Premier Fitness Plans To Help Strikeout Hunger In Support Of The Daily Bread Food Bank

“Premier Fitness Clubs' CEO John Cardillo announced today that all of his Ontario based locations will be working in conjunction with the Daily Bread Food Bank by accepting non-perishable food donations, now until Christmas. As an incentive members' making a donation will receive a complimentary seven day guest pass for a friend or family member. Non-members making a donation will also receive a seven day pass, to workout at any Premier location. Mr. Cardillo added; ‘In the spirit of the holidays I would like to ask all of our members, the public as well as the media to help support this worthy cause. This is a great opportunity to give back to the wonderful communities that have supported our fitness clubs over the last 30 years.’ Premier Fitness is home to one of Canada's most luxurious, modern, high-tech fitness facilities, with over 260,000 members in 43 locations across the province. The fitness chain proudly offers their members the greatest and latest fitness equipment and fitness trends.”

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2009/25/c4932.html

Companies Encourage Fitness

“Most mornings at about 6 a.m. Simon Hemus can be found in the gym with his personal trainer at Tupperware Brands headquarters, where he is president and chief operating officer. But it's not just a perk of the executive suite. The company subsidizes the cost of trainers for all of its employees in Orlando and recently upgraded its gym, which offers aerobics, weights and spinning. ‘We also run a 5k on campus once a month if it's cool enough,’ said Hemus, 60, who has improved his personal best time to a very respectable 28:40. Tupperware's attitude about fitness and health was held up as an example last week by Florida Hospital, which kicked off a new campaign called ‘Healthy 100’ designed to push more employers to encourage healthy behavior and, even more ambitious, increase the number of local people living past 100. And the hospital...

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-cfb-kassab-florida-hospital-20091129,0,7287266.column

Alesha Eyes Healthy Earner at LA Fitness

“Alesha Dixon may be best-known for bringing star power to the judging panel on Strictly Come Dancing, but today she revealed her business acumen, signing up as a board advisor to gym operator LA Fitness in a deal that could give her a £3 million bonus. In an exclusive interview with the Evening Standard, Dixon revealed she is to advise the LA Fitness board on strategy, organising fitness videos and workout plans for the chain. Instead of the usual celebrity endorsement, which is funded with a one-off payment, the gym group is paying most of Dixon's cash through a multi-million pound bonus, if it hits specific revenue targets. She has also been awarded shares in the firm, which has been owned by private equity giant MidOcean Partners since delisting in 2005. Dixon said: ‘I've always been involved in sport so this was a natural way to start my business career. I want to get involved in changing LA Fitness...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-23777067-alesha-eyes-healthy-earner.do

Incidence Of Diabetes Likely To Double And Costs To Triple By 2034

“In the next 25 years, the number of Americans living with diabetes will nearly double, increasing from 23.7 million in 2009 to 44.1 million in 2034. Over the same period, spending on diabetes will almost triple, rising from $113 billion to $336 billion, even with no increase in the prevalence of obesity, researchers based at the University of Chicago report in the December issue of Diabetes Care. The number of those with diabetes covered by Medicare will rise from 8.2 million to 14.6 million, the researchers predict. Medicare spending on diabetes will jump from $45 billion to $171 billion. ‘If we don't change our diet and exercise habits or find new, more effective and less expensive ways to prevent and treat diabetes, we will find ourselves in a lot of trouble as a population,’ said the study's lead author Elbert Huang, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/172356.php

Kids Should Get Moving To Avoid Obesity

“Vigorous exercise may be an especially good way to keep kids lean, but sitting around, in and of itself, doesn't appear to have a major role in making them fat, new research shows. Based on the findings, the researchers say, children should still be encouraged to limit their sedentary time, but this alone won't be enough to tackle childhood obesity. ‘Interventions may therefore need to incorporate higher intensity-based activities to curb the growing obesity epidemic,’ they conclude.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5AQ45J20091127

Climb Out Of Your Workout Rut With New Routine

“Imagine yourself working out by traversing boulders and jagged cliffs. Now, imagine doing it indoors. Step inside a remodeled barn near the intersection of Route 11 and Locust Point Road in Silver Spring Twp., and you can. At the Climbnasium, you’ll find ropes and harnesses — not to mention human beings — dangling from fiberglass and wooden materials on walls that simulate climbing conditions found throughout Penn’s Woods. Just as some overweight and sedentary people head to a gym to shed pounds and get active, the same applies to an indoor climbing facility, said Travis Gault, manager of Climbnasium, which has been in operation for 16 years. ‘We have people come in totally out of shape, and four months later they are among the best climbers,’ he said...

http://www.pennlive.com/bodyandmind/index.ssf/2009/11/climb_out_of_your_workout_rut.html

Workout Sessions Lead To New Business

“A free, weekly workout session for neighbors has beefed up to become Jam Fitness, a new downtown business offering group aerobics and other physical training. Owner Jason Derby said he and his wife, Mary Gardinier-Derby, joined friend Jennifer Lindsay to open the fitness center, 5613 Sixth Ave., on Oct. 1 ‘It started out as a fun way to pass the time in summer because of unemployment and led to a start-up business,’ he said. ‘If those 15 to 20 people hadn’t pushed us into this direction, we wouldn’t have done it.’”

http://www.kenoshanews.com/mystuff/workout_sessions_lead_to_new_business_6846862.html

Tatum Entrepreneurs Earn Honor For Fitness Franchises

“It may not quite be a rags to riches story — yet. But Bryan and Misty Bradford are certainly carving a niche in the fitness world. The 1996 graduates of Tatum High School recently opened their third Anytime Fitness franchise. Their first Longview location follows openings in Lindale and Tyler, and plans call for a second Longview location on Gilmer Road in 2010. Bryan Bradford thinks he has one of the best deals around. ‘Our mission is to provide affordability and the opportunity for people to achieve their health goals,’ he said. The Bradford's Wal Street location between...

http://www.news-journal.com/money/content/business/stories/2009/11/29/11292009_fitness_focus.html

Gold's Gym Helps Americans Trim The Fat This Thanksgiving

“With Thanksgiving comes the start of the holiday season, synonymous with family gatherings and an abundance of food. To help Americans start their holiday season off right, Gold's Gym is turning Black Friday into "Trim the Fat Friday." On November 27th and continuing throughout Thanksgiving day weekend, the nation's leading fitness authority is opening its doors to the public, free-of-charge, in an effort to help Americans burn off calories from their Thanksgiving feasts. Gold's Gym trainers and nutrition experts will be on-hand to offer guests tips and advice to avoid packing on the pounds during the holiday season...

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/golds-gym-helps-americans-trim-the-fat-this-thanksgiving-71670607.html

Gym Gives Dogs A Place To Play As Owners Exercise

“Like many dog owners with 9-to-5's, Jeanne and Dean Eriksen had a devil's choice every evening: Who gets the exercise, human or beast? If they walked the dog, they didn't get much of a workout. If they went to the gym, they had to slam the door on their pet. So the San Francisco couple opened Fit Bernal Fit in Bernal Heights - one of the first gyms in the nation with dog day care. Pets can romp in a play group or go for dog walks while their owners exercise, guilt free. In a city that claims to have more dogs than children, they may have unleashed a hidden market, though other dog businesses are right on...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/25/DDCM1AI6O5.DTL#ixzz0XsmYY697

Johnson Mixes Congressional Business With Exercise

“It wasn't a particular illness or event that brought about Congressman Tim Johnson's lifestyle changes 20 or 25 years ago, just a feeling that ‘the quality of my life would be improved if I elevated my fitness to a different level.’ So he changed his diet and became more active. In turn he persuaded friends and colleagues to join him on long walks, both in Urbana and in Washington. The five-term Republican even tried to incorporate parts of his personal fitness philosophy into the national health care bill that cleared the House earlier this month. ‘Everybody agrees, no matter where you stand on the health care debate, that diet and exercise and lifestyle choices have a huge, huge...

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009/11/25/johnson_mixes_congressional_business_with_exercise

Prevention is Not Only Good Health Policy, It's Good Economic Policy

“Prevention today involves a lot more than flu shots, cancer screening, and annual checkups. It is a pro-active strategy of disease avoidance and mitigation that should be embraced throughout and beyond the health system. In the context of chronic illnesses such as asthma, cancer, depression, heart disease and diabetes, prevention runs the gamut from lifestyle changes to screening for risk factors and symptoms, to early intervention to slow or reverse disease, to active management of already present...

http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2009/11/prevention-is-not-only-good-health-policy-its-good-economic-policy-1.html

Health Club Pulls in £800 for Needy Kids

“Members and employees at Halesowen health club Fitnessworks have raised £800 for Children in Need. Thirty gym members and aerobic instructors bounced their way through a two hour long aerobathon and were surprised when mystery guest Pudsey Bear joined in the fun. Four men suffered at the hands of on-site salon Sally Hair and Beauty and received full leg waxes, with spectators paying £5 to watch them squirm. Another member had his head shaved. Event organiser Sally Clarke-Oliver, who is an aerobic instructor at the Dudley Road club, was thrilled with the money raised. She said: ‘We’re all so pleased with our achievements, everyone had a great day and the enthusiasm was wonderful.’”

http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/local/4757219.Health_club_pulls_in___800_for_needy_kids/

WellTek Positioned to Capitalize on Trends in Health and Fitness

“Two thirds of adults are overweight and one third of those are obese. Experts estimate that 80 percent of the population will experience a back problem at some point in their lives. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work and the second most common reason for visits to the doctor's office. Combine these sobering statistics with ever-increasing healthcare costs and the growing health concerns among the global population, and it's easy to see why the economic outlook for the health and fitness industry is resoundingly positive. WellTek Incorporated (OTC Bulletin Board: WTKN) is positioned with three subsidiaries - MedX Ltd., Pure HealthyBack and lime Fitness - to provide lasting solutions for chronic neck and back pain, combat obesity...

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/welltek-positioned-to-capitalize-on-trends-in-health-and-fitness-72507872.html

Adidas Launches Fitness Academy With Global Fitness Experts

“Adidas, in collaboration with Fitness First, is redefining group exercise classes throughout the country. For the first time in the Middle East, Adidas' global fitness ambassadors - Rainbeau Mars, Marta Formoso and Violet Zaki - will be bringing the latest trends in group exercise to Fitness First gyms throughout the UAE. The exclusive Fitness Academy, with signature Adidas Dance, Yoga and Combat classes will be open to Fitness First members in January 2010. Training Fitness First instructors from all over the country, the three international Adidas Fitness Ambassadors will officially launch the Adidas Fitness Academy, a series of signature classes designed to offer fitness enthusiasts exclusive workout programs...

http://www.ameinfo.com/217142.html

Bally Total Fitness Offers Expert Tips on Fighting Fat for the Holidays

“Eat, drink and be merry sounds like a festive way to savor the holiday season, but it's also a guaranteed way to pack on the pounds before the New Year. Instead of waiting for a January 1st resolution to hit the gym, start small with eating tips and exercise tricks. 'The most important thing is smart splurging and calorie burning,' says Dave Van Daff, Senior Director of Education and Development, Bally Total Fitness. "Indulge over the holidays with your favorite foods, but find a healthy balance between eating and exercise.' He recommends the following advice for staying in shape during a season of excess...

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bally-total-fitness-offers-expert-tips-on-fighting-fat-for-the-holidays-71808182.html

More-Vigorous Workout May Cut Men's Stroke Risk

“Older men who regularly jog, swim or engage in other moderate- to high-intensity exercise may have a lower risk of suffering a stroke than their less-active counterparts, according to research published Monday. The study, which followed 3,300 older adults for 9 years, found that men who got moderate- to high-intensity exercise were almost two-thirds less likely than sedentary men to suffer a stroke caused by a blood clot -- the most common form of stroke. Lighter exercise, such as walking, did not show a similar benefit...

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/23/eline/links/20091123elin005.html

Active Bodez offers Opportunity to former Impact Athletics Members

“In these tough economic times, especially during the holidays, everyone is looking to receive a good return on investment and health should not be an exception. To that end Active Bodez is offering former members of recently-closed Impact Athletics who sign up in November or December the opportunity to trade in their past health club membership or personal training fees and receive credit up to $210 toward one of their memberships. ‘Active Bodez makes personal training affordable by including it with membership, so that all the members can benefit from this valuable service, says owner Scott Anspach. ‘Active Bodez trainers are...

http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=00001news.db&command=viewone&id=3686&op=t

KrankcycleRx, Club One and Matrix Team Up to Help Those with Physical Disabilities and Operation Freedom Veterans

“KrankcycleRx, Club One and Matrix Fitness today announced that they have donated a new Johnny G Krankcycle by Matrix on behalf of the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) to Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Karcher, who was recently injured in the line of duty and lost both of his legs. KrankcycleRx, an authorized distributor of the Johnny G Krankcycle by Matrix serving those with physical disabilities and other special populations, and Matrix Fitness of Johnson Health Tech, made the equipment donation in conjunction with Frog's Fitness, the Southern California brand of Club One, a leading health club company and long-time...

http://www.prweb.com/releases/KrankcycleRx/Donation/prweb3253324.htm

Botswana: Fitness Guru Brings Weight Boot Camp to Country

“A Motswana fitness consultant staying in the United States of America (US) has brought a weight loss boot camp to Botswana. Obert Morgan has been living in Miami, Florida, but since September, he has been in Botswana to do consultancy about health issues. Morgan says that the boot camp is called 'The Biggest Loser' and the auditions for those willing to participate will be held at Gaborone's Tsholofelo Community hall early next month. Morgan is the founder of Obert Fitness, a company in the US that deals with corporate awareness, corporate boot camps, personal training and health education. Morgan says that he will be the host of the boot camp, which differs from the American and South African Biggest Loser because in this...

http://allafrica.com/stories/200911231929.html

NJ Bill Threatens Health Club Industry

http://centraljersey.com/articles/2009/11/23/the_princeton_packet/your_views/doc4b0b1b4c3901d930217603.txt

Cybex Pink Treadmills Run “Red Hot” for Breast Cancer Research Funding

“Cybex International, Inc. – a leading manufacturer of premium exercise equipment for the commercial and consumer markets, announced today CYBEX pink treadmills from coast to coast logged one quarter of a million (250,000) miles and raised more than $50,000 for breast cancer research and local programs for breast cancer survivors. As part of a month-long promotion with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), CYBEX pink treadmills ran at varying speeds in fitness clubs and YMCA’s across the country throughout October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. CYBEX launched the Pink Ribbon Run and pledged a donation for every mile logged on the first-ever pink treadmills and, in doing so, promoted the importance of exercise and its impact in reducing the risk of breast cancer and preventing recurrence...

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091123005353&newsLang=en

The Healthiest and Unhealthiest States

“If you want to be healthy, live in Vermont--or at least act like you do. It is the healthiest state in the country, according to a new report from the nonprofit United Health Foundation. The annual ranking looks at 22 indicators of health, including everything from how many children receive recommended vaccinations, to obesity and smoking rates, to cancer deaths. (The foundation is funded by the insurer UnitedHealth Group.) Vermont ranked first this year thanks in part to its low rate of obesity, high number of doctors and a low rate of child poverty. New England in general sets a benchmark for the country, the report found: All six New England states are in the top 10. These states have favorable demographics and an excellent public health infrastructure, including a large number of doctors per capita. Eight of the 10 bottom-ranked states are from the south, with Mississippi coming in dead last for the ninth consecutive year...


http://health.yahoo.com/featured/67/the-healthiest-and-unhealthiest-states

CrossFit’s Fast Results

“Anyone keeping abreast of the latest popular gym trends will be aware of CrossFit training which is sweeping across the world. It was started by a former gymnast, Greg Glassman, in the Eighties but has only recently become a widespread phenomenon. Matt and Tarasa Barnett own and run CrossFit Cayman, which is located in the Industrial Park area. The only CrossFit affliliate on the island, CrossFit Cayman focuses on high intensity workouts in its tiny, yet well equipped gym. Tarasa has a host of reasons why CrossFit training works: ‘There is an approximate 25 percent increase in fitness levels over the first month,’ she said. ‘You get results, period. We use functional exercises, moving your body the way it was designed to move.’ The gym provides a full coaching service, including nutritional guidance at no extra charge. ‘CrossFit challenges everyone equally.’...

http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=10387302

Snap Fitness: An Exercise in Growth

“Tough times force people to get creative and Snap Fitness proves the point. Snap Fitness, a franchise business that started in Minneapolis in 2003, is moving into the Detroit area in a big way. By the end of the year, it hopes to have as many as a dozen locations open around Oakland County, counting the new sites in Oakland Township and Berkley that are expected to open before the end of the year. ‘Michigan is becoming one of our fastest growth areas,’ said Patrick Strait, marketing communications manager for Snap Fitness. ‘We have had a lot of people say ‘Hey, I see the potential for this.’ It’s the franchisees that are driving the growth,’ said Strait, noting that over the past year or so Snap Fitness has opened sites in Ferndale, Birmingham, Commerce Township, Troy, Farmington Hills, Oxford, Highland Township, Novi and South Lyon...

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2009/11/22/business/doc4b0462b0e2327421732589.txt

Keeping Fit In Penfield’s Silver Sneakers

“Eleven months into 2009, Arlene Helget has managed to keep her New Year’s resolution of going to the gym. Helget, 68, of Penfield joined the Silver Sneakers workout group at Lifetime Fitness on Jan. 1. She’d been looking for a way to stay active since she had hip replacement surgery about two years ago and wanted to fend off stiff joints. A neighbor of hers suggested Silver Sneakers. ‘I’m not somebody who gets really excited about gym activities,’ Helget said. ‘I have to force myself into it.’ Now, she’s at the gym four days a week, bending and twisting and lifting light weights. She takes Silver Sneakers I, a low-impact class that focuses on range of motion. The class and gym membership are free for seniors with MVP Health Care. Helget is one of about 50 people who take Silver Sneakers I or II (a more cardiovascular workout) at Lifetime Fitness. ‘The camaraderie is a big part of why we go,’ Helget said. ‘We just have fun together.’”

http://rocnow.com/article/our-towns/2009911110301

Obesity In Adolescence May Increase Girls' MS Risk

“A woman's risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) during her lifetime is doubled if she was obese at age 18, new research shows. ‘This is the first study to link MS risk with obesity,’ study co-author Dr. Kassandra L. Munger of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston told Reuters Health in a telephone interview. Munger and her colleagues studied women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II over a 40 year period. Participants answered questions throughout the study about weight, height, body size, smoking and exercise habits, and disease status. Among the more than 200,000 participants in the two groups, there were 593 cases of MS. The study found no association between MS risk and having a large body size at ages 5 and 10 or as an adult. However, obesity at age 18 was associated with a greater than twofold increased risk of MS and a large body size at age 20 was associated with a 96% increased...

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/20/eline/links/20091120elin006.html

Health Debate Overlooks Wellness Programs

“At least one-fourth of all U.S. adults are obese. About one in five smokes. Fewer than half get the recommended amount of physical activity. Despite Americans' poor lifestyle choices and the chronic problems they spawn, health care reform legislation that Congress is considering would do little to encourage people to live healthy lives, according to New Jersey experts. Advocates say Congress is missing an opportunity to expand medicine's focus beyond the diagnosis and treatment of illness. They say lawmakers should do more to boost efforts to prevent the onset of diseases by improving the mental and physical well-being of Americans. Steven Liga, who heads the Middlesex County chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence [and past president of the New Jersey Prevention Network], said Congress should require employer-sponsored insurance plans to cover more wellness and prevention procedures and strategies. ‘It will cost less if people stay healthy. If people are encouraged to have better diets, exercise more...

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20091123/NEWS01/911230322/1006/news01/Health-debate-overlooks-wellness-programs

Exercise Important In Teens' Blood Pressure Control

“Regular exercise may help keep teenagers' blood pressure in check, regardless of their body weight, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among nearly 1,300 Canadian teenagers they followed for five years, declining exercise levels over time were linked to small increases in blood pressure. Gains in body fat were also linked to blood pressure increases, but excess weight did not fully account for the relationship between exercise and blood pressure changes --especially in girls. The implication, the researchers report in the American Journal of Epidemiology, is that both weight and exercise habits independently affect...

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/20/eline/links/20091120elin003.html

Picking The Right Personal Trainer Takes Work

“Whether it’s researching credentials or visiting gyms to find someone who will best meet a person’s goals, there’s an investment of time that’s needed before a person can get down to pumping iron or hitting the treadmill. Ben O’Donnell, a certified personal trainer with Brick Bodies in Perry Hall, said it’s critical to put in the effort to make sure a qualified trainer is found. He noted that with hundreds of Web sites offering personal trainer preparation courses – including some that can be completed in two days – it’s possible for someone with no fitness expertise to pass himself off as a trained professional. O’Donnell recommended looking for trainers who have undergone rigorous preparation through an accredited program. Potential clients should ask trainers where they were certified, O’Donnell said, and then check the Web site of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association to see if their certification program is recognized as a professionally accredited one. The site, www.ihrsa.org, lists programs accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ‘Most of these programs involve at least six months of bookwork, a proctored test and a live test with a practical exam,’ said O’Donnell, noting that legitimate programs also require trainers to be certified in first aid and CPR. Once a person knows that potential trainers are qualified, O’Donnell said the next step is to talk with them about their approach to exercise and coaching.”

http://www.catholicreview.org/subpages/PaperSpecSection.aspx?action=7209

BBC Signs 'Massive' Deal For Strictly Come Dancing Classes At Gym Chain

“They’ve trailed X Factor in the all-important ratings battle all series. Now the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing are waltzing back by signing a deal with nationwide gym chain Fitness First to launch Strictly Fit classes all over the country. Today business experts described the deal as 'massive'. BBC executives, who have refused to say how much the contract is worth, will be hoping the classes will persuade more gym-goers to tune in to the show on Saturday night after learning the hip-shaking dance moves during the week. The classes will be called Strictly Fit and will be free for members of the chain's 164 clubs but non-members will also be able to sign up, paying £25 for five classes. The classes will feature some of the most popular music and routines – including the jive, waltz and cha cha cha - used on the show, watched by approximately nine million people every Saturday. Marketing expert Dr Paul Harrigan, from the University of Southampton, described the agreement as a 'massive deal' for both organisations. He said: 'This will really help promote both of the brands and is very much mutually beneficial. 'Fitness First can get a whole new raft of members who might not have considered them as an option before. 'There are so many fitness clubs and gyms, they need something to differentiate them from the rest. Strictly can really do this.'”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1229290/BBC-signs-massive-deal-Strictly-Come-Dancing-classes-gym-chain.html

New MMA Gym Is One-Of-A-Kind In Central Jersey

“MMA stands for mixed martial arts, a fusion of striking sports, such as boxing, kickboxing and karate, with the grappling of wrestling, judo and Brazilian jiu jitsu (or BJJ). The sign has been a beacon for nearly 100 warriors inspired by the country’s fastest-growing sport. They have been flocking to the two-month-old Strategic Combat Academy because of its superior equipment and top-notch training. ‘I came by because I saw the sign,’ said Sam Burkhardt, a 20-year-old from Old Bridge. ‘Now I’m here six days a week, three hours a day.’ Inside a padded steel cage -- that is square rather than the octagon shape made famous by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and other MMA promotions -- Burkhardt often is joined by 20 others for two- to three-minute rounds of punching, striking and conditioning in owner John Narleski’s “sick” MMA class. A one-time state champion kickboxer, Narleski retired just before the UFC made MMA mainstream. Now he’s back training everyone from newbies, whose addiction to the sport led them into his gym, to amateur and professional fighters. The lifelong Sayreville resident said he opened a gym to which he wanted to belong, one he couldn’t find anywhere else in Central Jersey, yet are plentiful in the MMA mecca of Las Vegas, as well as such strongholds as California and Florida.”

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20091119/BUSINESS/91119098/-1/newsfront/New-MMA-gym-is-one-of-a-kind-in-Central-Jersey

Fitness Center Plans Receive Extension

“Visions of a bigger and better River Valley Family Fitness are still in the works, but finishing the plans is taking longer than expected. The Yuba City Planning Commission approved a request Wednesday for an extension of a previously approved development plan for the property at Tharp and Butte House roads. The applicants told the commission they anticipate plans for the 74,000-square-foot health club and 4,500-square-foot office building to be finished in early 2010 and construction to start in late spring. Those planning the new center also own the Feather River Racquet & Health Club on Jones Road.”

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/plans-88833-center-approved.html

Appeals Board Approves Height Variance For Tennis Courts

“Members of Salina’s Board of Zoning Appeals took little time Thursday in approving a request to allow the new Genesis Health Club in South Salina to raise the roof in building a new tennis complex. The health club, at the southwest corner of Ninth and Cloud streets, planned to build an addition onto its south side to house four tennis courts and two racquetball courts. The owners wanted to have at least 35 feet of ceiling space to meet U.S. Tennis Federation guidelines. But city code limits building heights in that area to 35 feet — and the building needs some five feet of space above the ceiling for structure, insulation and wiring. City staff had recommended approving the variation from code, noting that the indoor tennis courts have ‘unique requirements’ and that the additional five feet of height wouldn’t affect neighboring properties. The appeals board voted 6-0 in favor of the plan.”

http://www.salina.com/news/story/appeals-board-11-19-09

Health Club To Hold Charity Run For Santas

“Winter weather won't dampen the spirits of a 5km Santa Jog to be held in Preston next month. The charity challenge will take place on the treadmills at Preston Carrefour Health Club, Preston Docks, on Saturday December 12. Entry is free and people can keep their Santa suits, which are provided, but a minimum of £25 sponsorship is required. Money raised will be donated to British Heart Foundation. Barbara Dunn, from the British Heart Foundation said: ‘We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the staff at Carrefour.’”

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Health-club-to-hold-charity.5843212.jp

Can-Fit-Pro to Provide CPR Training to All GoodLife Fitness Clubs

“Can-Fit-Pro, the largest provider of education in the Canadian fitness industry, has signed a deal to be the official provider of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) training and certification for all GoodLife Fitness clubs. Each year, this CPR training will educate and certify more than 7200 associates in 160 clubs across Canada. ‘Ensuring that our Associates are properly trained and hold current certification is essential to providing a high level of safety in our clubs and we are committed to maintaining a safe environment for our members and associates,’ said GoodLife Fitness Health & Safety Officer, Rob Duncan. ‘We are pleased to work with GoodLife Fitness on this critical endeavour,’ said Nathalie Lacombe, Certification Director, Can-Fit-Pro. ‘Being equipped with the skills to administer CPR increases safety and we will help GoodLife meet their high standard for providing a safe fitness facility.’ CPR training and certification is available through Can-Fit-Pro's network of PRO Trainers to both professionals and consumers. A range of certification courses, including CPR, are available at www.canfitpro.com . To meet the high demand for CPR training, Can-Fit-Pro is also accepting applications for qualified PRO Trainers. For more information, visit www.canfitpro.com.”

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2009/18/c2657.html

CYBEX Introduces Gordhamer to Cybex Capital Group

“Cybex International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CYBI), a leading manufacturer of premium exercise equipment for the commercial and consumer markets, announced today Thomas J. Gordhamer has joined Cybex Capital as Vice President. Gordhamer has over 30 years experience in the financial services industry and comes to Cybex Capital from Icon Capital Corporation based in New York City where he originated financing opportunities. Over the course of his career, Gordhamer has produced over $1 billion in financed transactions. At Cybex Capital, he will be looking to expand the number of domestic and international funding partners offering both leases and loans for the commercial buyers of CYBEX fitness equipment. According to Chuck Lemar, President of Cybex Capital, ‘Tom Gordhamer adds significant value to the Cybex Capital Group and his success in adding new funding sources will be a real plus for our Customers.’ Cybex Capital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cybex International, Inc. offering a wide range of financing solutions for customers across the nation.”

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091119005552&newsLang=en

Gym Raises Money, Awareness For Diabetes

November is the month when diet and exercise often take a back seat to eating and celebrating the holiday season. November is also National Diabetes Month, so Gold’s Gym took the opportunity to remind the community how important it is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. On Saturday, World Diabetes Day, 30 people, gym members and other participants from throughout San Angelo, held a ‘spin-a-thon’ to benefit the American Diabetes Association. They participated in one-hour, two-hour or the full three hours of cranking 30 stationery exercise bicycles in the Gold’s Gym parking lot on Sunset Boulevard. John Flint, general manager of the gym, said Gold’s works closely with the American Diabetes Association and other diabetes organizations. According to the ADA’s Web site, 23.6 million children and adults in the United States — 7.8 percent of the population — have diabetes. While there are some uncontrollable causes of the disease, such as ethnicity, age and family history, some contributing factors are within the individual’s control: a healthy diet, regular vigorous exercise, and not smoking are three ways to decrease the risk of getting diabetes. ‘You are in control of your own destiny with this disease,’ said Dawn Empey, a diabetes educator from Shannon Medical Center. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, can be controlled by medicine, a healthy diet and exercise.’”

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/nov/17/gym-raises-money-awareness-for-diabetes

Strength Training Can Help People With Lung Disease

“People with chronic lung disease like emphysema or bronchitis can strengthen their arms and legs with resistance training, and this strength may help them perform everyday tasks more easily, a new review of 18 studies confirms. Rehabilitation programs are intended to help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who often experience loss of muscle strength and fatigue, learn to exercise safely, Dr. Simone D. O'Shea of Charles Sturt University in Albury, New South Wales, Australia and her colleagues note in their report in the medical journal Chest. There has been a growing emphasis in such programs on progressive resistance training, in which a person moves increasingly heavy weights to improve their strength...

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/18/eline/links/20091118elin007.html

New Fitness Center in Ridgefield Offers One-on-One Personal Training and Customized Nutrition Plans

“Personal Training Professionals (PTP) of New Canaan has opened a new facility Ridgefield, Connecticut. PTP of Ridgefield is the company's first franchise location and is owned and operated by Chris Carlson, a Redding native and long-time PTP employee. PTP of Ridgefield offers personal training and nutritional counseling and will likely provide one-on-one Pilates and massage therapy in the future.”

http://www.pr.com/press-release/193786

Gold's Gym Inks Retail Deal for 19,500 SF

“Gold's Gym signed a 15-year deal for 19,500 square feet at 1880 E. Hammer Lane in Stockton, CA. The company plans to open the new location in January of next year.”

http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=6D4F515C81188A6CEF1D1BE93EC26A70

Top 10 Fitness Trends From 2009

“The non-profit American Council on Exercise (ACE) has announced the top ten fitness trends from 2009, based on its annual survey of personal trainers, group fitness experts, advanced health and fitness specialists and lifestyle and weight management consultants. The survey revealed that boot camp-style workouts, which were named the most popular workout in 2008, were also the most popular fitness trend in 2009. The following represents ACE's listing of the top trends for 2009: 1. Boot Camp-Style Workouts: 2. Budget-Friendly Workouts: 3. Specialty Classes: 4. Getting Back to Basics 5. Circuit Training 6. Kettlebells 7. Boomer Fitness 8. Technology-Based Fitness 9. Event or Sport-Specific Exercises 10. Mixing It Up.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/sns-health-2009-fitness-trends,0,6714838.story

MAC Expands Business To Gloucester

“The Manchester Athletic Club is building more than just its members' muscles these days. The business is expanding into Gloucester which will not only help more Cape Ann residents stay healthy — but help the local economy as well. The new gym located on Whistlestop Way next to the Commuter Rail Station is slated to open in early December and will be known as ‘MAC Fitness.’ ‘We are really proud that in this economy we were able to get financing, create jobs (in Gloucester) and expand our business,’ said Jay Herson, assistant general manager at the Manchester Athletic Club. ‘The strength of the fitness industry on Cape Ann is strong.’ Herson said that despite the current economic situation, the club's membership in Manchester has been up by 10 percent with many members coming in from Gloucester. And because of this strong membership from the city, the company started looking into a new location in Gloucester since last January before settling on the Whistlestop Way location. ‘We already had members from Gloucester,’ said Herson, ‘and we knew we had an opportunity (in the city) and thought our brand of fitness would work well in Gloucester.’ Herson said it was the staff, equipment and the experience that sets MAC apart from other gyms.”

http://www.gloucestertimes.com/pubiz/local_story_320223714.html?keyword=secondarystory

Increased Obesity Hindering Success At Reducing Heart Disease Risk

“The dramatic increase in overweight and obesity in adult Americans over the past 20 years has undermined public health success at reducing risk for heart disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009. ‘Despite focused public health efforts, there is no net improvement in the overall cardiovascular risk factor profile over the past two decades in the U.S. population,’ said Kami Banks, M.D., M.P.H., lead investigator of the study and a cardiology research fellow in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Banks is calling on the medical community to put more emphasis on prevention to reverse the obesity trend. ‘Lifestyle changes and physical activity are key,’ she said. ‘As physicians we need to prescribe prevention - writing exercise prescriptions and healthy dietary prescriptions just like we prescribe medication.’”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171305.php

Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious

“The stress-reducing changes wrought by exercise on the brain don’t happen overnight, however, as virtually every researcher agrees. In the University of Colorado experiments, for instance, rats that ran for only three weeks did not show much reduction in stress-induced anxiety, but those that ran for at least six weeks did. ‘Something happened between three and six weeks,’ says Benjamin Greenwood, Ph.D., a research associate in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado, who helped conduct the experiments. ‘It’s not clear how that translates’ into an exercise prescription for humans. We may require...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/phys-ed-why-exercise-makes-you-less-anxious/

Fitness: Sitting, But Not Pretty

“According to a study published in the July 2008 edition of Current Cardiovascular Risk Results, the health consequences that develop from too much sitting are very different from those that result from too little exercise. In fact, the authors of the study have gone as far as labeling prolonged sitting as ‘a distinct health hazard.’ A study in the journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine showed that workers who spent 95 per cent of their day sitting increased their risk of neck pain. How do you conquer the effects of prolonged sitting? Exercise helps...

http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/editorials/Fitness+Sitting+pretty/2231242/story.html

New Data Shows Obesity Costs Will Grow to $344 Billion by 2018

“A new study released today shows that rising obesity rates will continue to be an increasing burden on the health care system over the next decade. The report, titled, ‘The Future Cost of Obesity: National and State Estimates of the Impact of Obesity on Direct Health Care Expenses,’ is the first to estimate obesity prevalence and costs at the state and national level 10 years from now. Based on research by Emory University health care economist Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), the report was commissioned by UnitedHealth Foundation, Partnership for Prevention, and American Public Health Association in conjunction with their annual America’s Health Rankings report. The new data shows that if current trends continue, 43 percent of U.S. adults will be obese and obesity spending will quadruple to $344 billion by 2018. However, if obesity rates are instead held at current levels, the U.S. would save nearly $200 billion in health care costs. ‘At a time when Congress is looking for savings in health care, this data confirms what we already knew: obesity is where the money is,’ said Thorpe. ‘Because obesity is related to the onset of so many other illnesses, stopping the growth of obesity in the U.S. is vital not only to our health - but also to the solvency of our health care system.’”

http://www.fightchronicdisease.org/media/statements/pfcd/ObesityRates.cfm

New Face of Fitness in Croydon

“The look and feel of the fitness club. On Friday 20th November, management will unveil the stunning new venue with a party for members, local businesses and anyone interested in the new concept. Owners Matthew Russell and Calum Ross have invested considerably to replace the old equipment with brand new state-of-the-art Precor cardio equipment with personal viewing screens and a new range of resistance equipment, including a section of functional cable equipment. The club will also have the new Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT), which allows the user to alter their motion at the slightest whim resulting in no two workouts ever feeling the same. No other fitness club in Croydon has this unique equipment. Calum Ross said: ‘The refurbishment will create a completely new look to the club and demonstrate that énergie is the most modern and vibrant place to train in Croydon. We are bringing the very latest equipment on the market to...

http://www.franchiseek.com/NewsDetail.asp?NewsID=643

Gold's Gym Pumping Up Local Economy [video]

“Don't let the Gold's gym that's open now fool you: it's just temporary. The smaller space, currently equipped with a few cardio machines and weights will soon be replaced by a 45,000 square foot, $2.5 million project. Gold's is moving into the Hastings building in the shopping center off of highway 395. Hastings' lease ends December 31 and construction on the gym will start soon after. In addition to weights and cardio machines, the floor plan calls for a pool, racquetball court, spin class rooms and a kid zone. The plan should also bring between 200 and 300 jobs. Part of that is for gym employees and the other part are for local construction sub-contractors. Two years of market research brought Gold's to the Tri Cities. ‘It's one of very few communities that had positive growth when a lot of other cities had negative growth for the economic challenge that we had. So that was positive for us,’ Bill Roberts said, General Manager of the Kennewick Gold's Gym.”

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/70078842.html

Healthy Worker Programs Survive Economic Crisis

“Keeping workers healthy, happy and at work through so-called wellness programs remains a priority for many companies despite financial pressures from the global economic downturn, a survey found on Monday. Globally, most employers offer at least one program -- ranging from a flu shot to gym discounts - to ward off health risks such as poor nutrition, obesity, inactivity and stress, said the poll by human resources firm Buck Consultants. Barry Hall, global research leader for Buck, said in the past an economic downturn brought the end of wellness programs and while a quarter of companies said they had been forced to reduce their initiatives, another 19 percent had actually boosted attempts to keep employees healthy. ’We're finding that it is by far not the first thing to be cut,’ he said. ‘The belief and the whole objective and reasons for putting in these programs in the first place are different than they were in the past.’ More than 1,100 employers from 45 countries representing more than 10 million workers responded to the online survey, which was offered in 10 languages and answered by senior or mid-level managers with health or wellness responsibilities. The survey found 64 percent of the employers polled said they had a wellness strategy, up from 60 percent last year and 49 percent in 2007, but two-thirds of those said they had not completely implemented their plans.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5AF2VX20091116

Nintendo Wii May Provide Actual Exercise

“The new active Wii video games from Nintendo Co Ltd may be creating a healthier generation of couch potato, according to a new study presented on Monday. Some of the Nintendo Wii sports games and activities included in the Wii fit series, both of which require video- game enthusiasts to get up off the couch, may increase energy expenditure as much as moderate intensity exercise without ever leaving the TV room, researchers said at the American Heart Association (AHA) scientific meeting in Orlando. ‘It's a very easy and fun way to start exercising,’ said Motohiko Miyachi, head of a physical activity program at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo, who led the study. The Nintendo-funded study found that about one-third of the games and activities included in the Wii sports and Wii fit packages require an energy expenditure of 3.0 METs or above, which is considered to be moderate intensity exercise, according to AHA exercise guidelines.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5AF3AR20091116

Rock walls: Climb Every Fiberglass Mountain

"British climber George Mallory famously said he wanted to climb Mount Everest because it was there.But there or not, experts agree that climbing is a great workout, so if you cannot get to a mountain, fitness centers are bringing a mountain to you. Rock climbing walls have been cropping up in gyms and on playgrounds ever since Don Robinson, a British lecturer in physical education, created the first one in 1964. By 2005 at least 9 million people were estimated to be participating in the sport in the United States alone.’Indoor rock climbing is one of the best workouts you can imagine,’ said climbing instructor Abby Nelson of Chelsea Piers Sports Center, which offers climbing classes in New York City. ‘You use legs, core, arms, hands, and it gets the adrenalin running.’ In fact, Nelson said scaling the 65-square-foot indoor rock wall at Chelsea Piers can be a more efficient workout than climbing the real thing."

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5AF1XO20091116

Yoga Helps Even Little Ones Channel Energy, Emotion [slideshow]

“Gigi reaches up into her sun salutation. She steps back into her high lunge and kicks her legs straight into plank pose, a push-up she holds without wobbling for 10 seconds before looking up impatiently at her yoga teacher. It's close to 6 p.m. She's had a long day. She collapses on her mat, rolls on her back and closes her eyes. And then sends one finger digging up her nose. What? C'mon, she's only 5. This is yoga for kids. Once an oddity reserved for only the crunchiest communities, downward dog for the grade-school set is now being taught in studios from Minnetonka, Minnesota, to Moscow, Russia. And educators, including Chicago's Namaste School, which serves mostly poor kids who speak a language other than English, are turning to yoga to connect with a generation that many say has been dismissed as deficit this or hyperactive that. At Decatur Yoga and Pilates studio, just outside Atlanta, Georgia, Dylan Laakmann, sits quietly next to his mother. The lanky 12-year-old whose fashionably shorn hair hangs in his face, describes himself as a ‘downer’ before he started taking yoga two years ago.
‘I wasn't really that happy a kid, I guess, and my grades, they weren't that good,’ he says, his taut mouth easing as he relaxes in conversation. ‘I wasn't that joyful.’ Dylan's stoicism is broken for a moment by a dozen miniature yogis who've been unleashed in the studio. Kids like Gigi, some as young as 3, can take seven-week long sessions with names such as Charlie and the Chakra Factory and the Wizard of Ohm.”

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/13/kids.yoga/

Is Cardio Over? Strength Training Climbs List Of Fitness Trends

“‘Strength training,’ which is workout-speak for lifting weights, isn’t just for those who want to bulk up. More people are incorporating it into their existing routines, or in some cases going with an all-weight workout. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, strength training is moving from the men’s-only realm to women and ‘average exercisers.’ In its fourth annual survey of top fitness trends for the coming year, strength training is No. 2, up from fourth the past two years and sixth in 2007. What does this mean? More people are using weights and weight-machines not to get ripped, but simply stay in some semblance of shape, the ACSM says. And ‘it is not uncommon for cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, or metabolic disease management programs to include some form of weight training in the exercise prescription.’ Brad Davidson, who runs the Synergy Sports Institute in Costa Mesa, isn’t surprised that strength training is climbing the rankings. He specializes in it, and he believes cardio workouts and aerobics aren’t as efficient at reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass as strength training. ‘The best results come from heavy strength training,” said Davidson, whose clients turn over tractor tires and perform other old-fashioned techniques as part of his ‘country strong’ program.”

http://healthyliving.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/09/strength-training-climbs-list-of-fitness-trends/12593/

Baby Boomers Face More Health Problems Than Their Parents

They found that those now entering their 60s are more likely to have disabilities such as falling as a result of immobility, urinary incontinence, memory loss and dementia, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes. That data - gathered from studies performed over the last two decades - was seen as a foreshadowing of the trends facing Baby Boomers soon as they face their golden years. ‘If this is true, it's something we need to address,’ Teresa Seeman, UCLA professor of medicine and epidemiology and the study's principal investigator, said in the study. ‘If this trend continues unchecked, it will put increasing pressure on our society to take care of these disabled individuals. This would just put more of a burden on the health care system to address the higher levels of these problems.’ ‘It's discouraging that more people are disabled,’ Seeman said, because it can lead to an economic downfall. Seeman said more data must be looked at to determine a better solution to preventing such disabilities. The study will be published in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Public Health and was funded by the National Institute on Aging. Topper Helmers, 54, said he began going to the gym because he didn't like the way he felt and for personal reasons. His father died two years ago of complications of heart disease and diabetes. ‘My doctor told me I could be at risk of the same,’ said Helmers, who was working out with his wife Linda on the treadmills.”

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13773262?nclick_check=1

Train the Mind to Run Right Through Winter

“‘Why do people work out more in San Diego than in Michigan?’ asked James Pivarnik, an exercise physiologist at the Michigan State University. His study of Michigan residents found that people expended 15 to 20 percent more calories a week exercising in the spring and summer than they did in the fall and winter. Something similar seems to happen in Columbus, Ohio, said Janet Buckworth, an exercise physiologist at Ohio State University. She found that college students lost cardiovascular fitness in winter but maintained their strength, indicating that while some of them did not want to go outside and run, at least they may have been going to the gym. ‘Columbus is incredibly dreary in the winter,’ Dr. Buckworth said. ‘It is wet and cold, and we get snow.’ Dr. Buckworth said that, in her experience, it was the people who were new to exercise who gave up in bad weather. ‘If you are beyond the point that you are learning how to exercise, you can’t imagine not running in bad weather,’ she said

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/health/nutrition/12best.html?_r=1&sudsredirect=true

91-Year-Old Still Fit To Teach Exercise Class

“Eleanore Miller is 91. And she loves to exercise. ‘It keeps you alive,’ she says. The Hacienda Heights woman shares her passion with students at 24 Hour Fitness in Whittier, where she still teaches a weekly morning exercise class. ‘I learned all I know from Jack LaLanne,’ Miller said, ‘I watched him all the time on television.’ The local fitness buff said she's been teaching for the past 37 years. She missed class only once, when she broke her leg. ‘Her students love her,’ said David Drachand, manager of the fitness club. ‘They're always telling me how great she is. They're friends in and out of the club. They took her to breakfast on her birthday.’ ‘Eleanore is an amazing person,’ he said. ‘She'll come in early for her class so she can help everyone out. The other day I saw her talking to a young man about the importance of exercise. I think he was very impressed," Drachand said. ‘We're all hard pressed to keep up with her.’”

http://www.sbsun.com/living/ci_13765617

10 Ways To Cut Health-Care Costs Right Now

“2. DEVELOP A HEALTHY WORKFORCE - When Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) CEO William C. Weldon met with President Obama over the summer, he communicated a key message: Prevention pays. ‘Seventy percent of health-care costs could be prevented through lifestyle modification,’ says Dr. Fikry W. Isaac, J&J's executive director of global health services.

4. MAKE HEALTH A COMMUNITY EFFORT - We are not a fit nation. One-third of U.S. adults are obese, and health spending on this group grew 80% from 2001 to 2006, to $166.7 billion. In 2005, Wegmans Food Markets CEO Danny Wegman recruited six other local employers, including Bausch & Lomb, Eastman Kodak (EK), and Xerox (XRX), along with the Rochester Business Alliance, to set up a health and fitness program for all of the metropolitan area's 1.04 million people. The campaign, called ‘Eat Well. Live Well,’ challenges individuals to eat five cups of fruit and vegetables and walk 10,000 steps each day. More than 44,000 people have participated over the past three years, making it the world's largest wellness program.”

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_47/b4156034717852.htm

Kids’ Gym Biz Isn’t Playing Around

“Not everybody is taking a wait-and-see approach to planning budgets for 2010. Romp n’ Roll, a Richmond-based chain of kids’ gyms, wants to raise $1 million to $5 million as soon as possible to add more stores and recruit more franchisees for markets around the country. And time is of the essence, say the two owners – a husband-and-wife team of Mike and Babz Barnett – because the declining commercial real estate market is a golden opportunity to lock in lower operating costs. Romp n’ Roll, which was started in 2003 with a loan through the SBA, operates two gyms in the Richmond area and has eight franchise...

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2009/11/12/kids’-gym-biz-isn’t-playing-around/

Snap Fitness Opens Its First Oklahoma Club

“Snap Fitness has opened its first health club in Oklahoma and has hit the ground running with its member-friendly policies and equipment. Local franchise owners Isaac and Candy Williams said they were drawn to this venture because of Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett’s campaign to put the city on a diet. But they wanted to operate a fitness center that made working out easier for everyday people. ‘It’s a small, neighborhood type of gym as opposed to a large, extravagant gym that you can almost get lost in,’ Isaac Williams said. ‘We get to know our members on a first-name basis, and they get to know us.’...

http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=104337

Best Buy Leaps into Fitness Equipment

“Best Buy Co. wants to get your pulse racing over more than the hottest new laptops and TVs. Starting Wednesday the electronics chain will sell health and fitness equipment in 40 stores across the U.S. It may seem like a stretch for it to branch into territory dominated by sporting goods stores and chains like Sears and Target, but Best Buy said it is a natural extension. ‘We're offering the latest and greatest technology in health and fitness,’ said Steve Trier, director for new categories at Best Buy. ‘There's been a lot of change in that industry and what these products can do for our customers and their lives.’ Of more than 1,000 stores nationwide, 40 in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas will offer equipment related to running, walking, swimming, yoga and other activities, including pedometers, special MP3 players, yoga mats, scales and blood pressure monitors. They also will offer treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines. In some locations, customers will be able to try out the equipment. The products also are available online at http://www.bestbuy.com.”

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gQdrE2TtN-TBmWO5ZPW-t2hC0RbQD9BT4ABG2

Attack of the Clones: The Rise of Standardized Group Exercise

“No matter what gym you're in, a treadmill will operate basically the same way. Ditto for a set of hand weights. But when you walk into a group exercise studio for the first time, there's usually no way of really knowing what you're going to get -- and that's a problem for the folks in charge, who want to ensure you'll never leave bored or frustrated. ‘Group exercise is about members, not the instructor. If the name of the class is the same, no matter who's up there, it should be the same class,’ says Adriane Morgan, group fitness director for the local Vida chain (Vidafitness.com). So, in the past few months she's introduced Group Centergy, Group Step, Group Power, Group Kick and Group Groove. It's the D.C.-area debut for the programs developed by Body Training Systems (BTS), an Atlanta-based company that gives instructors new music, moves and teaching techniques every three months, freeing them to focus on the experience.”

http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2009/11/group-exercise-gym.php

Harkin: Prevention Is Underrated As Cost Saver

“‘Sometimes, I just wonder where their heads are,’ Harkin said in a conference call with Iowa reporters. ‘They’re all talking about bending the cost curve by restricting payments for sick people.… ‘What they’re missing is that there is only one, real surefire way to bend the cost curve:.More money for prevention and wellness. Keeping people healthy in the first place,’ he said. He said the Congressional Budget Office ‘refuses’ to estimate savings from prevention as part of its cost projections for the bill. He argues that private-sector wellness programs have shown savings. The CBO has..

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2009/11/10/harkin-prevention-is-underrated-as-cost-sav

Exercise The Cure For Diabetic Marathon Man

“An exercise-first lifestyle has helped a marathon runner live with diabetes without needing to take medication. Anil Gupta, 58, of Wellesley Road, Ilford, has taken part in 25 races, including in Brazil, India and Canada, since he was diagnosed with the condition 10 years ago. The optician, who takes weekly classes in aerobics, badminton, boxing, squash and running, believes his fitness first way of living has allowed him to avoid taking tablets. He said: ‘It's a personal choice that leaves me in control. I've always been active but diabetes opened my eyes to the importance of exercise and I'm grateful for that.’ Health experts say regular exercise helps body fat to be burned off naturally, which in turn keeps blood sugar levels at an acceptable level without the need for medication.”

http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/content/redbridge/recorder/news/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=newsIlford&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsilford&itemid=WeED11%20Nov%202009%2009%3A56%3A37%3A737

Fitness Centre Plan Is In Starting Blocks

“A health and fitness centre with a full-sized boxing ring may open in Staffordshire. A planning application for a gym on Burntwood Business Park, in Cobbett Road, has been submitted by Raw Iron Gym Ltd. The fitness centre would be built over two floors and include a boxing ring, separate women’s gym with cardio equipment and weights as well as areas for fitness classes. A dance studio would also be built by the applicant, Raw Iron Gym Ltd, which already runs fitness centre Muscle Beach. That gym has been open for almost 21 years in Chasetown High Street. Owner Ian Edwards said today he was looking to expand..."

http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/11/11/fitness-centre-plan-is-in-starting-blocks/

Employees, Members Buy Mountain's Edge Fitness Center

“A group of employees and members of Mountain's Edge Fitness Center have pooled their resources to buy the south Boulder club. Long-time employee Shannon Derby and about a dozen other people purchased the 10-year-old club from founder Donald Scott Carew, who earlier this year was indicted along with an Erie man on charges they conducted a Ponzi scheme through an electronics company called Genius Inc. The fitness center was not implicated as being part of the alleged $10 million-plus scheme, according to the state's indictment. The purchase -- the terms of which were not disclosed -- is not expected to affect terms of the 900 members' contracts, their classes or the staff members with whom they interact, Derby said. ‘I believe that the structure of the new business model is really incredibly representative of what we have here,’ she said. ‘And what we have here, is a community...’ ‘We're really not a club for people to join; we're a place where people want to belong.’ Mountain's Edge Fitness Center has performed well during the recession, she said. During August, 42 percent of the 56 clubs surveyed by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association reported their revenue from fees and member dues were down by more than 5 percent from August 2008. However, 52 percent of the survey respondents indicated their non-dues revenue was either steady or increased in August 2009 from August 2008, officials for the nonprofit trade association said. Association officials also expressed optimism about the future, noting 80 percent of the respondents reported comparable or increased visits. ‘Like all industries, we've seen our ups and downs in the economy, but we've remained steady,’ said Kara M. Thompson, a spokeswoman for the association.”

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_13749571

Interactive Fitness Holdings® Announces Itself

“Interactive Fitness Holdings® (“IFH”), announced that it had acquired the assets and intellectual property of Expresso Fitness as part of a larger strategy to acquire, organize and deliver a wide range of interactive fitness solutions to commercial customers. These products are being re-launched as the Expresso line by Interactive Fitness Holdings. ‘Products like Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution have demonstrated a large and growing consumer market for interactive fitness products and services,’ said Bill Stensrud, Chairman of IFH. ‘The commercial market is just as exciting but lacks a compelling range of products with sound financial support; IFH will bring breakthrough solutions to commercial fitness facilities in the US and around the world.’ ‘Acquiring the Expresso technology is the first step,’ Bill continued. ‘Expresso built a disruptive product line which was embraced with great enthusiasm by the commercial market. This is a terrific platform on which to build.’”

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091110005851&newsLang=en

Anytime Fitness Opens Center in Mays Landing

“The region's first Anytime Fitness center has opened in the Festival at Hamilton, the second major fitness chain to move into the area this fall. Anytime Fitness has more than 1,200 centers in North America and about 15 in New Jersey, and he expects more will open in this region soon. Members can use any of them. The opening comes a month after another fast-growing chain, Retro Fitness, opened its 42nd N.J. center in Egg Harbor Township. Fitness centers have remained in surprisingly good shape despite the severe U.S. recession. According to figures from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, the number of fitness clubs in New Jersey jumped from 1,027 in 2007 to 1,252 in 2008 - nearly a 25 percent increase in a year - after remaining stable since 2004. Some of the increase can be attributed to people starting their own businesses as a means of dealing with a difficult economy and employment picture. But association spokeswoman Rosemary Lavery said Monday that people are reluctant to give up their exercise regimens, especially in more stressful times. ‘The recession is affecting every business, but one of the great things about fitness centers is that healthy activity is always going to be good for you,’ Lavery said. ‘People are not willing to compromise their health.’ The association also expects that fitness centers will get a boost from health care reform's emphasis on preventive care. ‘Clearly, obesity is a national issue. We're hoping that prevention and wellness incentives get added into the reform plan,’ Lavery said.”

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/business/article_ea440302-cd96-11de-a00b-001cc4c002e0.html

Anytime Fitness Opens Center in Mays Landing“The region's first Anytime Fitness center has opened in the Festival at Hamilton, the second major fitnes

Anytime Fitness Opens Center in Mays Landing“The region's first Anytime Fitness center has opened in the Festival at Hamilton, the second major fitnes

Everlast Tries To Get Back In The Fight

…”The important thing for us is not to just be 100 years old, but to be relevant,’ says Everlast President Adam Geisler, who was promoted to the top job in March 2008 after seven years in marketing with the company. That means celebrating the company's centennial with an Ali Collection, a catalogue of gloves, headgear, heavy bags and other equipment targeted to fitness fiends who prefer boxing as part of a workout regimen. It also means a partnership deal with health club chain 24 Hour Fitness to promote shadow boxing as a workout routine, with veteran pro Shane Mosely as chief demonstrator. Then there's the onrushing wave of Mixed Martial Arts, which Everlast has been smart enough to embrace rather than resist. A viral video campaign, ‘What are you Fighting For?’ is scheduled to launch soon on Twitter and Facebook.”

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/09/everlast-boxing-reyes-business-sports-everlast.html

Fighting Obesity May Take a Village

“Exercise more. Avoid junk food. Such common-sense health advice has proved no match against the temptations of modern life, which have sent obesity rates around the world soaring. Now, government officials in a number of countries are pursing an aggressive new strategy: enlisting entire communities to insulate people from these temptations and make healthier choices easier. As a result, hundreds of towns in Europe and elsewhere have adopted a version of this strategy, aimed particularly at preventing children from becoming overweight and obese. They hired dietitians to counsel children and their families in schools, organized walk-to-school days, hired sports educators and built new sporting facilities. The U.S. government, meanwhile, is increasing its funding for cities and towns to pursue so-called community-based obesity prevention, in an effort to gather data about which kinds of tactics work best.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703808904574525462710954426.html

Fitness When The Weather Outside Is Frightful

“Baby, it's cold outside. Or, if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, it soon will be. And that means 'tis the season when extra pounds can pile up faster than frost on a pumpkin. But fitness experts say that with a little extra effort you can successfully bring your workout in from the cold. ‘The real key is to stick with it. Stay motivated and don't let the winter get the best of you,’ said Kerri O'Brien, an exercise physiologist with Life Fitness, which designs and manufactures exercise equipment. ‘In winter we cover up a lot more and we don't have the threat of the dreaded bikinis, so we negotiate with ourselves,’ she said. ‘The average American gains eight pounds over the holidays.’ And then they hit the gym. Keith Worts, chief operating officer of the Crunch national health club chain, says attendance always spikes in winter. ‘We have about 25 percent more members joining,’ Worts said. ‘People can't go outside to run and bike.’ Worts said as the seasons change, so do the fitness classes. A summer workout geared to getting clientele ready for their bikinis will likely give way to a winter "pre-ski" class that strengthens leg muscles for the slopes. He said the economic downturn has even more people flocking to clubs as the thermometer plunges. ‘It helps your mind cope with stress and anxiety. The days are shorter. You get cooped up, especially in New York apartments. And it's a place to go.’ ‘Health clubs during the winter are great because you don't have to feel the environmental factors,’ McCall [spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise] said.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5A81II20091109

Let’s Get Physical – China’s Fitness Industry Boom

“Now 30, Jiao Ying is one of a new generation of Chinese urban professionals who are spending their hard-earned renminbi on themselves, giving rise to lifestyle industries such as fashion, design and fitness. Though Jiao says that she and her husband are rarities in their social circle for their gym memberships — most of her female friends go to yoga clubs and her male friends to a soccer field or basketball court for their exercise — they are part of a rising number of bailing, white collar workers, who are fuelling a fitness industry boom that has seen the number of gyms in urban areas explode over the past decade. Just ten years ago there was a dearth of fitness clubs on the Chinese mainland. Anyone who wanted to exercise was forced to seek out hotel gyms, which often charged exorbitant rates affordable only to foreigners and rich Chinese. But in 2000, international commercial fitness clubs such as Bally Total Fitness began popping up in Shanghai, says Matt Lewis, vice president of Fitlosophy Group, which acquires and runs local clubs. The following year the trend spread to Beijing, and the year after that, to third- and fourth-tier cities around the country. Shanghai is now home to over 300 clubs, both local and international, and Beijing to over 400....

http://www.cibmagazine.com.cn/Features/Trend.asp?id=1125&let_s_get_physical___china_s_fitness_industry_boom.html

Corporate Wellness Programs Show Strength In Downturn

Jimmy Mak, senior vice president of Larry North Fitness and manager of the Fort Worth and Southlake clubs, says he sees the benefits to employees from such programs first hand nearly every day. ‘I hear it all time from someone who starts on the program,” Mak said. ‘The effects are cumulative. After a few weeks they come up and say, ‘I feel great.’ ‘For a lot of our members, no matter what kind of exercise program they do, I think the biggest level is not the visual results – that may come in time – but how much better they feel. They tend to sleep better at night, are more productive and make conscious food decisions that keep them consistent in the program.’ Larry North Fitness originally opened its downtown Fort Worth location 11 years ago to offer a corporate fitness program for Carter-Burgess (now Jacob Engineering) employees. It serves several downtown businesses as part of its corporate wellness program.”...

http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=11363

Moderate Exercise May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

“Men who regularly get moderate exercise may have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer -- including aggressive, fast-growing tumors, a new study finds. Researchers found that among 190 men who underwent biopsies for possible prostate cancer, those who exercised moderately -- the equivalent of three to six hours of walking per week -- were less likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Compared with their sedentary counterparts, these men were two-thirds less likely to have a biopsy positive for prostate cancer. In addition, men who got the equivalent of one to three hours of walking each week had an 86 percent lower chance of having an aggressive form of the cancer. The findings, which appear in the current issue of the Journal of Urology, do not prove that exercise helps prevent prostate cancer. But they could offer men yet more incentive to get active. ‘If you need one more reason to exercise, this could be one,’ said senior researcher Dr. Stephen J. Freedland, of the Duke University Prostate Center and the VA Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.”

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/06/eline/links/20091106elin002.html

Bettering Your Body and the World

“Adrienne Spahr smelled something funny every time she worked out at Vida Fitness, a swanky health club at Verizon Center. But the founder of Green Living Consulting wasn't laughing. She knew that the offending odor came from noxious chemicals in the cleaning products. ‘And that was not okay,’ she says. So Spahr approached the general manager with a proposal to give the gym an eco-makeover. A year later, things are in much better shape: High-wattage light bulbs have been swapped for compact fluorescents, recycling receptacles are prominently displayed and the janitors use all-natural products. Those practices have spread to the two other Vida locations, and owner David von Storch is aiming for LEED Platinum certification for the forthcoming U Street club by overhauling the building: Plans call for heat generated from exercisers to help warm the water for the showers and rooftop pool, and rainwater will find new life in the club's toilets and urinals..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/02/AR2009110203130.html

LA Fitness in Hemet Changes Hands

“Eden Group LLC acquired the LA Fitness in Hemet, CA, from Sanderson Plaza LLC (75 percent Interest) and JNT Investments LLC (25 percent interest) for $8.45 million, or about $170 per square foot. The 50,000-square-foot health club building, located at 220 N. Sanderson Ave., was built in 2008 on nearly five acres. The property is fully leased to LA Fitness International under 15-year, triple net terms. Mark Thiel of Marcus & Millichap represented both parties in the transaction.”

http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=9DF29AA84BD78210542CC599B6EF82B5

Downtown Aspen Gets A New (Old) Health Club

“After a two-month closure, the former Aspen Athletic Club reopened under a new name and new ownership on Nov. 1. Jean-Robert Barbette opened J.R.’s Gym in the 12,000-square-foot downstairs space of the building at the corner of Hyman and Original. Added to the higher-end facility he’s had and added to for 20 years on the top floor of the building, the Belgian fitness master now controls 16,000 square feet of prime downtown workout space.
’Seventy people were in here on Monday morning, former Aspen Athletic Club members,’ Barbette said. ‘They were all so happy to see each other, to be back.’”

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/137533

Fitness When You Want It

“For those who work beyond the normal 9-5, just getting to the gym can be a workout. For those late-night gym rats, there’s a club with their name on it, and the door is always open. Anytime Fitness, set to open in the Brick Kiln Plaza this December, offers a feature unique among gyms, yet one perfectly catered to those with a longer-than-average workday - a 24-hour facility. Owner Wade Winters said it is this feature that has allowed Anytime Fitness to expand to over 1,200 locations in the United States. He said the open-door policy is perfectly suited to those with long workdays, such as police officers, firefighters and restaurant owners. ‘It’s for those that have odd hours,’ said Winters. ‘We provide that type of convenience.’ Winters said Anytime Fitness will be an adult-only facility, though exceptions may be made if younger members want to join. He said the goal is to create the “club culture” environment, where members feel relaxed and comfortable. The club has a much smaller footprint than most gyms, only 3,000 square feet, which Winters said helps add to the atmosphere often seen at other Anytime Fitness locations. ‘We want you to feel like Norm from Cheers,’ Winters said.”

http://www.wickedlocal.com/billerica/news/x1312017681/Fitness-when-you-want-it

Region Tops In N.Y. For Obesity

“The numbers don’t look good. Two of three adults in the Finger Lakes region are either overweight or obese, according to a report released last week by Excellus BlueCross Blue-Shield. What’s more, the region has the highest rate of obesity statewide, according to the report based on 2007 data from the state Department of Health. For purposes of the study, the Finger Lakes region includes Ontario, Wayne, Monroe, Livingston, Yates and Seneca counties. Overweight and obesity levels were defined using Body Mass Index (BMI), a generally accepted method for classifying a person’s weight. ‘The benefits of a healthy diet and active lifestyle are known to everyone,’ stated Dr. Robert Holzhauer, Excellus’ chief medical officer. ‘Yet when it comes to the number of adults who are overweight or obese, we’ve gone from bad to worse.’ People with weight problems are more likely to develop a host of ailments, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Excess annual medical costs due to obesity are at $362 million, according to the report.”

http://www.mpnnow.com/news/x801093593/Region-tops-in-N-Y-for-obesity

The Importance Of Exercise, Healthy Heart [Video]

“We all know by now that exercise is good for your heart, but what exactly is it about exertion that gets your ticker pumping? For the past couple of years, a group has been working with the Harvard athletics department to examine how…”

http://www.boston.com/video/viral_page/?/services/player/bcpid21962023001&bctid=48414992001

Tai Chi Has Major Benefits For Arthritic Knees

“People suffering from creaky knees may want to give Tai Chi a try. In a study, researchers found that practicing the Chinese mind-body exercise led to improvements in pain, function and even mental health for people with osteoarthritis of the knee. Some of these benefits persisted for a full year after the study began -- months after people had stopped doing the exercises. ‘The Tai Chi group seems to have developed a general sense of well being, suggesting that there may be synergy between the physical and mental components of this discipline,’ note Dr. Chenchen Wang of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and colleagues in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. ‘These findings are promising because there are few efficacious long-lasting treatments for knee osteoarthritis.’ Tai Chi has been shown to improve strength and balance, reduce pain, and ease depression and anxiety in people with chronic illness, the researchers add, but evidence on its benefits for people with knee osteoarthritis has been inconclusive.”

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/05/eline/links/20091105elin004.html

Obesity Causes 100,000 US Cancer Cases: Report

“Obesity causes more than 100,000 cases of cancer in the United States each year -- and the number will likely rise as Americans get fatter, researchers said on Thursday. Having too much body fat causes nearly half the cases of endometrial cancer -- a type of cancer of the uterus -- and a third of esophageal cancer cases, the American Institute for Cancer Research said. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease. The American Cancer Society projects that 1.47 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 562,000 will die of it. More than 26 percent of Americans are obese, defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. BMI is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. A person 5 feet 5 inches tall (165 cm) becomes obese at 180 pounds (82 kg). Additionally, nearly a third of Americans are overweight, defined as having a BMI of 25 to 30. The study combined findings from AICR research linking diet, physical activity and fatness with cancer risk with national surveys on obesity and cancer incidence. ‘We then worked out the percentage of those specific cancers that would be prevented if everyone in the United States maintained a healthy weight,’ the group said in a statement.”

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/05/eline/links/20091105elin025.html

Working Up A Sweat To Solve The Health Care Crisis [written by an Anytime Fitness Manager in Billerica, MA]

“What if exercise were a pill? Can you imagine how different things would be if we could simply pop a couple of workout tablets and receive all the benefits of actual physical exercise? I can hear the incessant commercials now urging, ‘Ask your doctor if exercise is right for you.’ And I bet, if exercise was a pill, there would be powerful interests spending and stirring millions to ensure it remains accessible and affordable for all Americans. As we know, exercise is not a pill. However, exercise is medicine and there’s a wealth of research showing how it can prevent chronic diseases and extend healthy lives. Knowing that, why aren’t we including exercise as part of the solution to our health care crisis? Physical inactivity has been called “the greatest public health problem of our time,” and it contributes to the estimated $147 billion annual cost of obesity in the United States. In southern California, Kaiser Permanente keeps track of its patients’ physical activity to see if they are meeting the new federal Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, believing there is no greater indicator of health and longevity than how many minutes a person exercises each week. Yet as a nation, we still spend less than 1 percent of our total health care expenditures on prevention and wellness. This has to change. […]Not everyone can or will begin an exercise program. But countless Americans will if we make exercise options more affordable and accessible and if we continue to forge partnerships between the fitness industry and the health care community that encourage the use of exercise as medicine. Neither idea is revolutionary; both have been proven to work. In Minnesota, the state where Anytime Fitness, Inc. is based, we’ve seen how a small incentive, like paying individuals $20 for using a fitness facility eight or more times a month, promotes more regular exercise, lowers health care costs and improves overall health.”

http://www.wickedlocal.com/billerica/news/lifestyle/columnists/x880806622/Guest-Commentary-Working-up-a-sweat-to-solve-the-health-care-crisis

Johnson & Johnson’s Corporate Wellness Program Could Be Model For Health Reform

... All employees also are given access to on-site fitness centers and programs and are offered subsidies for gym memberships. Studies have shown the program - called ‘Live for Life’ - has resulted in significant improvements in employee health as well as a reduction in company health care costs. Recently, Johnson & Johnson also launched a project to market corporate wellness administration to other companies.”...

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/healthquest/johnson-a-johnsons-corporate-wellness-program-could-be-model-for-health-reform

Institute To Fight Obesity Opens

“The Rotherham Institute for Obesity is part of a programme by NHS Rotherham which will see £3.5m invested over the next three years to tackle the problem.Based at Clifton Medical Centre, it offers a gym, cooking classes and specialist support services. The centre has specialist staff such as obesity nurses and dieticians. The centre was officially opened at 1300 BST by Professor David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, to tie in with National Obesity Week which runs until Sunday. Dr Matthew Capehorn, clinical manager at the centre, said: ‘Obesity is a growing problem amongst all ages of the population with nearly one third of children and over half of the adult population overweight or obese.’ ‘In Rotherham we are leading the way in tackling this issue. However, we recognise that there is no quick fix and that it may take some years before the trends can be reversed.’ Dr Capehorn added: ‘Let's remember that spending £3.5m now on obesity actually saves many more millions in reduced amounts of heart disease, diabetes, fertility problems, osteoporosis, arthritis.’...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/south_yorkshire/8345926.stm

Wrap-UP on 10a IHRSA Latin America

“Thanks for all the people present at my speech in 10a IHRSA Latin America. I had so much fun speaking on service design and moderating the Branding Workshop with my dear friend and renowned architect Patricia Totaro. At the event we had the opportunity do discuss some key themes that forms the basis of an innovation strategy. In between those themes: Understand the basis of the Pyramid, Digital Brands, Digital Communities, Service Design, Branding, Brasil economic perspectives (remarkable presentation by my friend, host of the television show Manhattan Connection and renown economist Ricardo Amorim) and other issues really relevant for the Wellness Entrepreneur. I am twice satisfied...

http://designloyalty.blogspot.com/2009/11/wrap-up-on-10a-ihrsa-latin-america.html

CYBEX Introduces Bravo Functional Trainer

“Cybex International, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYBI) - a leading manufacturer of premium exercise equipment for the commercial and consumer markets, today announced its Bravo Functional Trainer, a total training solution ideally suited for more than 300 different exercises that enhance strength gains, movement coordination and core integration. As shown by a recent independent study conducted by the Department of Kinesiology at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bravo users experience nearly two times the core muscle activation of traditional cable training, while being able to lift the same amount of weight as in a fully stabilized position. These significant advancements make the machine - initially introduced in the fourth quarter of 2008 as the FT-450 - ideal for elite athletes, as well as casual exercisers who want to train their upper and lower bodies in the most efficient and effective manner.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS124742+15-Oct-2009+BW20091015

Hindus, Yoga Teachers Question US Sales Tax

“Yoga practitioners are criticizing a Missouri sales tax that applies to yoga classes, claiming they should be exempt because the lessons include spiritual elements. A Missouri Department of Revenue official sent letters to 140 yoga and Pilates centers on Oct. 13, telling them they must collect sales tax on the fees for their classes and services and pay them beginning Nov. 1, if they weren't already. The sales tax on money paid to places of ‘amusement, entertainment or recreation, games and athletic events’ isn't new, said revenue spokesman Ted Farnen. He said the letters were sent so the businesses would know that yoga centers offer the same types of fitness services that the Missouri Supreme Court has found taxable. But the tax took many Missouri yoga instructors by surprise. They're bristling at the notion that the ancient practice could be construed as recreation or entertainment. ‘Whoever categorized it doesn't understand what yoga is,’ said Cathleen Williams, the owner of Urban Breath Yoga in St. Louis. Several yoga businesses have agreed to collect the sales tax and turn it over to the state, but Williams said it's being done ‘under protest.’ An Ohio Department of Revenue spokesman, Mike McKinney, explained Ohio taxes gym, recreation and sports club memberships, not the classes offered. A West Virginia Department of Revenue spokeswoman, Kimberly Osborne, said sales taxes are collected from yoga studios. Missouri said it will consider religious exemptions to the sales tax on a case-by-case basis. Farnen said the revenue letters were sent to yoga and Pilates businesses, not Hindu temples.”

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hYdwJiLADqolCQNCg6TsABAaOJBwD9BPDP4G0

Spin-A-Thon Supports Type II Diabetes Prevention

About 7.8 percent or 23.6 million citizens in the U.S. have some form of diabetes, according to the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, which is the most recent data available. Many of those cases are caused by genetics and other circumstances. But, said manager of the local American Diabetes Association Melinda Henderson, a growing number of type 2 cases are caused by unhealthy lifestyles and may be preventable. ‘For a lot of people, especially in this area, inactivity is one of the big things,’ Henderson said. Stressing that not all type 2 diabetes can be prevented with diet and exercise, Henderson said forming habits of watching TV and eating in one’s free time can eventually push one’s insulin ‘out of whack.’ Through the worldwide burn-a-thon and a spin-a-thon that’s taking place locally, Gold’s Gym is working to raise $5,000 in Midland Saturday and an additional $3,000 throughout the remainder of November — Diabetes Awareness Month, Binder said. Several Gold’s Gyms nationwide hold bike rides to benefit the American Diabetes Association, but for gyms that don’t participate Binder said they’re holding stationery rides or spin-a-thons to benefit the same cause.”

http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2009/11/04/news/top_stories/doc4af228415ba85610067478.txt

India's Pot-Bellied Males Hit Gym For Bollywood Buff Look

Gyms equipped with sophisticated treadmills, cross trainers and entertainment systems have mushroomed across urban India and are now opening in smaller towns too. Fitness First, one of the world's largest gym companies, arrived in India only last year and now has branches in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, with plans for rapid growth. ‘We have a robust plan to expand our business. People join gyms to ape Bollywood, but fitness is also becoming a lifestyle choice,’ said Fitness First managing director Vikram Bhatia.”

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hkVnwktUa3EH5SEYZ06dREnfSIjw

Here's to Your Health: Power Plate in Brentwood

’ A pop-up studio in Brentwood that opened in July focuses only on Power Plate, and workouts run from 25 - 30 minutes. Structured like typical step or aerobics classes, the blissfully short sessions incorporate everything from cardio and weights to stretching and massage. ‘This streams your body down really quickly,’ said Will Caton, a trainer at the studio.”

http://laist.com/2009/11/04/heres_to_your_health_power_plate.php

Lifesmart At The Albany - A Unique New Private Health Club In Stunning London Premis

“Lifesmart, London’s most eagerly anticipated new health and fitness club has launched, following the comprehensive renovation of ‘The Albany’ near Regent’s Park.

Boasting over 6,500 square feet of pure luxury, facilities include: stunning changing, shower and steam facilities; private hydrotherapy bath and massage rooms; three ‘gyms’ with state-of-the-art bespoke equipment; a beautiful bright studio; a penthouse style kitchen/living room; a plush drawing room; sleeping areas and more."

http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=51584

24 Hour Fitness Announces Partnership with Six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hopefuls for 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver

“24 Hour Fitness, the largest privately-owned U.S. fitness chain and the Official Fitness Center Sponsor of the 2010 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, today announced its partnership with six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls for the 2010 Games: snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, pairs skater Rockne Brubaker, short track speedskater J.R. Celski, Paralympic skier Chris Devlin-Young, speedskater Tucker Fredricks and skier Julia Mancuso. The athletes have joined Team 24 Hour Fitness as they strive toward making the 2010 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team and medaling this winter at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. As members of Team 24 Hour Fitness, these athletes will appear in the brand`s Olympic marketing campaign, make promotional appearances at local clubs, and develop signature workouts for members that will be available in-club and online at www.24hourfitness.com and on the company’s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/24hourfitnessinc.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS146164+04-Nov-2009+BW20091104