Fitness Industry Roundup: Gym Memberships Help Consumers Save

This week, researchers take a closer look at how exercise improves heart health, a California gym powers up with SportsArt equipment, Australia embraces “broga,” and more fitness industry news.

The Right Gym Membership May Help Consumers Save

There are many ways consumers can fit in fitness expenses without breaking the bank, according to U.S. News and World Report. One way is to search for the right gym membership that offers both classes and a general workout area. Meredith Poppler, vice president of communications and engagement for IHRSA, said, "If a consumer truly wants to save money on fitness classes, their wallets would be better served finding a multipurpose gym or health club that offers a range of fitness classes included with a monthly membership. Since the studio format has become so popular, more and more 'traditional' clubs have been adding studio-type programs and dedicated studio spaces into their offerings." Other cost-saving tips include looking for deals on services like Groupon or buy favorite classes in bulk.

Read more cost-saving tips consumers can consider.

24 Hour Fitness Tech Reaches New Levels of Personalization

24 Hour Fitness announced last month that it will incorporate tools from Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Adobe Experience Cloud to enhance their members’ experience. The software will further the ability to meet the needs of each individual member, be it through email, text messaging and more, according to the chain’s Executive Vice President Tom Lapcevic. “Adobe is empowering us to create mass consumer personalization that scales, all utilizing the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform. In doing so, we are better positioned to serve our members the workouts and health and fitness guidance they truly want and need,” he said. The end goal, according to Lapcevic, is to to transform the lives of members through fitness.

Read the full article in Forbes.

Planet Fitness Franchisees Partner with MLB’s Detroit Tigers

A trio of Planet Fitness franchisees signed a two-year, $100,000-per-year agreement with the baseball team in mid-April, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. The deal will give the gyms in-stadium advertising and the opportunity to promote its brand during games, said Byran Reif, a Planet Fitness gym co-owner. An anti-bullying initiative, in which current or former players with the team will be involved, is also being discussed. The deal comes as the nationwide chain is planning an aggressive expansion plan in the region.

Read more about the two-year deal.

‘Broga’ Makes Its Way to Australia

“Broga”—a combination of beer, bros, and yoga—is gaining popularity across the globe. Studios in California first received media attention about this trend in 2015. In 2018, it has spread to Melbourne, Australia, according to a Maxim report. Besides the physical benefits from yoga, the men who attend can also socialize and “chill,” which boosts mental health, according to the article. With beer incorporated into the practice, participants “loosen up for poses,” and “opens up your hamstrings,” said a Melbourne broga instructor.

Read more about this trend for men.

Harvard Research Reveals How Exercise Helps the Heart

Researchers have found another clue to why exercise is so beneficial for our health, according to Popular Science. In the study published by Nature Communications, researchers found that mice regenerate new heart cells, even after a heart attack, if they regularly exercise. This implies that humans may be able to stave off heart disease by exercising, which triggers a growth in new heart tissue. “Repetitive exercise protects the heart from disease, with an impact similar to many drug interventions, although the basis for these benefits is incompletely understood,” the researchers said in the study.

Read more about the Harvard research study.

California Gym Puts Green Equipment into Action

Mashable’s film crew takes a look inside Sacramento Eco Fitness club, where members power through workouts and power up the building. The club uses SportsArt’s ECO-POWR line of cycling equipment, which converts kinetic energy into watts. One cycling class can power two refrigerators for 24 hours, according to Mashable, and helps to reduce members’ carbon footprint. The founder of Eco Fitness, Jose Avina, said he wanted to tap into the needs of the health- and eco-conscious. “Our mission is to be able to produce enough electricity to offset our costs and the businesses around us. So that in itself is a huge motivation for individuals,” Avina told IHRSA last year.

See inside Sacramento Eco Fitness.

Lawmakers Recognize ‘Every Kid Healthy Week’

In Pennsylvania, Florida, and California, lawmakers have passed resolutions designating the last week of April 2018, “Every Kid Healthy Week,” which helped bring awareness to the childhood obesity epidemic and encourage healthy habits. According to an IHRSA press release, over 30% of adolescents age 10-17 are overweight in those three states. The resolution aims to reach children, teenagers, and their families to engage them in physical activity and teach them about the benefits of exercise. “It is encouraging to see Pennsylvania, California, Florida, and other states adopt policies that recognize and promote the benefits of physical activity for children. The exercise habits we develop in childhood are often carried into adulthood,” said Alexandra Larcom, IHRSA’s senior manager of health promotion and health policy.

Read more about the resolutions and how IHRSA was involved.