| News & Know How | News | Green Scene |
SportsArt Unveils Its ‘Green System’ Scheme
By Jennifer H. McInerney
In the months and weeks leading up to IHRSA’s 30th Anniversary International Convention and Trade Show in San Francisco, the folks at SportsArt Fitness were bursting with excitement over their latest eco-friendly innovation… but they couldn’t share much more than its name (the Green System) and the fact that it was, as far as they were concerned, “revolutionary.” During the convention, the company, based in Woodinville, Washington, hosted
invitation-only demos of the Green System in its “Green Suite,” a private portion of its trade-show space. Invitees were treated to a glimpse of what will, hopefully, become the new green standard for fitness equipment: cardiovascular machines that not only generate electricity, but also produce enough to offset a club’s carbon emissions and reduce its energy costs. SportsArt’s new Green System consists of a pod of up to six machines connected to an
inverter that feeds power directly back into the club’s grid (rather than storing it in a battery). The firm’s commercial g572u upright bike, g572r recumbent cycle, and g872 elliptical
can be mixed and matched into six-machine configurations to generate 2,000 watts of power per hour. According to the manufacturer’s calculations, one hour of exercise from each pod could, conceivably, power a clothes washer for six hours, a dishwasher for two hours, a ceiling fan for 30 hours, a laptop computer for 40 hours, a DVD player for 133 hours, or a microwave oven for 2.5 hours. Each individual piece of equipment can produce approximately 400 watts of power
per hour. However, the six-machine arrangement is strongly recommended, explains Amber Maechler, SportsArt’s marketing and communications director, to maximize power output and produce a quicker return on investment (ROI). “Not only will the Green System pay for itself in a very short period of time, but it
will also save clubs money by mitigating power consumption in other areas of the club,” she points out. “Plus, members like the idea that their workouts are having a positive impact on the environment.” The company estimates that, if six pods are installed and used eight hours a day, at
11.6 cents per kilowatt hour, a club’s power savings would add up to more than $3,210 per year. (To calculate clubs’ individual savings, SportsArt has set up a dedicated Website,
green.sportsartamerica.com.) The only physical plant upgrade that may be required in some facilities is a 240VAC
wall outlet, which, Maechler notes, can be easily and inexpensively installed by a professional electrician. —|
> Short Takes | Clubs Offer Quicker, Trimmer Workouts
Recognizing that their members’ time is precious, many clubs are putting a new trend on the fast track: workouts that are short on time commitment and long on benefits. Running just 20-30 minutes, the latest programming options—such as the quick-paced
Ripped Rotation class at Crunch Fitness, and the XpressLine circuit workout at the New York Sports Club—suit exercisers struggling to fit fitness into hectic schedules, as well as those who simply want to spend less time in the gym. Trainers are able to provide these condensed workouts by working body parts simultane- ously and reducing—sometimes even eliminating—warm-up and cool-down periods.” —|
U.K. Fitness Market Entering ‘A New Era of Operation’
> While a sluggish economy has hobbled the U.K. fitness industry over the past few years, the club business seems to be steadily getting back on its feet. In fact, as one expert asserts, the sector is already in recovery mode. As indicated in the Sport Market Fore-
casts (2010-2014) report, a publication compiled by the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) at Sheffield Hallam University, in Sheffield, the size of the U.K. health and fitness market decreased in 2009, falling by 3% from the previous year. The drop was part of a four-year downward trend, beginning in 2006, compounded by real estate woes and rising unemployment rates. Now, as detailed by Themis
Kokolokakis, a senior research fellow for the university, a promising shift has begun. As one example, Kokolokakis points
to data released by Sport England, a government agency whose goal is to grow sporting-focused business as well as sports participation. Its data reveals that the number of clubs jumped from 6,649 in 2009, to 6,693 in 2010. It was a slight uptick, to be sure, but it’s a definite sign, he assures, of positive things to come. Further, he notes that the industry’s response to the recent financial turbulence—namely budget- friendly chains—will spur what he calls “a new era of operation.” —|
Kicking workouts up a notch www.
ihrsa.org | MAY 2011 | Club Business Internat ional 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114