| 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.
The report also noted that internal profit centers beyond memberships have become vital to the success of clubs. In fact, 92 percent of all clubs reported having successful or moderately successful personal training programs in 1998. This is the ideal environment to realize the full benefits of Pilates-style exercise. To capitalize on this growing trend, you need to act wisely. The reality is that, although members may be demanding mind/body fitness, they will not see or feel the results if you try to answer their demands with poorly trained instructors and overflowing classes.
Doing what it takes to attract or develop well-trained instructors and to keep class numbers low are key to the long-term success of your mind/body programs.
However, the results in terms of member wellness and club profitability typically exceed those of traditional fitness classes. Failing to employ certified instructors who have mastered the necessary fundamentals of safety and exercise physiology may result in ineffective teaching, disappointed members or, even worse, injury. Conversely, even a single, well-trained and certified instructor can deliver significant results in terms of wellness, word-of-mouth promotion and member loyalty.