Survey of What Is On The Horizon for Special Populations in Fitness Specialty Fitness Fills Niches and Gyms Humans come in a delightful diversity of shapes, sizes, and physical needs. I think it is super-rewarding to see people achieve spectacular levels of fitness achievement. It is even more rewarding when you can help special populations take small steps to better health and enhanced mobility. Special Population Niche Opportunities The fitness profession offers opportunities to assist people at all stages of their fitness journeys, as well as their extended sojourns through life. Special populations present you with many unique niche opportunities [...]
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Fitness clubs should always have new projects in development and owners should be continuously searching for the next big thing in gym business niches. Special populations represent many different niche specializations that have been boiling up for some time. Reaching out to special populations will benefit everybody involved. Your club can grow in a new direction, a part of the community that might otherwise be underserved gets a new resource, and your trainers can justify adding a new certification that will be a positive step in their careers. Special Populations Within The Community The need to support special populations is [...]
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Technology Moves The Needle in 2019 Can you believe it's almost 2019 as I write this? In the traditions of the Gym Insight Blog, that means that it's time to look at the American College of Sports Medicine's Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2019 to mark the holiday cheer. The Top Five Trends Worth Celebrating Wearable technology Group training High-intensity interval training Fitness programming for older adults Body weight training The year promises to be an exciting one as all the pieces slot into place, and clear directions come to light. The survey and other sources agree that fitness [...]
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Modified Programs That Satisfy Niche Demand A special population is any category of fitness club members who need a doctor's note before they start working out. That's not an official definition but, as a small gym business owner, it might well be the difference between business model and liability. Unless you are the only gym in a one-club town, you know what it's like to face competition. Your fitness club was a substantial investment in capital or hard work. You owe it to yourself to find a niche that is underserved and hungry for high-quality service. Special populations fit the [...]
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Everyone desires to be fit and healthy. But unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise can make staying fit a few pounds away. Children, too, need to be made aware of the importance of staying fit. Excessive consumption of processed food, sodas loaded with sugar, fast food, fried food, and so on is not only making them unhealthy. The Z Generation faces even greater likelihood of stagnation. Children are more likely to experience less physical activity from a much younger age because of the accessibility of technology. There is no doubt that the Z Generation is at a higher risk [...]
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I have posted quite a few articles about the Special Population group here on this gym business blog, because I believe it is not only a great market segment from the perspective of a gym owner, but also a noteworthy population to contribute to. Due to a close loved one that I have in my life who falls within the special population group by having a chronic illness, I continue to develop a desire to not only learn about those struggling with physical disabilities but also try to find a way to make more of a holistic difference in their [...]
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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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There are really two kinds of people in America. Of course I'm speaking in terms of cliches here. But if you are going to reduce it to the lowest common denominator it can seem as though there are two types, one that is fit and healthy and one that is in bad shape. Americans are very lean and healthy, athletic and fitness conscious or they're not. The former is stereotyped as the "gym-rat" and the latter group as the couch potato. Now, these are very broad generalizations, but the line between healthy and unhealthy has been marked out in the [...]
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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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