With so many health clubs statewide, it?s no secret that getting in shape is big business.
And with swimsuit season just around the corner, some local gyms are offering promotions and specials to bring in new members. But how do consumers decide which club is right for them with so many choices available?
According to Donna Bair, owner of East End Complete Fitness in Westminster, it?s all about appealing to a certain segment of the consumer audience through different amenities designed to attract a certain clientele.
“It?s good for clubs to have a certain niche,” Bair said. “As long as we have different niches, there will be people who will be more comfortable in different facilities.”
Blair bills East End, where membership prices range from $29 to $49 per month depending on the package chosen, as the area?s only “exclusive upscale adult fitness club.” To draw in more business at the 24,000-sqaure-foot facility, the gym is currently offering free 14-day trial memberships to anyone who lives or works in the area and is over 18 years of age.
At Merritt Athletic Club in Towson, lifestyle consultant Pam Thompson said the gym isoffering its Red Hot Summer Sale where enrollment fees are $3 instead of the usual $199. Monthly fees vary from $49 to $99, depending on which facility a customer joins and whether he or she wants access to multiple locations. The gym has 11 locations statewide.
Rob Kowalski, general manager of Gold?s Gym at the Power Plant in downtown Baltimore, said that the gym?s aesthetic, urban appeal has been a big draw for the location. Memberships at Gold?s start at $34.99 for an annual membership. Month-to-month memberships and short-term memberships are available for a higher price and initial enrollment fees vary throughout the year depending on what kind of promotion the gym is offering.
“Gold?s is the largest coed gym in the world,” Kowalski said. “That?s what separates us from other gyms in the area ? we?re international.”
A gym with a major niche is Curves, which is designed specifically for women and features an a 1 1/2 hour full-body workout in 30 minutes, said Susan O?Connell, manager of the Catonsville Curves. She declined to divulge specific prices, citing company policy, but said women work out on average for about $29 per month. The company has 172 locations in Maryland and 9,500 worldwide. Depending on the membership selected, clients can have access to Curves locations worldwide.
Curves “started primarily for middle-aged women, but we?re open to women of all ages,” O?Connell said.
At Bally Total Fitness in White Marsh, Lyle Hardgrove, the center?s general manager, said one of the gym?s more popular plans has been it $19-per-month membership that allows clients to work out on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Daily access is $39 per month and enrollment fees are $99.
“We?re very structured and very well-established, which gives us the ability to put new equipment in and update” the facility, Hardgrove said.
Choosing the right gym for your needs is no easy task, butwith most gyms offering some sort of trial membership, at least there is an easy out if a gym is not the right fit.
Look for future articles in The Examiner as part of an occasional series focusing on the health and fitness industry.
LOCAL GYMS
» East End Complete Fitness, Westminster ? 410-876-7230
» Gold?s Gym Power Plant, Baltimore ? 410-576-7771
» Merritt Athletic Club, Towson ? 410-821-0160
» Bally?s Total Fitness, White Marsh ? 410-931-8080
» Curves, Catonsville ? 410-788-5500
