Women Only Health Clubs: The Reason & Need

by Rande LaDue

In a recent article, John McCarthy, the Executive Director of IHRSA addressed the issue of Women-Only Clubs. IHRSA estimates that there are approximately 2,000 women-only fitness centers in the US serving approximately 2 million women. McCarthy sited research done for IHRSA by Dr. Christine Brooks, of the University of Michigan’s Fitness Research Center which indicated a variety of reasons large groups of women did not use coed facilities; especially for the huge segment of deconditioned women who are in the most need of regular exercise, but have the most anxiety about beginning.

We at Pro*Fit Enterprises could not agree more! We know that intimidation is perhaps the #1 reason why the overweight/deconditioned woman does not join a coed facility. That appears to be a major reason that the majority of our sales of The PACE Group Exercise ProgramTM are sold to Women-Only Clubs or to coed clubs using PACE as a separate program for the deconditioned markets.

One such customer of ours, Anita Miller, from It Figures! Fitness for Women, was so impressed with the PACE Program that she became an Independent Sales Rep for Pro*Fit Enterprises to sell PACE in four Mid-Western States along with her It Figures! Licensing Program. “I have been in the fitness and weight loss industry for many years and know about the intimidation factor. I have never seen a program that appeals to the deconditioned and offers the results that PACE does. PACE drastically decreases body fat while increasing muscle strength, thereby increasing one’s metabolism- something that is lacking in all diet-only programs,? says Miller.

Another brand new PACE Group Exercise Customer, Terri Wilson, owner of Total Woman Fitness in Racine, WI. has only been opened since June 12th; however, she has been overwhelmed by the number of women who want to join a Women-Only club. “Intimidation of the coed clubs is the number one reason they site for coming in- and they love my new PACE Program! It’s not intimidating, anyone can do it- and some members are already getting results! I have one family of an 18 year old daughter, her mother and her grandmother that all come in and work out in the same PACE class! 90% of the women that come in here say that they are not happy with their bodies, but they are still too afraid to go into a coed club.?says Wilson.

We say, whatever it takes to get an inactive person off the couch, moving around, burning calories and feeling better; whether it’s a Women-Only club or a separate PACE Room in a coed facility, we are all for it! Pro*Fit Enterprises is recognized by the American Council on Exercise as a Continuing Education Specialist. Call them at 888-604-2244 for a free PACE video or visit their website at http://www.pacegroupexercise.com.