Workout lovers seek smaller, closer facilities

America is getting heavier.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, about 300,000 deaths each year in this country are associated with obesity and being overweight. In 1999, an estimated 61 percent of U.S. adults were overweight, along with 13 percent of children.

Obesity among adults has doubled since 1980, while the number of overweight kids has tripled.

Contributing to these statistics is the fact that less than one-third of Americans engage in a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity daily at least five days a week.

“(Being) overweight and obesity are among the most pressing new health challenges we face today,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said in a statement. “Our modern environment has allowed these conditions to increase at alarming rates and become a growing health problem for our nation. By confronting these conditions, we have tremendous opportunities to prevent the unnecessary disease and disability they portend for our future.”

Some Americans are getting the message that exercise and a healthy diet are the keys to a healthier life. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, U.S. health-club membership grew to a record 36.6 million members in 2002, up from 33.8 million members in 2001. Americans over the age of 55 had the biggest increase in membership, growing from 5.6 million members in 2001 to 6.9 million in 2002.

In a recent study conducted by the association, Colorado was sixth in the nation in percentage of health-club members with a projected 17.3 percent belonging to a health club or fitness center. The average is higher in the Denver area, with 21.2 percent belonging to a health club — the highest ranking in the nation.

Trend toward smaller facilities

Locally, the trend appears to be leaning towards people wanting to exercise in smaller, more intimate facilities close to home or work. These storefront fitness clubs or studio health facilities are gaining popularity for the ease of use and the customer service they provide. They tend to pop up in shopping centers with grocery stores or in residential location.

“In a larger health-club facility, people can expect to spend between an hour or an hour and a half,´ said Shannon White, owner of Loveland’s Fitness for Women LLC. “Here they can get cardio, muscle and strength training in a half hour.”

The women-only fitness center has about 170 members, and White believes most of them live near the studio. She said most of the women she has spoken with prefer to work out close to home for convenience.

While Fitness for Women fills a niche in southwest Loveland for women, Definitions Fitness Center in Fort Collins fills a need for Colorado State University students — late hours.

The center is located on West Prospect Road near the campus and is open until 1 a.m. weekdays.

Co-owners Kenny Bunch and Phil Daire knew there was a need for extended-hours fitness centers, but they didn’t know how dire the need was.

“Not a ton of people work out between midnight and 1 a.m. — maybe a dozen or so,” Bunch said. “But it is the knowledge that they can work out past 10:30 p.m. if they want to that attracts them.”

Bunch also believes his staff of 12 employees has helped encourage the club’s 600 members to continue working out.

“We don’t have a social setting. People are friendly, like on Cheers, but we offer a quick and easy workout,” he said. “New members get an orientation to feel comfortable on the machines, and there are certified personal trainers to help them.”

Comfortable environments

Fitness-center owners understand that people are more likely to begin and continue working out if they are in a comfortable environment. For many women, this means working out in a women-only setting. The idea of wearing spandex in front of men is enough for some women to head straight for the double fudge chip ice cream instead of the treadmill.

“Women don’t feel intimidated here,´ said Paula Bunker, owner of Greeley’s Ladies Workout Express. “They can come in with a T-shirt and no make-up. They aren’t trying to impress anyone.

“Women tend to share a common bond and will listen to each other. Our smaller atmosphere allows us to provide a more personal environment.”

Whether the move toward smaller fitness centers is a national trend can’t yet be definitively stated.

“It is hard to say whether it is a trend without any new data, but these facilities do probably fit into the greater community spirit,´ said Brook MacInnis, spokesperson for the association. “We do see more studio-like facilities popping up rather than the large centers. But I cannot speak as to whether it is a large, growing trend.”

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