| Aging baby boomers are pursuing total wellness with a vengeance. More importantly for you as a club owner or manager, they’re signing up in record numbers for classes that emphasize the inter-connectedness of the mind and body, such as Pilates-based exercise. According to “Profiles of Success,” IHRSA’s 1999 Industry Data Survey of the Health and Fitness Club Industry, 74 percent of health clubs in the U.S. offer yoga, and 24 percent offer Pilates-based classes. Read more… »
January 24th, 2012 Posted at Fitness
January 23rd, 2012 Posted at Diabetes
Cigarette smoking is implicated as a major risk factor for several serious and life-threatening diseases and conditions. It increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer and emphysema, for example. Some studies, but not all, have indicated that smoking also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, the type most common in the United States. Read more… »
January 9th, 2012 Posted at Fitness
When was the last time you saw a fitness center decked out like a garden? Well, potting soil and planters were in definite abundance at the one-year anniversary party for the Roche Fitness Center, a facility built for the several thousand employees of Hoffman La-Roche. Not only did the center’s management develop a creative garden-themed promotion that drew more than 250 employees (about 8 percent of the eligible population) to the event, the Plant Your Roots in the RFC promotional campaign continued to attract attention from potential members months after the one-day celebration. Read more… »
January 6th, 2012 Posted at Arthritis Therapies
The Arthritis Foundation also acknowledges the many levels of benefits from yoga and tai chi, recommending them because they:
Help relieve pain.
Ease stiffness, keeping joints well lubricated.
January 6th, 2012 Posted at Arthritis Therapies
Even though it’s vital to their health, many arthritis patients don’t exercise. It hurts, it’s no fun and it’s time consuming. Sometimes it can even be damaging. Without it, however, arthritic joints can stiffen, muscles can weaken and conditions can get worse.
December 29th, 2011 Posted at Fitness
To encourage participation in its nighttime entertainment, free admission to the comedy show is granted to LifeQuest members and staff, and those from the community who attend the Monday Night Football party receive a two-week membership.
“Having worked in nightclub management years ago, I realized that — like it or not — the majority of people who belong to health clubs also frequent nightclubs,” says Caparas. “We’ve found a huge success cross-marketing with these types of businesses.” Read more… »
December 27th, 2011 Posted at Asthma
Even relatively low concentrations of household chlorine bleach can destroy proteins that are a common cause of allergic reactions, according to a Baltimore researcher.
The findings, together with the results of a related study, suggest that bedding in households of asthmatic individuals should be washed with chlorine bleach, reported Dr. Peyton A. Eggleston of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, at a conference of doctors who specialize in treating allergies.
December 21st, 2011 Posted at Health
As the public’s knowledge about the benefits of exercise continues to grow, so does the demand for diversified programming. Not only must fitness programs appeal to a wider group of people than ever, but they must also be varied enough to hold the interest of exercisers and to promote overall fitness without injury.
The best way for health clubs to meet this need is through the development of cross-training programs. From a clinical standpoint, cross training enables individuals to place significant demands on the heart and circulatory system, since it typically involves aerobic-type activities. Cross training produces increased cardiac output, blood volume and a greater number of red blood cells, which ultimately enhances the body’s ability to transport oxygenated blood to the exercising muscles. Read more… »
December 12th, 2011 Posted at Health
Q: What causes an individual to “hit the wall?”
A: “Hitting the wall” is a term used to describe the point during an activity of relatively long duration when individuals are forced to significantly reduce the pace or intensity of their exercise to the point of stopping because they literally (and figuratively) run out of “gas.” Some individuals who are running a marathon will, for example, be slowed to a walk during the latter stages of a race. Read more… »
Event organizers also set up member testimonials near the food station to encourage visitors to linger and read. The presentation highlighted the Hoffman La-Roche CEO, a regular visitor to the center, and showed photos of employees exercising. Testimonials included comments from happy fitness buffs such as, “The addition of exercise and healthy eating into my daily routine has not only reduced my day-to-day stresses and increased my energy levels, it has built up my self-esteem, making me look and feel great from the inside out.” Another happy member’s quote told visitors, “I had been a member of another local gym, but am much more pleased and happier at the RFC. The staff is always ready to go the extra mile to make all members feel welcome, but more importantly, monitored and cared for.” Read more… »