| News & Know How | On The Move Public Outreach Urban Active Challenges Sedentary Cities to Get Active


Urban Active, the Lexington, Kentucky–based chain with 30 facilities, has embarked on a mission to motivate those who live in Lexington—recently designated “America’s Most Sedentary” city—to get moving with its newly launched “Get Active Challenge.”


Prompted to action


The “Get Active Challenge” team


by a Men’s Health magazine article that placed Lexington at the top of this disturb- ing list, Urban Active is challenging members and non- members alike to commit to getting fit. It’s also issuing its challenge to the resi- dents of other cities


where the firm has clubs—Charlotte, North Carolina; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia; Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; and Omaha, Nebraska. Josh “JB” Bowen, Urban Active’s fitness guru and quality-control director,


kicked off the yearlong campaign earlier this year by conducting a series of boot-camp workouts during a tour of those cities, attracting nearly 1,000 participants. He also dispensed motivational tips and nutrition information. Bowen was joined by a supporting cast of pro athletes, recording artists, and the Georgia Force Cheerleaders. One participant, Rosemary Walton, of Columbus, is proof that the company’s formula works; she’s lost 100 pounds since joining an Urban Active club. —|


Public Service Gold’s Gym Northwest Heats Things Up


Gold’s Gym Northwest, a chain of three, full-service facilities in the state of Washington, extended a warm welcome to its neighbors in late January by opening its clubs’ doors to those whose homes had lost power following a full week of harsh weather. The facilities, located in Redmond, Issaquah, and Bothell, are normally open 24 hours during the week, and have extended hours on weekends. They provided full access to residents who’d been affected by strong winds, freezing rain, and heavy snow. Guests who sought shelter were free to use the clubs’ hot


Warm welcome in a storm


showers, saunas, and steam rooms, along with their workout equipment. “We’re here to lend a hand to our community,”


notes Vice President of Sales Jose Riveros. “While the lights are out and the temperature is low, we can’t think of a better way to warm up.” —|


Fitness Connection Connects to Community


Wellness Initiatives Club Med Gyms: No-Smoking Tome


Club Med Gym, the French chain with 21 facilities in and around Paris, has introduced a new smoking cessation initiative that’s now available at all of its clubs. Created in cooperation with a team of medical professionals, the two-to-three month program includes workouts, nutritional guidance, and sessions with “empathetic” coaches who encourage behavior change; their goal—to transform a member’s men- tality from that of a smoker to that of a nonsmoker. A nutrition component


has been included to allay the fear that people will gain weight if they quit, explains CEO Franck Gueguen. “People think that they’ll get fat if they quit smoking, but, with our program, that’s not true—we get them fit.” —|


Fitness Connection, a chain of 17 clubs with locations in Texas, Nevada, and North Carolina, recently demonstrated a commitment to its mis- sion of being an ”active, engaged, and positive community partner.” Its six North Carolina clubs donated a full line of strength


training equipment to the Highway Patrol State Auxiliary. “These gyms were honored to give a gift to the men and women who keep our highways safe,” says Bill Piper, the regional facilities man- ager for Titan Fitness, of McLean, Virginia, which manages the Fitness Connection clubs. —|


ihrsa.org | APRIL 2012 | Club Business Internat ional 31


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  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134