San Diego, California, the site of IHRSA’s 37th Annual International Convention & Trade Show, has acquired its share of descriptive monikers over the years. It is, among other things, the “Sun Dog” and “the City in Motion.” Both fit well with what will be taking place March 21-24 at the San Diego Convention Center. Sunny San Diego will, we’re sure, provide the perfect weather, and IHRSA and the city’s rich fitness community will, we guarantee, provide a wealth of rewarding activities. An estimated 10,000 industry practitioners and enthusiasts—club owners, operators, developers,...

Social media didn’t exist when I started my gym, X Fitness, from scratch in 2001. Yet, we started our social media ideology and philosophy before social media was introduced. We simply transferred our communication strategy to social media. Our social media strategy is premised on one principle – do the opposite of every other gym. What has worked out for X Fitness for almost two decades is to communicate differently than any other gym. By being the opposite, we stand out. Here are 6 elements of our social media strategy: 1. No personal selfies. 2. No pictures of me posing and flexing...

A workout just isn't a workout without music By Martin Gangnier, director of licensing, Re:Sound For many Canadians, good music goes hand in hand with a good workout. The right music can energize, uplift, and even improve a workout. The combination of music and working out is hard to beat. With high intensity fitness classes choreographed around the right number of beats per minute to pump up gym-goers, you can’t deny the value music brings. If you’re a fitness business owner or franchisee in Canada, you understand the value of recorded music. Whether you’re using recorded music...

The new year is a time for reflection, and our industry is certainly one that benefits greatly from that time. Weight loss or getting in shape is the most frequently made resolution, leading to packed gyms in the month of January. Unfortunately, most of the New Year’s Resolution crowd is gone by February, and then it’s back to the same old thing. As the owner of a gym you have certainly observed this, but have you done anything differently in years past to change the tendency? This year, you should make a resolution to do something to help your new year’s resolution crowd. This year… Resolve...

Since the Harvey Weinstein scandal exploded into the public realm, the floodgates have opened and hardly a day goes by without new allegations, firings, resignations and apologies… or denials. #MeToo stories have shined the spotlight on bad behaviour in every industry. The fitness industry is no exception. Our industry with it’s focus on anatomy and body image presents its own distinct challenges when it comes to sexual harassment. One simply needs to google the topic and you can find countless instances of allegations and lawsuits against clubs, managers and owners. There are cases involving...

The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) has just released its annual Industry Data Survey (IDS) results and the accompanying publication, IHRSA Profiles of Success. The report provides a detailed analysis of the annual performance of leading health and fitness clubs, including results in key metrics such as revenue, membership growth and retention, traffic, payroll, non-dues revenue, and EBITDA. Club reinvestment and profit center analysis as well as income statement and balance sheet data are also provided. "IHRSA's annual Industry Data Survey results show how leading...