Norm's Notes for November 2025
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Norm Cates
■Hello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Founder and Tribal Leader Since 1993 checking in with our 383rd monthly edition of this 30+ year running club business publication I refer to as: A Labor of Love! I'm very thankful that you've tuned in again for this iteration of Norm's Notes, as I proceed on my keyboard with my longtime habit of "Telling-It-Like-It-Is!" I'm really happy that you're reading this edition, and I want to THANK YOU ALL for sticking with us every month! As usual, we have a bunch of health and fitness club business news, so please read on!
■Is AMERICA a GREAT COUNTRY, or WHAT!? Hmm... hmm... hmm! And, as usual, let me start these Norm's Notes with my normal monthly salutation to you all: GOD BLESS AMERICA and GOD BLESS YOU, YOUR FAMILY and YOUR BUSINESS!!!
■From our family to yours, we want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
■This Note is from our friend, EDDIE TOCK, of REX Roundtables. Eddie announced that the 2026 REX Leadership Academy events are scheduled for July 21 - 23, 2026 in New York. Management Training for Leaders, a/k/a The REX Leadership Academy happens over the course of two-and-a-half days, and you'll dive deep into critical leadership topics to help you lead your business or department with greater effectiveness and efficiency. Graduate from the only immersive industry event in the United States to engage with industry experts, network with peers and gain actionable strategies that will help you thrive as a leader. Eddie also announced the RICK CARO Scholarship that will be available for one attendee. Stay tuned for more details. Eddie Tock can be reached by phone at (914) 643 - 3207 or email at eddie@rexroundtables.com.
■Be sure to mark your calendar now for The 2026 Health & Fitness Association Show, coming to San Diego, California, March 16 - 18, 2026! We hope to see you there!
■Last month, at long last, I reported that my friend, DEAN WALLACE, had been recognized by Guiness Book of World Records for the longest college baseball game ever pitched at 17 innings. This month, he has released a book entitled: From Baseball to Business: A Legacy of Leadership. Here's how he describes it: "It is a 330-page book I wrote about how I grew up, earned my way through college, played in the Giants organization then moved from Giants organization/pitching into the brand-new athletic club Industry. The book is full of industry names, my time on the Board and how we all evolved." Folks, if you need some good reading over the holidays, be sure to check it out at: bit.ly/clubinsider166.
■VASA Fitness, one of the nation's leading high-value, low-price fitness club operators, announces a transformative $30 million reinvestment in its 64 clubs across eight states. This capital infusion will bring expanded boutique-style STUDIO programs, upgraded equipment and enhanced amenities to the majority of VASA locations, all to be completed by the end of Q1 2026.
■Chelsea Piers Fitness, one of New York City's leading premium fitness brands, announces it has signed a long-term lease with TF Cornerstone (TFC) to open a new 47,000-square-foot location, located on the ground and lower floors of the 32-story Midtown East building recently purchased by TFC as its newest office-to-residential conversion project. This will advance the brand's strategic expansion across the New York Metro area.
■Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, the full-service fitness franchise, is making its Montana debut. Local gym owners, Eddie Davila and Chase Isle, Founders of Urban Fitness, are converting their facility in Bozeman, Montana to a Fitness Premier, marking the brand's first location in the state.
■From the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announces that, beginning January 1, 2026, coverage will be provided for physical activity assessments in the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule. Clinicians can now bill for a five- to 15-minute standardized assessment of physical activity and nutrition, reimbursed at $20.00 - $25.00 every six months. This service can be included in evaluation and management, behavioral health and annual wellness visits. The decision by CMS is the result of years of strategic advocacy efforts led by ACSM and the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) and marks a critical turning point in how movement is valued in clinical care.
■The American Council on Exercise (ACE) announces that Betty Su, a seasoned brand and marketing executive, and Amber Trivedi, an innovative entrepreneur and expert in AI-driven career development, have joined its Board of Directors effective October 1, 2025. Their combined expertise will help guide the organization's mission and strategic direction during a period of growth and transformation.
■Do you or anyone you know have knee arthritis? If yes, here's how exercise can help. It may sound counterintuitive, but movement can ease the pain. The following report is by JEN MURPHY of The NEW YORK TIMES. Nearly 20% of Americans age 45 and older have knee osteoarthritis. Worldwide, the number is predicted to increase nearly 75% by 2050 because of aging, population growth and obesity. Knee osteoarthritis is a long-term, degenerative condition that can't be reversed. It develops in four stages as cartilage in the joint wears down, eventually leaving the bones to rub against each other and causing symptoms like stiffness, swelling and persistent ache around the joint. "Cartilage doesn't have pain receptors, but bone does," said DR. YALE FILLINGHAM, Vice Chair of Research at Rothman Orthopedic Institute in Philadelphia. Many people with the condition live with lurking dread that any misstep could aggravate it. But, as with other forms of chronic pain, experts agree that the best way to manage pain and improve quality of life is moving MORE, NOT LESS! "Exercise helps to lubricate the knee by sloshing around synovial fluid in the capsule that coats the joint and reduces stiffness," said STEFANY MOONAZ, Director of Clinical and Health Services Research at Southern California University of Health Sciences. "It's like oil, creating more mobility in the joints." she said.
■JUSTIN and I want to THANK YOU for reading Club Insider! We appreciate you being with us. And, in particular, WE VERY SINCERELY APPRECIATE ANY and ALL SUPPORT OF OUR ESTEEMED Club Insider ADVERTISERS! PLEASE DO BUSINESS WITH THEM and WHEN YOU DO, PLEASE TELL 'EM Club Insider SENT YOU! THANK YOU ALL!
■God bless our troops, airmen and sailors worldwide and keep them safe. Thank you, Congratulations and Welcome Home to all of our troops who have served around the world. God bless America's Policemen and women and Firemen and women; keep them safe. Finally, God bless you, your family, your club(s) and your members. God Bless America! Laus Deo!
