This Month in Club Insider: January 2020
How Donna Krech's Near Death Diagnosis Became The Wealth of Wellness System
By: Donna Krech & Norm Cates
This month's amazing Cover Story is being presented to you for one purpose, and that purpose is to save lives. Pure and simple, to save lives. It's my belief that, should the reading of this article result in even one of our readers pursuing the ideas contained herein, and saving just one life, then this Cover Story will have accomplished our goal. This Cover Story is composed of two parts. Part I was written by Donna Krech, our long-time friend and Club Insider Advertiser and Contributing Author. Be sure to see Donna's Wealth of Wellness Ad on Page #11 of this edition. Part II was written and is presented to you by yours truly via transcription of a telephone interview I had with Donna about her amazing near-death experience. You will see some overlap and between both parts, but I urge you to read on. Read More...
Exercise IS Medicine!
By: Mike Alpert
Mike AlpertWelcome to 2020: A New Year and a new decade! I hope that everyone reading my article this month had a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a joyous New Year. For my first article of this New Year, I want to share a story with you about an incident that I had near the end of 2019, an incident that had a profound effect on me. Read More...
Breaking Up The Boys' Club...
Why Women Aren't a Trend; They're a Necessity
By: Melissa Knowles
Melissa KnowlesFrom its modern origins at Muscle Beach, and the founding of the first Gold's Gym in 1965, the fitness industry has come a long way in many respects. The term "fitness" has broadened to describe a lifestyle, and fitness business models have diversified considerably. No longer are our consumers limited to choosing between a dank, dark weightlifting floor or a fuchsia and teal, spandex-laden group fitness room. Whatever your fitness niche of choice, there's a home for you. Cycle, Pilates, HIIT, boot camp, yoga, you name it, it's out there. You can even pay a Flexologist to take you through an active stretching protocol! The rise of the boutique has provided a plethora of diversity in terms of the offering. What you still may have a hard time finding is many females in leadership roles. Read More...
Are You Harnessing the Collective Genius in Your Organization?
By: Karen Woodard-Chavez
Karen Woodard-ChavezOver the past 20 years, in our uber-competitive markets, it has become increasingly important for any organization to be innovative if they want to stay on top of the market as opposed to being on the bottom of the pile. This is no flash of brilliance. This is a simple truth regardless of the type of business you operate. When I work with organizations that are very innovative, I see a simple commonality. They have harnessed the power of collective genius in their organizations. Read More...
Don't Even Think of Calling Them "Boutique Gyms!"
By: Thomas Plummer
Thomas PlummerThey are not boutique studios or fitness studios, and if you call these new businesses by those inaccurate names, it means you don't know anything about what they are and who owns them, which is why they will take over the market. The modern training gym is a recent phenomenon dating back to the late 1990s, but the rise of this alternative and challenger to the mainstream big box hold on the fitness industry has gone quietly unnoticed. Each year, hundreds of these financially successful business concepts open while the traditional fitness market struggles to open a limited number of new entries. Read More...
Primary Health Club Legal Risks and Considerations
By: Paul R. Bedard, Esquire
Paul R. Bedard, EsquireThe start of the New Year provides a great reminder to regularly assess your club's ability to minimize the primary legal risks that are present within the health club industry. The number and variety of legal hazards that exist within our industry are far too great to adequately address within this space. Therefore, the following information will only touch upon some of the most prevalent legal risks that health club owners and operators must proactively consider to minimize their legal exposure. Read More...
Fitness Retail Finds Recovery At The Bar
By: Nancy Trent
Nancy TrentThe fitness industry traditionally allocates all its marketing dollars on upping memberships and subscriptions. But, fitness centers can be making more profits by driving new non-dues revenue sources. Retail often falls short in fitness centers because owners and operators find it too daunting. In addition, fitness centers work best when located in high-visible retail locations with easy access to shopping. Read More...
American College of Sports Medicine Publishes Annual List of Fitness Industry Trends
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The American College of Sports Medicine circulates a survey to professionals around the globe to compile an annual list of fitness industry trends published in ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal. This year's list includes trends identified by survey respondents in previous years but also includes new additions that could shape the industry throughout the new year and beyond. Read More...
The ABS Company Signs 100-Club Deal for Booty Coaster With World Gym Taiwan
CHESTER, N.J. - The Abs Company, a leading manufacturer of Core Based Functional Training equipment, announces that they have entered into a global partnership with World Gym Taiwan. Effective today, World Gym Taiwan will be the exclusive provider of The Abs Company's new Booty Coaster glute training machine. The companies have agreed to roll the product out in 100 locations over the next twelve months. Read More...
Planet Fitness Reaches 2,000th Location Milestone
HAMPTON, N.H. - Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT), one of the largest and fastest-growing global franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, announced that it has opened its 2,000th location in Colorado Springs, Colorado on December 31st, 2019. The Company also opened its 2,001st location on December 31, 2019, bringing its 2019 total openings to a record 261. Read More...
Norm's Notes for January 2020
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesHello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Publisher and Tribal Leader Since 1993 checking in with our 313th monthly edition of Club Insider, the first edition of our 27th year of publishing! WOW! My son and great partner in Club Insider, JUSTIN CATES, and I, want to wish you, your family and your club team a very Healthy and Happy 2020! We hope 2020 will be a great year for you and your family, and that each day will be filled with happiness in your life! Read More...