Facilities: Page 624

Spa Industry Trends: What Can You Learn?

Some overall trends from a study of the spa industry. Day spas are most popularCaution. The vast majority of day spas offer hair and nail services. A large part of day spas' success is attributable to their ability to manage these services, in addition to massage and skin care.Fact. Only 3 percent of all spas are brand-affiliated. There are few "big names" in the spa world, which must deal with expensive marketing campaigns and huge investments in the physical plant. Plenty of opportunity exists for fitness centers that want to add two to five treatment rooms to their other amenities.New customers are everywhereCaution. The study doesn't say whether these people are new to the "world of spa," or are simply switching from another spa. If it's the latter, these new faces may be habitual "switchers," and may be hard to keep as long-term patrons.Fact. Almost one-fifth (19 percent) of spas plan to renovate or expand in the next five years. Clearly, many of those already in the business see enough opportunity that they are willing to build to meet it.Overall trends1. There seems to be fairly high ownership turnover in the spa industry. This signals the need for experienced and competent management to ensure the survival of the business. Fitness centers wishing to add spa services should seek the assistance of seasoned managers or consultants when developing a spa plan.3. Spas have gained a new aura of respectability. Emphasis has shifted from self-indulgent pampering to self-preservation. This fits nicely with the wellness theme that many fitness centers seek.

Sponsored

Design Glute Zones to Drive Membership and Results

Peloton/Precor

In today's competitive fitness market, true differentiation comes from delivering both premium products and an intentional, thoughtfully designed training environment.

Design Glute Zones to Drive Membership and Results

Maximizing Your Network

Six types of networking relationships.Do you ever look for more personal training clients or to sell more corporate memberships? Do you think you'll ever make a job change? Much more effective than a web search, using the phone book or responding to ads is mobilizing your network. How strong is your network?In the book Make Your Contacts Count, the authors present six types of networking relationships. Once you understand them, you will be able to assess your current network, know how to strengthen your network and how to take necessary steps to move your relationships forward. As you read through the categories, think of people you know who might fit in each one.Accidents. Everywhere you go, you run into people who could be part of your network. It's the person who is seated next to you on the plane, or standing next to you in the conference registration line. These one-time meetings are not likely repeated. Networking relationships can grow from "accidents," if you can find a reason to stay in touch.Associates. An associate is someone with whom you regularly come into contact for a period of time. An associate could be someone who's in the same class you're taking. You can rely on this common bond from which to develop a trusting relationship. You have a chance to learn each other's names and reconnect often enough to learn more about each other. It is, however, still necessary to work at this relationship; otherwise, you may just chat briefly and part without providing any assistance to each other.Advocates. A person who promotes you and who you promote is an advocate. Advocates come through for you, and know you'll do the same for them. You believe in their character and appreciate and understand their competence. There is a high level of trust built into this relationship. You look for ways to assist each other and feed each other opportunities. An advocate may be a vendor who you promote to others in the industry and sends new business your way. An advocate is someone you can highly recommend.Fitting contacts into your networkREFERENCE

Understanding Social Physique Anxiety

Many factors can contribute to the self-consciousness some people experience in the exercise environment. One is anxiety about appearance. Personal trainers and other fitness professionals must become more sensitive to the way new clients experience the workout environment. Many clients feel self-conscious in the fitness center. This self-consciousness detracts from the positive exercise experience that produces a strong commitment to regular physical activity. In fact, the negative emotions associated with self-consciousness create a strong disincentive to continue working out. Many factors can contribute to the self-consciousness some people experience in the exercise environment. One is anxiety about appearance.Anxiety means worry, apprehension or feeling uneasy. Social physique anxiety is a special form of anxiety that refers to the discomfort experienced when people feel that their body is being evaluated by other people in some sort of social situation. People experience social physique anxiety when working out at a fitness center, wearing a swimsuit on the beach or even just standing up in front of a group giving a presentation.Younger people, including adolescents and even children, tend to be more anxious about their appearance than more mature adults. But social physique anxiety can interfere with exercise intentions in older adults as well, especially if they feel they do not "fit in" at the fitness center.What can you do?Discuss with individual clients what types of activities they feel most comfortable performing. They may be more comfortable exercising anonymously on a machine than in a class setting. Do distractions, such as listening to music or watching television, help? Encourage them to invite a friend to be their exercise buddy. Modify exercise programs in any way you can to make physical activity a positive experience that reinforces exercise adherence.REFERENCESGapinski, K.D., K.D. Brownell and M. LaFrance. Body objectification and "fat talk": Effects on emotion, motivation, and cognitive performance. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research 377-389, May 2003.Smith, A.L. Measurement of social physique anxiety in early adolescence. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 36 (3): 475-483, 2004.

H.E.R.O. Off-Site Training; 10K-A-Day; Choose-to-Lose Community Weight-Loss

Innovative programming ideas aimed at motivating members to exercise with all featured programs submitted by readers.Recognizing that 50 percent of firefighter deaths are due to heart attacks, staff at the William G. Rohrer Center for HealthFitness, Voorhees, N.J., decided to help combat that statistic by establishing its H.E.R.O. (Healthy Emergency Response Organizations) Off-Site Training program. H.E.R.O. was "designed to address the special physical fitness, nutrition and lifestyle needs for firefighters, police and EMS by implementing a program conveniently located at the client's own facility," says Executive Director Miklos Horvath.The program has four components. First is the facility assessment of the physical location, which checks for facility size, equipment and number of potential users. From this, a report outlines recommendations for equipment, vendor contacts and costs to get the program initiated. Second, each participant receives a comprehensive fitness assessment, and is then provided with a summary report, an orientation to the new facility and a customized workout plan. Third, a degreed and certified fitness specialist establishes hours at the facility for ongoing fitness support, program modification and motivation. And last, onsite nutrition and lifestyle enhancement seminars are provided by a registered dietician."Business of Caring" is CIGNA's (Philadelphia, Pa.) motto, which means it makes employees' health a top concern. So, in May 2004, it set out to support the attainment of Healthy People 2010 objectives for physical activity, as well as focus on a company-wide initiative to target childhood obesity with its 10K-A-Day Online Fitness Incentive Program.According to Kris Corbett, "10K-A-Day is an inspiring walking program designed to boost physical activity every day, no matter how busy a person is or their level of physical activity." Participants use a pedometer to count their daily steps, and then log results and track progress on aweb-based system administered through the company's vendor, Health Enhancement Systems. Once logged, participants are provided with daily motivational email tips and ideas for healthy meals. A children's version is also available, and features a child-friendly website with games, family activities and more. After completing the 28-day program, participants can continue on with a five-month program called the "Million Step Club."Many people would "choose to lose" if they just knew how, so the Cameron Wellness Center, Evanston, Ill., decided to help by offering a free, 10-week weight-loss program for residents that promoted lifestyle changes and encouraged them to lose approximately 5 to 10 percent of their overall weight.To get people to participate, "Choose-to-Lose featured a poster program among the hospital's more than 200 physician offices, giving them an opportunity to refer patients to a free weight-loss program," Schuette explains. Collateral and marketing featured the Tobey the Turtle mascot, who made the weight-loss program more appealing and fun. "Tobey transitioned from a lumbering turtle with suitcases on his shell to a lean and fit turtle in running shoes," says Schuette.

Equipment Servicing and Maintenance

Outside service companies can often provide the depth of experience that no single employee could offer. If you have several facilities, hiring your own employee might work. If not, then an outside service company could be your answer. Outside service companies can often provide the depth of experience that no single employee could offer.Qualifications of a good service company include knowledge and response time. You need a company that can not only handle preventive maintenance, but that canalso fix equipment quickly when it breaks down.* Is the company familiar with the products in your facility? If not, its representatives face a learning curve that may mean downtime for your product.* Does the company have the depth to fix every product in your fitness center? There should be at least one technician certified to work on each brand of product in the facility.Next, find out how the company does business. Is it professional? How quickly can a technician arrive for an unscheduled repair? Does someone answer the phone when called? These questions can shed light on the company's mode of operation. In an emergency, you will need someone who knows what to do.Another factor in your choice of service providers is value. Compare plans of various companies in your area. Different companies offer different levels of service and different rates. A start-up service company might work for $25 an hour, while an established company with clientele might charge $100 or more for the same work.The next item of business is the service plan: How often should a technician perform various jobs? Every manufacturer lists on its website a recommended maintenance schedule for each product line.Some aspects of the maintenance schedule are situational. Dirt accumulation depends greatly on usage and the environment. The more the product is used in a dirty environment, the dirtier it gets -- and the more often it requires cleaning. Keep this in mind when setting up a schedule for your facility. Remember that maintaining the equipment too often may, in the long run, cost less than maintaining it too seldom. Err on the side of more maintenance rather than less.The service company's preventive maintenance contract should be specific and clear. Many contracts include an estimate of the time to be spent on a particular type of equipment and then the cost for the work.The main chore of any preventive maintenance program is cleaning. For fitness equipment, cleanliness relates to longevity. Dirt takes its toll through daily wear and tear, so keep equipment clean.

Clubs Go Express

Express workouts appeal to time-constrained exercisers.

Profiting from Oxygen

Advances in technology can lead to new revenue opportunities for fitness centers.I've spent 20 years advising fitness centers, and especially fitness departments, about how to become more productive and more profitable with new programs and services, especially those geared toward members who want specific answers to their concerns or challenges. And, here's what I've learned: Technology has to accomplish three "big picture" goals for fitness club owners. Technology must make a manager's or fitness director's job easier, help members get more from their workouts, and generate financial opportunities for fitness centers and the fitness professional. If new technology implementation fails on any one of those fronts, you have a problem.Technology levels the playing fieldWhat's really new?Gas exchange technology has been around for 40 years. However, the machines of the past (called metabolic carts) were the size of large file cabinets and cost up to $50,000. Today, these same devices can fit in the palm of your hand, cost a fraction of what the older units did and work much better.What isoxygen intake analysis? When people exercise, they need to breathe oxygen to feed the muscle requirements of increasing intensities. The harder they work, the more oxygen they need. In addition, the more they work, the more lactic acid their muscles produce. Lactic acid is, in part, released from the body in expired air in the form of carbon dioxide. Therefore, if it is possible to analyze the level of carbon dioxide being expired, it is possible to measure what's going on physiologically in the body.How to use itThese are just a few of the possible uses of gas exchange technology. Simply stated, gas exchange technology provides information about the energy requirements of the body during rest and exercise. It can be used to determine the level of training needed for healthy subjects, and to design programs for those with medical limitations, such as cardiopulmonary disease.Even with this technology, you still need a trained exercise professional to guide members through five essential questions: What shape am I in? What shape should I be in? How do I get there? How do I know when I'm there? What do I do after I get there?Gas exchange products weigh less than 2 pounds, are convenient to use and can be transported comfortably in a briefcase. Most of the available gas exchange devices offer a variety of options, such as summary reports printed directly from the unit and the ability to connect to a printer for detailed,multi-colored reports.Be sure to ask lots of questions when purchasing a gas exchange device, and try it out. One manufacturer requires that the unit be returned every three months for recalibration. Other devices provide hundreds of numbers for barometric pressure, fraction of inspired oxygen and expired carbon dioxide, etc.MedGraphics VO2000 Portable Metabolic Testing System, St. Paul, Minn., 651 484-4874, www.medgraphics.com

Training Tomorrow's Personal Trainers

Purdue University introduces a four-year degree for those entering the personal-training profession.

Photo of man receiving personal training at Purdue University

Prevent Defense

A forward-thinking, comprehensive approach to equipment maintenance can help protect a club's most prized possession: its positive image.

Photo of man lifting weights

Gym & Fieldhouse

Manufacturers Continue to Improve the Basketball Goal

It all began, the time-honored story goes, with a peach basket plucked from a janitor's closet. Given two weeks to develop an indoor activity to occupy students at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Mass., during brutal New England winters, Canadian-born physical-education instructor James Naismith hung the basket on the railing of a running track, which happened to be suspended 10 feet above the gymnasium floor. With the addition of a soccer ball, a second basket and a baker's dozen playing rules, basketball was born in December 1891.

Extended Families

College recreation departments create programming and membership opportunities for their neighbors

Photo of runners at the Big Chill in New Brunswick, N.J.

Gym & Fieldhouse

Court Decision

Mega-gym proprietors bet millions on basketball and volleyball

Photo of a basketball game

Page 624 of 652

Buyer's Guide

Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.

AB Show 2025 in San Diego

AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.

Nov. 5-8, 2025