Consumers Exercise Control

Members Are Still Using Their Fitness Clubs, But Fewer Are Joining

“It tops resolutions each new year: Getting in shape. But this year, with the economy sputtering, some local gyms are signing up fewer new members. Other gyms report that existing members are scaling back on such perks as personal trainers and rental lockers. ‘We are definitely feeling the pinch as far as new members coming through the door,’ said Dominick Finochiaro, general manager of Gold's Gym in Medford. At Revolution Fitness in Boston, members are curbing their tanning and personal training sessions and bringing their own towels and workout bags rather than paying for towel service and lockers, among other amenities, said Patrick Catoe, who helps oversee club membership. ‘The gym is a necessity for a lot of people, but they are not doing the extra protein shakes,’ Catoe said. In an age when working out is considered by many a vital lifestyle component, not an optional indulgence, gyms report no large-scale membership cancellations. But they are bracing for a potentially tough year as current members look to reduce costs, as well as pounds. Revolution is now offering half-hour sessions with a personal trainer, in addition to the more expensive hour-long sessions, said Mike D'Angelo, a trainer at the gym. The shorter classes cost between $45 to $60, in contrast to hour-long sessions, which cost $80 to $100. But few of his clients have quit training altogether, he said. ‘People are buckling down, but they are focusing on things that they can control - like their health,’ D'Angelo said. Likewise, Back Bay Yoga Studio has expanded its number of $5 classes, which are about $10 less than other classes. The club is advertising the classes widely, to members and nonmembers. ‘Times are tough and one of the first things to go is yoga because it's not gas, it's not rent, it's not food’" said Gabriel Feld, a yoga instructor at Back Bay Yoga. ‘We want everyone to be able to access yoga. We don't want money to get in the way.’ Meanwhile, attendance has spiked at some gyms, as members seek to combat mounting stress and anxiety over the economic downturn. Others don't want to fritter away paid memberships. ‘It used to be that people would sign up and then not come,’ said Michael Reyes, a trainer at the Ring Boxing Club in Boston, near the Brookline border. ‘Now they are coming. It's like people want to make sure they use their dollars and not just let them go.’”

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/01/03/consumers_exercise_control/