February 1, 2008

First Word

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Speak Up At CI 08 At most Club Industry conferences, at least one person asks me how to become a speaker at the conference. Typically, I put them in touch...

Exercise Your Members' Minds

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Pamela Kufahl, editor Pam.Kufahl@penton.com

One of my biggest fears in life is probably a pretty common one. After watching one of my grandmothers suffer from a form of dementia and watching now...

Fitness Business News

TSI Leadership Has a New Look

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Pamela Kufahl

New York Leadership at Town Sports International (TSI), New York, looks a little different today than this past summer when Bob Giardina headed the company...

Mastrov's Resignation as 24 Hour Chairman Comes Swiftly, Quietly

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Stuart Goldman

San Ramon, Ca Mark Mastrov's abrupt resignation as chairman of the board of 24 Hour Fitness, San Ramon, CA, left some in the industry puzzled. Mastrov,...

Florida First Coast Y Receives $16 Million

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Jacksonville, Fl Starting Feb. 1, current Florida First Coast YMCA members in Jacksonville, FL, will have another Y where they can work out. In January,...

North Carolina Y Begins Wellness Pilot Program

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Shelby, Nc The Cleveland County Family YMCA in North Carolina has started a wellness pilot program for designated North Carolina state employees, according...

Fitness Club Complaints To BBB on the Rise in 2007

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Stuart Goldman

Arlington, Va The number of complaints received by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) about fitness clubs has increased more than 90 percent in the last...

Backing Boosts Titan's Plans To Open 60 Clubs

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Pamela Kufahl

Mclean, Va Jeff Skeen has his sights set on 60. Sixty Gold's Gym locations, that is. Skeen, president and CEO of Titan Fitness, recently announced that...

New Personal Training Franchise Launches

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Pamela Kufahl

Anaheim Hills, Ca For 12 years Mike Salerno ran his own clubs, Precision Fitness in California, but recently, he decided to take that personal training...

Plus One Takes Over Google's Corporate Sites

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Pamela Kufahl

New York Management and staffers at Plus One Health Management Inc. haven't wasted any time getting down to business with one of its newest clients, Google....

Montana State Completes Renovation

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Stuart Goldman

Bozeman, Mt Montana State University recently unveiled its renovated student recreation center. The renovation of the 14,000-square-foot Marga Hosaeus...

Gold's Franchisees Face Off

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Pamela Kufahl

Wenatchee, Wa What started out 10 years ago as one franchisee's competition among his members has turned into the Gold's Gym Challenge, a competition...

Cameras Help Nab Locker Thieves at Y

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Glens Falls, Ny Two men suspected of carrying out 16 robberies at the Family YMCA of the Glens Falls Area (NY) were recently arrested thanks in part to...

Snap Makes Online Moves

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Pamela Kufahl

Chanhassen, Mn Snap Fitness, a franchisor of small 24-hour fitness clubs, is taking its members online with their own Web pages and some new offerings...

Health Club, Community College Reach Agreement

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Stuart Goldman

Saranac Lake, Ny North Country (NY) Community College (NCCC) and the Lake Placid (NY) Health and Fitness club have reached a mutual agreement in which...

Idaho State Plans Rec Addition

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Stuart Goldman

Pocatello, Id Idaho State University will take construction bids next month for a proposed $6.3 million addition to the school's student recreation center....

Group Helps Sailors Prepare for Marathon

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Oak Harbor, Wa The Whidbey Island Marathon in Oak Harbor, WA, may still be two months away, but Navy Fitness professionals at Naval Air Station Whidbey...

Y Introduces Strategic Plan

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Chicago Because of the current health challenges facing families and individuals, Neil Nicoll, president and CEO of the YMCA of the USA, issued a New...

Council Launches Challenge

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Washington, Dc The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is launching the first-ever National President's Challenge in March. The six-week...

Most Club Chains Rank Low

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Stuart Goldman

Yonkers, Ny Readers of Consumer Reports gave higher marks to private studios, nonprofit organizations, local community centers and office fitness facilities...

Naval Base Kitsap Spins into Shape

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Silverdale, Wa Navy Region Northwest sailors and their families participated in the fourth annual Spinvivor Spin-a-Thon captain's cup event at Naval Base...

Assault Suspect Turns Himself In

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Stuart Goldman

Atlanta A man who was wanted in connection with the beating of a celebrity fitness trainer turned himself in to authorities last month. Apollo Holmes,...

In BRIEF

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Jim Mizes, CEO at Club One in San Francisco, completed a 500-mile charity bike ride in November in Israel. The ride, called Wheels of Love, benefits the...

67

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM

The percentage of pediatricians who say they do not have the time to address overweight issues with their patients and their families. Twenty-one percent...

Inside Manufacturers

Manufacturer and Y Sued Over Exercise Ball

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Jacksonville, FL A Jacksonville, FL, man filed a lawsuit last month against the YMCA of Florida's First Coast and TKO Sports Group. The man, Peter Royal,...

KI Software Renamed

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

New York Although KI Software has changed its name to Motionsoft, the company will still offer the same great service and the same great people, according...

Star Trac Bike Breaks Guinness World Record

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jennipher Shaver

Irvine, CA Star Trac's Spinner NXT recently helped set a new Guinness World Record. The six-person New York Sports Club Cadence/Cycling team used the...

Nautilus Board Nixes Plans

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Pamela Kufahl

Vancouver, WA Sherborne Investors has wasted little time making some changes in the direction of Nautilus Inc. now that it controls the board. Last month,...

Inside Manufacturers

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Life Fitness Merges With UK Operations Life Fitness is merging its United Kingdom and continental European operations to promote further international...

Executive Insights

Interview with Jim Mizes, CEO of Club One

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Interviewed by Pamela Kufahl, editor

Mizes talks about branding, Kranking, corporate fitness and expansion for this California company on the move. ...

Focus on Clubs

What Winners of the Last Recession Did Right

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Ed Tock

The record-setting economic growth of the past several years temporarily obscured the reality that recession is a fact of business life. The current business...

Focus on Technology

Technology Is an Aid To Integrated Wellness

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Gregory Florez

The fitness industry is continuing its shift towards a more holistic approach that includes focusing on not just a sound body but also a sharp, relaxed...

Feature

Cry Foul

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Stuart Goldman, managing editor

A newspaper columnist in Vancouver, WA, once referred to that city's $25 million Firstenburg Community Center as a Taj-Ma-health club. It's no wonder....

One for All

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jennipher Shaver, senior associate editor

With the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Laguna Mountains to the east, the Anza-Borrega Desert to the north and Mexico to the south, San Diego is a beautiful...

Trend Watch

Brain Builders

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jennipher Shaver, senior associate editor

Fitness professionals have been telling clients to use it or lose it for years. Although that well-worn clich is usually in reference to muscle tone,...

Family Affair

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Amy Florence Fischbach, contributing writer

A growing number of children's fitness facilities have opened to address the childhood obesity issue. However, many owners of these facilities are learning...

From the Lip

Customer Loyalty Requires More Than Rewards

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Michael Scott Scudder

The November 2007 article in this magazine about member loyalty programs dealt basically with the goodies to be derived from offering gifts, points and...

Pro Shop

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Weight Sets TruForm Fitness' IsoBar Olympic-style weight set has a side-to-side balance and symmetrical loading and unloading so that the bars stay at...

One Last Thought

Show Me a Good Fitness Experience

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Stuart Goldman

One last thought about first years. This month marks my first anniversary at Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro, and I've learned a lot about the business...