Club Management - September/October 2007 - (Page 25) Saturday last February, cycling on stationary Life Cycles, swimming at the facility’s indoor pool and running at the indoor track while temperatures outside dipped to around 20 degrees. On weekdays, the emphasis returns to speed. Jo-Anne Houston, fitness director at the New York Athletic Club, said she’s developed 30-minute express programs that are popular with members. The programs combine strength training with cardiovascular activity at a rapid pace. “A good portion of our members are businessmen who come on their lunch breaks,” Houston said. “They have a limited amount of time to work out.” While time is an issue for professionals working out into their 40s and 50s, so too is finding low-impact exercise alternatives to preserve joint health. Stephen Tharrett, a Dallas-based consultant who advises athletic clubs in America and Europe, said the increasing workout pool of baby boomers has resulted in more mind/body-based exercise alternatives, such as yoga and Pilates. “It started in the growth of basic yoga, to Tai Chi, to group and individual resistance training,” Tharrett said. “The aging of baby boomers who can’t do as much high-impact movement has created a focus on the enhancement of range of motion.” It’s shifted workout routines from bench presses and squats to functional fitness movements that mimic day-to-day activities. Core body training, from the base of the ribs to the top of the thighs, helps maintain good posture and prevent back problems associated with aging. “In the next five years, core training will continue to evolve to less radical movements,” Tharrett said. “The two largest age groups exercising are the baby boomers, over 42, and the generation under 25, which has grown up in the fitness club culture. More emphasis is going to be placed on rejuvenation and recuperation so people can continue to exercise into advancing age.” As a result, personal trainers are now integrating elements of yoga and Pilates into their strength training routines. Abdominal crunches once done on the floor or on mats are now being taught on stationary balls. Pre-stretching routines before strength workouts have become more the norm and less the exception. Tharrett also foresees a future where clubs provide fitness activities beyond their confines. “It will become, ‘How can I plan outside the four walls of my space?’” Tharrett said. “Maybe it’s a whitewater rafting trip or a fitness obstacle course.” Some clubs already have outdoor activities in place. The Missouri Athletic Club provides a boot camp course on a fitness trail, complete with a barking drill instructor. The Washington Athletic Club formed cycling outings to help train for an annual Seattle-to-Portland bike race. Outdoor programs are an answer for clubs trying to offer a variety of exercise options in limited space. “We’re in a vertical, 77-year-old building in downtown Seattle,” Milner said. “Creating room for new equipment and new programs has become more difficult.” Houston said the New York Athletic Club is considering some internal remodeling to meet the needs of its new programs. Another challenge facing clubs is providing staff that’s versatile enough to meet the changing exercise needs of its members. Workout Trends Get Members Pumped As a whole, dance and martial arts activities are on the rise in the fitness world. Other new activities emerging throughout the country include: JONEEBA. An hour-long, high-intensity workout that combines yoga, floor exercises and African dance. The workout, set to the beat of African drum rhythms, strengthens, stretches and tones while teaching different dance moves. WARRIORSATI. A mind/body exercise that blends martial arts movements with varying speeds and intensity. The emphasis is on precision of poses. Voted the most innovative workout DVD of 2006 by Health Magazine. FORZA. Ever watch the “Last Samurai” or “Kill Bill”? Forza combines elements of samurai sword training and kickboxing in a high-intensity workout. Exercisers wield two-pound wooden and plastic swords. Movements tone arms and legs. MASSAIA BHANGRA. Teaches traditional folk dance from northern India that burns up to 500 calories in an hour-long session. STILETTO STRENGTH. For most women, merely walking in four-inch heels helps tone leg muscles. In this class, the last 15 minutes of a 45-minute session are spent exercising in high heels. Kicks and dances help strengthen feet, thighs, knees, calves and ankles. SPEEDBALL. A cardio and strength training program that uses a medicine ball for resistance. Movements from martial arts and boxing are incorporated at a rapid pace. GYROTONIC. Stretching-based exercise routine strengthens muscles and tendons while articulating and mobilizing the joints. Exercises performed on pulleybased fitness equipment combine stretching with rhythmic breathing, incorporating elements of yoga, dance, gymnastics, swimming and Tai Chi. STROLLER STRIDES. The perfect exercise routine for moms or dads who have the kids for the day. After a quick warmup, the workout consists of a 45-minute power walk while pushing your stroller. There are stops in between for body toning exercises performed using the stroller or park benches. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007 • 25
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