Is a custom gym membership for you? 10,000 facilities alone (both in the U.S. and worldwide), and other chains are growing too. FINDING A GROWTH MARKET Niche gyms owe much of their success to Curves, which was formally launched in the U.S. by husband and wife team Gary and Diane Heavin in 1995. The club guides busy women, no matter their fitness levels, through 30-minute workouts that combine strength training and cardio. Recognizing that Curves was attracting a portion of the health and fitness population that hadn't yet been tapped, a number of gyms have been looking for other ways to reach out to people that don't fit the mold of the traditional gym member. Among some of the surest bets in niche gyms today are those that cater to children, in light of the childhood obesity epidemic. Children’s gyms comprise one of the two fastest growing groups of U.S. health club members, according to IHRSA. The other is baby boomers. In fact, people 55 and older comprise nearly 25% of all health club members. Nifty After Fifty, a small Southern Californiabased senior fitness chain founded in 2006 by Dr.
Sheldon Zinberg, is looking to take advantage of that statistic, as well as the estimate that the boomer population will hit 80 million within 10 years. Like other niche gyms aimed at the older crowd, Nifty After Fifty facilities, which are by appointment only, greet new members with a comprehensive health evaluation and customized workout, offer access to specialized low-impact equipment and steer clear of playing rock music. A HIGH STANDARD TO MAINTAI Of course, by targeting such specific users, these clubs put a lot of pressure on themselves to satisfy those they do attract. Core Performance Centers, for one, does not have an initiation fee, instead charging $50 per session and hoping consumers will decide this is the right fitness method for them and keep coming back for more. But, Lavery says, the gamble is often a smart one. "No matter what you're doing, people need support, whether it's financial or emotional," Lavery says. "In health clubs, it's no different, and that's why niche markets succeed."
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You're at the gym, huffing and puffing away on the treadmill, trying to lose those last five, 10 or 15 pounds, when you glance at the person running next to you. Without fail, it's a supermodel or a bodybuilder. Suddenly, you're feeling a bit intimidated. More and more gym-goers, however, are avoiding this scenario by joining niche health clubs that cater to specific needs--including making members feel comfortable enough to want to keep coming back. "In general, clubs that are very in tune with their brand and what they're marketing have the most success," says Rosemary Lavery, a spokeswoman for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. "They know what they're selling, and it's very clear to the consumer. There are no misconceptions." Consumers seem to agree. In 2005, the IHRSA estimated that there were 10,000 express workout centers--facilities with less than 3,000 square feet of space and a membership of about 350--in the country, accounting for the majority of clubs that opened the previous year. Today, of the nearly 30,000 health clubs in the U.S., the niche women's club Curves has