IHRSA webinar: 'Elevating Your Member Experience'

Let’s face it, if your members aren’t happy with the product you are offering then why would they come back?

Member experience is one of the most important aspects of s club. And at the next IHRSA webinar, “Elevating Your Member Experience: Engagement & Communications in a Changing World,” presented by Cybex, you will learn how to take what members want and impart it in your club.

For more, click here.

Claremont Club doing wonders with those with spinal cord injuries

There is no shortage of mention in the space about the good work that is being done by clubs around the world when it comes to fighting obesity, changing many individuals' sedentary behavior, and many other positives that help people get in shape, become healthier and feel better about themselves.

There's one club in California that is doing its part, and then some, to help a segment of the population that needs much help - those with spinal cord injuries.

The Claremont Club, in Claremont, Calif. - between San Bernardino and Los Angeles - opened the new location for the Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center in Carlsbad in February. It is a 24,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that works with thouands of people every year.

For more on Project Walk, click here.

U.S. losing more than $80 billion in productivity due to obesity

Obese workers in the United States who have missed work due to their condition has cost companies $84 billion in lost productivity, according to a Gallup Poll.

More than 94,000 people who work at least 30 hours a week were polled from Jan. 2 to Sept. 10, 2012. Conditions taken into consideration included overweight and obese, diagnosed with a heart attack, diabetes, depression, high cholesterol, cancer, asthma and high blood pressure, or having physical pain.

For more, visit the Gallup website.

Company hopes to hit it big in sports drink market

Move over Gatorade, RecoverFX is here. At least its makers, Smart-Tec Nutrition, in Glasgow, Scotland, hope it is the next big thing in the UK.

The new sports nutrition drink is the only non-milk based recovery drink in the UK. It's the whey protein and waxy maize starch that its makers hopes is the difference in quick recovery.

"It is like comparing drinking a glass of milk to drinking a protein shake made from whey protein."

For more, click here.

IHRSA 2014 Pre-Paid Booth Allocation process starting

Dan O'Brien explains one of the machines by BILT By Agassi and Reyes.The booths at the trade show at this past March's convention sold out. If you were fortunate to be there, you certainly want to be included in the 2014 event in San Diego. For those who missed out, you don't want to be left out of the excitement and opportunity again.

IHRSA is mailing out the Exhibitor Prospectus and Contract over the next two weeks. For those who fill out the contract and return it with a 50% deposit will be included in the first round of the Pre-Paid Booth Allocation that begins in August.

The IHRSA trade show brings thousands of industry experts, club owners, club managers and more to one place. It is two days of all things fitness and wellness. For a taste of what you can expect, click here to see a roundup of last year's trade show.

For those who haven't received an Exhibitor Prospectus by June 5, contact Tom Hunt at 800-228-4772 (US/Canada) or 617-951-0055, ext. 152, or teh@ihrsa.org.

Those who return the contract and deposit by June 28 will be entered in a raffle to win a free 10x10 booth.

IHRSA's must-have Global Report is out

Thanks to expanding markets in China, Germany and Latin America, 2012 was a banner year in the global health club industry. Try these numbers on for size: the industry amassed $75.7 billion in revenue; there are 153,000 clubs worldwide; and 131.7 million members in clubs.

The numbers are according to the 2013 IHRSA Global Report: The State of the Health Club Industry. One of IHRSA’s best sellers, the report came out this week.

Click here to read more and to order.

IHRSA extends its sympathy to those in Oklahoma

IHRSA would like to send out its thoughts and concerns for everyone involved in the devastating tornado that touched down in Oklahoma yesterday.

There are many places to donate in order to help assist those who lost so much - redcross.org and www.mercuryone.fundly.com/2013-midwest-tornado-relief.

Congressman James Moran gets a visit during Summit

From left, Radka Dopitova, World Bank Fitness Center; Teresa Fortunato O’Mara, L&T Health and Fitness; Jon Sewell, L&T Health and Fitness; Allison Flatley, L&T Health and Fitness; Jill Bakner, L&T Health and Fitness; Congressman James Moran; Gail Fast, L&T Health and Fitness; Renee Goldsmith, L&T Health and Fitness; Erin Saucier, L&T Health and FitnesThe Summit for a Healthier America, which took place in Washington, D.C., last week, affords attendees an opportunity to meet with their political representation.

At the meetings, which are set up by IHRSA beforehand, club owners and employees can talk about pending legislation that could affect their business or show the senators and representatives the good work their club is doing in the community to combat the obesity epidemic and sedentary lifestyles.

Close to 50 meetings were held on Wednesday, May 15, during the Summit.

And be sure to check out IHRSA's Capitol Report tomorrow, Wednesday, May 22, for a story on the event. Click here to sign up for the Capitol Report. 

Ask an Industry Leader: raising dues

Image Jomphong ,FreeDigitalPhotos.netNo one likes to have to raise prices. And the fitness industry is no different.

This week's Ask an Industry Leader questions asks how often is it OK to raise membership dues. Brad Wilkins, Justin Tamsett and Wayne Westwood each give their opinion on the best amount of time in between each increase.

Read on for their answers.

One year later: both patients prospering after kidney donation

A little more than a year ago an owner of the Anytime Fitness in Columbia, S.C., and one of the members went under the knife. But this wasn't a coincidence.

Radley West, the owner of the club, discovered that one of her member's health was failing and he needed a kidney. After 15 friends and family came up empty as far as a match, West decided to be tested. She was deemed an acceptable donor, and then she decided to give up one of her healthy kidneys to member Ryan Brooke.

“Everyone tells me that I saved Ryan’s life, but in reality he saved mine by giving me the opportunity to truly value my gifts and talents and decide to fully put them to use,” said West, in a press release sent by Anytime Fitness. “During my six weeks of recovery I had a lot of time to reflect on my life and how I was living. Since returning to work, I have fully poured myself into my business, my family and my workouts. It has had such a dramatic effect on my life and one that I could not have imagined a year ago. I wish there were more people willing to go out on a limb for their neighbors, friends and family."

RADLEY AND RYAN

Club owner donates kidney to member

Update on owner and member

Now a year later, West has run two half-marathons and is training for a full marathon. Brooke has gotten married and is a manager at a nearby Wal-Mart, something he couldn't do while he had only 10-15% use of his kidneys prior to the operation.

“Radley is my hero,” Brooke said.  “I cannot possibly thank her enough for what she’s given me.”