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Feature Article - June 2008
Find a printable version here

HEALTH CLUBS

Join the Club


The top amenities currently included in most of our health club respondents' facilities were what you would expect in a health or fitness club: fitness centers, locker rooms, exercise studios, meeting rooms and concession areas.

Though fewer health club respondents were planning to add more amenities to their facilities over the next several years, their top choices when they did have such plans revealed a desire to diversify their offerings. The top five amenities health and fitness club respondents said they were planning to add over the next three years were:

  1. Climbing walls
  2. Exercise studio rooms
  3. Classrooms and meeting rooms
  4. Challenge courses
  5. Concession stands

It's Personal
Growth Expected in Personal Training & Certification, Fitness for Kids

According to the second annual Fitness Trends survey from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the top fitness trend in 2008 will be the availability of more educated and experienced fitness professionals.

Personal training also moved up—by four spots from No. 7 last year to No. 3 on this year's ACSM survey. According to the organization this signals "that the profession of personal training is becoming more realistic and accessible to the public."

Similarly, our survey revealed that personal training was a top program currently offered and planned for addition at health and fitness clubs, along with counseling on diet and nutrition.

The ACSM reports that at least two states, Massachusetts and Georgia, have introduced legislation to license personal trainers—an issue to keep on your radar screen if you operate a fitness or health club facility.

In an article covering the top 20 trends, ACSM reported that "respondents to this survey believe that personal trainers are here to stay and will continue to be an important part of the professional staff of health and fitness centers."

Other top trends for 2008 reported by ACSM included: exercise programs for children to fight childhood and adolescent obesity; strength training; core training; special fitness programs for older adults; Pilates; functional fitness; Swiss ball; yoga and more. Visit http://www.informz.net/acsm/data/images/worldwidetrends.pdf to read an article covering all of the top 20 trends.