I recently posted a blog about statistics in the fitness business. I really only just scratched the surface with that one. In this blog post I want to address a few things that I had to leave out, and tie up loose ends. It's always good to know where the next generation of competition could come from. I tend to think the source of competition to watch is self-employed trainers building followings through social media and then establishing studios once they have enough of a revenue flow. Also there were some statistics that relate the demographics of the industry to [...]
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This is part 2 of a multiple part series. Fitness Metrics Revisited It's about time for an update of fitness industry trends once again. Although many of the numbers that I relied on last year are still to be released, there are enough statistics around that I thought i could get an early start. There is a lot of information out there and I don't want to dump it all at once. It's much better to put out chunks of numbers in a controlled way. There is some Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data about employment in the industry to [...]
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You can never have too much information about where the market trends are heading. One really insightful source that I'd like to discuss is the eighth annual American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2014. To get the most out of it I recommend that you read the entire survey report yourself. Every year for the last eight years, the ACSM has commissioned a worldwide poll of fitness industry professionals. There are some really interesting issues that turn up in this survey. One of the best things about it is that it attempts to distinguish [...]
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How do you read the future? All you can do is look at the trends and make an educated guess based on the way things are going now. You have to make some judgment calls as well, because trends can reverse unexpectedly or they can be hidden in mountains of information. Also, trends can fail to pan out and just turn out to be short-term fads. It's really hard to make predictions with any kind of certainty. But you have to try to anticipate what's ahead as a business owner, if only to plan your investments. The more of the [...]
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New Year's Day is right around the corner, and that means gyms can expect the annual rush of resolution-fueled gym members. Although the short-lived swarm of new clients each January is great, gyms should be doing more to market themselves throughout the year - and doing it in more innovative ways. People hesitate to join gyms for many reasons: cost, location, fear of commitment (both time and money). Although there is usually a gym membership for most anyone's income range - some gyms offer monthly memberships for as low as $10, while memberships to "luxury" gyms can rival the cost [...]
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I believe that one of the keys to a happy life, a life well lived is developing an attitude of gratitude for the things that make life worthwhile and rewarding. I think it was Tony Robbins, whom I first heard say that, it's stuck with me ever since. In celebration of the arrival of the holiday season I would like to share my list of things for which I am truly grateful, and that I am giving thanks for this year. My List of Gratitude 1. First, I am very thankful for a career that helps people and promotes health. [...]
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Targeted studios are the young guns of the fitness industry. As a small fitness center owner or manager, you have to respond to their potential threat, or they may figuratively eat your lunch. This type of fitness business represents a significant threat to the conventional gym model. But there are actions you can take as a small fitness center owner or manager. Read on and I'll explain how. If you have a small conventional gym with a small selection of group classes or no classes at all, you must start considering how to fulfill members' needs. Be prepared to respond [...]
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All personal trainers are fully cognizant of the benefits of taking the workout of their clients outdoors. The advantages go much beyond just the fitness objectives. When exercising outdoors, people are benefited by both physiological as well as psychological gains. This fact can be extolled by all fitness instructors in the world. The makeup of outdoor training programs has evolved to such a state that obstacle schedules have become regular affairs now. Clients look forward to fun obstacle races that help them combine their strength and endurance levels. Many have testified that the experience is a rich and an amazing [...]
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As an owner or operator of a fitness center you're probably going to find in the near future that your clientele will include more members of special populations. By this I mean groups such as seniors and people with fitness and diet related health issues. These are growing segments of the population and there is a market to be found by catering to their needs. Start With Special Population Certified Trainers The reason special populations are distinct categories; separate from your average gym member is that they start from such a delicate level of health. They need to work with [...]
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The emerging trends in healthcare and the fitness industry are starting to become clear, and they are trends that are currently on a path toward merger. What does this mean for fitness club owners? You can increase your potential market size by refocusing, to include programs that are designed to address the health of clients. To do this you need the knowledge base to support the participation of the people who would benefit most from increased fitness. These special populations include the elderly, diabetics, the obese and survivors of heart disease. But how Does That Tie Into Fitness? One thing [...]
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If you are a gym and fitness center owner you will most likely find that you have to compete in a crowded market, where everyone is trying to court the same clientele. Having a fitness club where the customers are drawn in by the mere fact that you unlocked your front door is a luxury that most owners will never have. To compete effectively in the modern fitness market you've got to be able to offer something extra to your clients. Well, all of that pretty much states the obvious. But did you know that being able to train and [...]
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Health insurance companies today are of the opinion that prevention of ailments results in considerable cost reduction in healthcare. This is the precise reason why they are promoting fitness through discounts and reimbursement to their members when they join gyms or fitness clubs. If you think this is just a passing fitness industry trend, think again. Insurance companies have already acknowledged that personal training is a form of preventive healthcare. It is believed that for ever dollar that insurance companies spend on prevention, they end up saving $10 for treatment. This is one of the reasons why insurance companies today [...]
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This is part 1 of a multiple part series. We have recently seen an immense increase in profitability of the fitness industry. This also means that there is an attractive prospect in terms of jobs and businesses in the industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that the number of jobs within this industry is expected to increase by more than 23% over the next 10 years. The bureau also said that the number of jobs available under "fitness and recreational sports centers" even went up to 484,200 in 2010. Economists justify this prediction by looking at how businesses [...]
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