM Blog’s first game of Pick Your Spin. We hope you had fun and encourage you to play at home.

A New Idea

I’ve never liked people who criticize someone without offering their own ideas for a solution. It’s counterproductive and, on some level, cowardly.

Last week I said believe Planet Fitness’ low-priced membership strategy may cause long-term harm to the industry. Whether I agree with it or not, it is a valid attempt by a successful business to find a solution for a problem every club is facing: getting more customers in an economic crisis. And, in the spirit of my statement above, I would be remiss if I didn’t offer another possible solution for clubs looking to lower prices without devaluing their services.

Here is my idea:*

Forget the “Pay as You Go” membership model. What about “Pay as you DON’T Go”?

Clubs want to build loyalty, right? You want your clients to build fitness into their routines, value the services they receive at the club, want to spend time there. Why not reward them for doing exactly that?

Say each club visit is worth $5. You establish an “ideal” visit rate of three times per week, averaging out to $60 per month. So, the member’s base fee is $15 per week. If they go once a week, knock $5 off their dues. Twice a week, knock off $10. Three times per week, and that week is free. Your members are saving money by working out at your club.

And while these sensible members are at your club, sell, sell, sell. Sell personal training sessions, sell smoothies, sell weight gloves, sell private Pilates lessons. Sell the heck out of everything you’ve got without being too aggressive or annoying.

If you employ this model, you’re obviously taking a risk. What if members do exactly what you want them to and come to the club like clockwork? Perhaps you could establish a base fee, and the $5 per visit is on top of that. What if members stop by on their way to the grocery store, swipe their card at the front desk and count it as a workout? Perhaps you could require members to swipe in and swipe out, with a minimum visit length of 20 minutes. Problems will pop up, but so will solutions.

Now’s your chance to tell me why you think this idea won’t work — or why it will. The comments are open.

*Whether you love it or hate it, I promise this is my own idea. I thought of it at my dining room table while nursing an epic Easter head cold. However, if another club has already come up with a similar idea, please let us know in the comments section.

Operation: ReLaunch

Have you heard about The Collective? The Michigan chain operation is a kind of blended facility that offers members access to workspaces, music and art classes and a 20,000-square-foot fitness center. I admire its scope. Building a community by adding a coffee bar in the front desk area is one thing; offering meeting rooms, wi-fi and other business-related amenities takes the concept to another level.

But with the economy tanking, The Collective is taking a hit. Struggling small businesses aren’t as willing to shell out extra money to hold a meeting in a unique location — if they have meetings on the books at all. But The Collective isn’t sitting back and waiting for things to get better. Instead, it’s initiated an interesting, four-pronged program called ReLaunch aimed at Michigan’s unemployed. It focuses not only on building up resumes, but also building confidence by way of a reduced $50 fee good for three months’ use of the fitness center, along with workshops designed to give participants the tools to get their careers — and their lives — back on track.

I like the message this program sends. It gives a life expectancy to members’ hard times: three months. It gives them a place to go to look for work that connects them with other people suffering similar hardships, and it gets them out of the house. It’s harder to be depressed about being unemployed when you don’t feel unemployed, and that’s probably the biggest favor this program does for people with an extra $50 in the couch cushions.

It’s a positive, feel-good program. For everyone’s sake, I hope it works.

Techno-Connect

Natalia was a popular Body Pump instructor at a Los Angeles club. She was toned and fit, but hardly a candidate for the SI swimsuit edition. Her accent sometimes made it hard to understand exactly what she was saying, but her enthusiasm was crystal clear in any language. I never had a single personal conversation with Natalia, but I identified with her and never missed a class. When Natalia eventually left the club, so did I.

Finding an instructor like Natalia is like catching motivation in a bottle. Most likely, you have an instructor like that on your staff. If you’re lucky, you’ve got a whole group fitness schedule filled with Natalias. And, chances are, you’re wasting their talent.

The situation: MSNBC.com says more people are getting their workouts on the Internet. Enterprising personal trainers are putting their workouts online — like Gwyneth Paltrow’s trainer, who emails the Oscar-winner intense workouts while on tour with Madonna. (Let's ignore the fact that Ms. Paltrow aims to open her own NYC gym with the same personal trainer, shall we?) It’s time to harness that technology and make it work for your business, rather than against it.

The idea: Set up a members-only section of your club's website and post videos of your group exercises classes online. This should be an added value for members — the ability to maintain their relationship with the club, instructors and fellow exercisers even when they’re not able or willing to make it into the club.

For too long people have taken cracks at clubs for saying they don’t care if members actually use the club or not, so long as they pay their dues. This is a way to quash those critics and keep the club community strong. Best of all, it’s a way the fitness industry can make the most of a medium that too often isolates users even as it claims to connect them.

Fitness Bytes

At last week’s Macworld Expo — a can’t-be-missed extravaganza for that special brand of Apple-worshiping, iPhone-toting geek — a new product was unveiled that could take the brewing synergy between technology and fitness a crucial step forward.

According to the press release, “SMHEART LINK is a wireless bridge that enables any iPhone or iPod Touch to double as a heart monitor and cycling computer, collecting data generated by distributed fitness sensors, such as heart rate chest straps and cycling sensors on bikes, and sending it to the iPhone for easy display and tracking.”

Its website promises it will “revolutionize the fitness world.” This may seem over-the-top, but some major industry players are on board, including Spinning and New Leaf Fitness. So, it’s likely not a flash in the pan.

Will this product really “revolutionize the fitness world”? I don’t know. But, at the very least, I see a geek-friendly fitness chain on the horizon.

Off the Grid

I read an article the other day about The Green Microgym in Portland, Ore. Owner Adam Boesel modified some exercise cycles so that they generate electricity. “Boesel has re-engineered a small motor to capture the pedal power from a trio of Spin bikes [to] generate electricity for the gym’s television and stereo system,” says KOAA.com.

I’m a big fan of modifying (also known as “hacking”) objects to fit a specific need. One of my favorite websites showcases people’s ingenious modifications of Ikea furniture. Repurposing is good for the pocketbook and the environment.

I think what Boesel has done is creative and innovative, and should be applauded. Short of ordering the four-person Team Dynamo, which harnesses the collective power of exercisers as they pedal and turn hand cranks — or investing in some of the other electricity-generating equipment options FM Senior Editor Anne McDonnell discussed in her earlier post about the subject — what other choice do fitness-center-owning inventors who want to get off the grid have but to hack their existing equipment?

This is a feel-good story meant to inspire other facility owners to think outside the box to achieve new levels of eco-consciousness. But I do have some questions.

What about the warranty? Once you modify a piece of fitness equipment, the warranty is null and void, right? And, if you’re not as scientifically and mechanically inclined as Boesel, there’s a good chance you’ll really break something.

What about insurance? How do insurance companies cover a facility with modified equipment? Will they even consider it?

As I said before, I admire Boesel’s initiative. But do I think it’s the ideal solution for most fitness center owners? Not even close.

It’s Not My (Weight) Problem

This is the week of New Year’s resolutions. Hoards of people who want to lose weight will join a fitness center, determined to achieve their weight-loss goals. The problem is, these people are only a fraction of those who really need to make that New Year’s resolution. Because most people who need to lose weight refuse to believe they are overweight; they are in denial. The tragedy about this is it’s not just adults who are in denial about their own weight; these adults are also in denial about their children’s weight — a problem that is destined to cause a ripple effect among generations to come, exacerbating the U.S. obesity epidemic.

What can fitness professionals do about this? Well, one can only help those who are willing to help themselves, right? But, perhaps more individuals would be willing if we had more segments of society making sure that these people own up to the fact that they are, indeed, overweight.

According to a recent study by the National Consumers League (NCL) reported on by Medical News Today, there is a “startling disconnect between the way people perceive their weight, and their actual weight category based on the body mass index.” The NCL study of 1,978 U.S. adults reports that “52 percent of respondents referred to themselves as overweight, and only 12 percent as obese, severely obese or morbidly obese. But, based on actual BMI calculations using self-reported height and weight information among the 96 percent of respondents, … 35 percent are actually overweight, whereas 34 percent are actually obese, severely obese or morbidly obese. Among respondents who are obese according to BMI, 82 percent consider themselves to be simply overweight.”

Another survey reported on by MSNBC on December 24, found that many people in the U.S. whose children are obese do not see them that way. The survey of 2,060 adults, which collected children’s height and weight from their parents and then used that to calculate BMI, found that, among parents with an obese, or extremely overweight, child ages six to 11, 43 percent said their child was “about the right weight,” 37 percent responded “slightly overweight” and 13 percent said “very overweight.” Yet, based on what the parents reported, 15 percent of the children ages six to 11, and 10 percent of the children ages 12 to 17, were obese.

Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control, while there are an estimated 66 percent of U.S. adults who are overweight (33 percent) or obese (33 percent), the Medical News Today article reports that the NCL study showed that only 12 percent of U.S. adults say they have ever been told by a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional that they are obese. In addition, it points out that individuals’ denial about their weight may also be a result of the social stigma associated with being obese: “Most U.S. adults (61 percent) report … that obesity is considered taboo in society today, and half attribute the condition to a ‘lack of will power.’” Parents’ lack of forthrightness about their kids’ weight can also be attributed to this problem. “Because of the social stigma, it’s not something that parents are willing to admit to readily,” says Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

While the social stigma associated with obesity is clearly an issue, this cannot be made an excuse to ignore the problem. It’s one thing to hurt ourselves, but to hurt our children, too?

As an industry, we can be a part of helping these individuals. By understanding the denial about weight, perhaps fitness professionals can implement some awareness programs alongside the New Year’s resolutions programs planned this year. Even a marketing campaign discussing this trend of denial and how fitness facilities can help — no stigma attached — might help bring some of those who really need to make a New Year’s resolution into your facility this year.

Calling All Gladiators

Happy (almost) New Year! The good news is that your fitness center is likely packed to the gills with resolution-wielding exercisers. The bad news? The Writer’s Guild of America is striking, which means that your favorite television shows are on indefinite hiatus until a deal is hammered out between studio bigwigs and Guild leaders. What does this have to do with the fitness industry, you ask? More than you think.

TV has long been a source of ideas for fitness programming. (’Fess up: How many of you have held a Biggest Loser- or Survivor-themed competitions at your facility?) Popular reality shows based on competition are perfect for time-crunched managers to make their own. Now, thanks to the writer’s strike, studios are relying even more on the reality formula to fill empty slots in their program schedule. They’re even dragging out some old favorites, like American Gladiators. The new and improved version of the program, hosted by Laila Ali and Hulk Hogan, debuts Sunday, January 6, on NBC. I’ll wait while you set your TiVo.

If you’re starting to mull ways to bastardize the American Gladiators formula for your fitness center, I’m sad to say that you’re too late. Someone has beaten you to it. The Tribune Chronicle reports that, in May, the American Gladiators Sports-Fitness Training facility will open in Niles, Ohio. I imagine it will be a place where members can act out their long-dormant fantasies of wearing helmets and spandex, and going head to head with muscle-bound opponents.

I find it hard to imagine there is anyone out there yearning to be an American Gladiator — save a few adult males with memories of Saturday mornings watching long-haired dudes with names like Blaze and Firestorm beat the living daylights out of hapless weekend warriors. To be completely honest, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to participate in these kinds of activities sober, but that probably says more about me than anything.

Still, John Ferraro Sr., who is heading the project along with his two sons, assures skeptics that, “It will be fantastic.” The fitness center will offer exercise facilities on three levels. Fitness challenge competitions will be staged between members, and with representatives of other facilities, according to the article.

The Ferraros say they plan to franchise their idea, and believe that people all across the U.S. are chomping at the bit for the kind of campy competition the TV show embraces. “People ask me, why here?” Ferraro told the Tribune Chronicle. “People here are no different than they are in Beverly Hills.” Really? I used to live in Los Angeles, and I have a hard time picturing the gaunt, moneyed shopoholics who haunt Rodeo Drive forgoing their private Pilates sessions for a round of sweaty jousting.

Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe the recent faltering of fitness franchises has hardened my journalist’s heart, and I fail to appreciate the secret desires of the American public to act out their adolescent fantasies. Maybe the next big fitness franchise idea really is found in old TV favorites. I have to wonder if my husband wouldn’t get in line for the chance to wear a leather Speedo and raise a massive sword by a replica of Grayskull Castle.

It might be fun for a day, but is play-acting the way people would choose to get their daily dose of exercise? I suppose anything is possible … but I doubt it.

Are Trends on Track?

Each year in November and December, organizations begin to publish their trends and predictions for the new year. This year is no exception, and, most recently, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) released its 20 upcoming fitness trends for fitness professionals to prepare for 2008. Where did these trends come from? ACSM surveyed health and fitness professionals around the world, and received nearly 500 responses. These fitness experts identified the leading trends that occurred in 2007 in commercial, corporate, clinical and community fitness programs, which will set the stage for what fitness professionals will deal with in 2008. The trends were then ranked, from highest to lowest, in order of importance.

Perhaps the most interesting finding was that ACSM says there is a “new” trend to blend both diet and exercise. Is this really a 2007 trend? This issue has been talked about for years: You can’t be successful in losing weight and maintaining that weight loss unless you combine exercise with good nutrition.

Perhaps the reason fitness professionals believe this is going to be “the big issue” they will deal with in their facilities in 2008 is related to a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report is based on “a comprehensive survey by the federal government that includes physical examinations” among 4,400 adults ages 20 and older in 2005 and 2006. It shows that “obesity rates in U.S. women seem to be staying level, and the rate in men may be hitting a plateau now.”

Why the change? The researchers say that increased exercise is one possibility. The survey found that “about half of men and women reported getting regular physical activity in 2005, an increase from the rates reported in 2001.” Researchers also believe that adults are reducing consumption of high-calorie and fatty foods. If these results are real, that’s great for our profession and the nation.

The ACSM survey identified as the No. 1 trend the issue of obesity in children and the trend toward program development to combat this. However, the CDC’s childhood obesity rates for 2005-2006 have not yet been released, although the results for 2003-2004 showed they were rising.

Here is a list of the top 10 trends predicted by ACSM:
1. Children and obesity
2. Special fitness programs for older adults
3. Educated and experienced fitness professionals
4. Functional fitness
5. Core training
6. Strength training
7. Personal training
8. Mind/body exercise
9. Exercise and weight loss
10. Outcome measurements

I’m curious to know where these trends fall into what readers of this blog have in store for 2008. Are they on target? And are you seeing more of a trend toward diet programs combined with exercise programs in your facilities?

The Bandwagon Effect

It sounded like a good idea.

Curves for Women franchises were springing up like dandelions all over the country. It was no surprise that the “what’s good for the gander is good for the goose” mentality was close behind. Enter Cuts Fitness for Men.

The franchise was an unabashed disciple — some would say copycat — of the Curves’ formula for success. Still, despite a strong push for a ride on the single-sex bandwagon, the concept so popular with women failed when applied to men. “Cuts Fitness for Men advertised their franchise opportunity aggressively, promoted its story continuously through the press and strategic alliance partners, then seemed to go silent all at once,” say the folks at FranchisePick.com. The Cuts Fitness for Men website now simply hawks a Cuts book, as if the whole thing never happened.

So, was the Cuts story a fireworks-like flameout after a spectacular start? Or did the franchise ever get off the ground in the first place?

FranchisePick.com reports that “an April 2006 Cuts Fitness press release boasted that the men-only 30-minute fitness company … had more than 100 franchises open in five countries, more than 200 franchises sold, and expected to sell 250 more franchises in 2006.” The media bought the hype, and proclaimed Cuts Fitness for Men as a hot franchise investment. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Cuts Fitness No. 17 in its Top 20 New Franchises list, No. 65 in its Fastest Growing Franchises list and No. 300 in its 2006 Franchise 500. “The hype continued through mid-2006, when the company press releases slowed and stopped mentioning the number of units,” says FranchsePick.com. “In September 2006, in an otherwise positive article, the New York Times reported that “67 Cuts for Men clubs have either closed or never opened.”

There’s a lesson in here somewhere. Actually, there are a few of them. The most obvious is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to attracting niche markets. Bandwagons are like any other vehicle: The more weight they take on, the slower they move. But consider the marketing angle. Was Cuts Fitness for Men a victim of its own hype? Its PR was making promises franchisees couldn’t deliver, and a relentless forward surge didn’t allow room for a slow-down or slide-back in its business plan. The end result seems, in hindsight, inevitable.

How strong is the temptation to cash in on someone else’s popular idea? Has your fitness center ever fallen victim to the bandwagon effect? Take it from Cuts Fitness for Men: Sometimes the safest place for a business is on solid ground, waving at the bandwagon as it goes by. Don’t worry too much about missing it; another will be along shortly.