July 22, 2013 – YogaFit, Los Angeles, has launched YogaFit for Warriors, a certification program that teaches instructors how to help soldiers and veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic injuries. Along with a focus on specific yoga postures, breathing methods, and relaxation techniques, the 100-hour program includes information on how trauma affects the brain and body.
The Veterans Administration (V.A.) announced last year that 30 percent of the Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans treated at V.A. hospitals had been diagnosed with PTSD. Previously, in 2010, a study funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School showed that practicing yoga had relieved PTSD symptoms for many veterans. But, says Shaye Molendyke, one of the YogaFit for Warriors creators and a member of the U.S. Air Force, until now there has been no program designed to address the specific needs of such veterans.
Emily Wilensky, Marketing Manager of EZFacility, a fitness center management software provider in Bethpage, NY, noted that health programs designed to treat specific ailments are becoming increasingly popular. “In recent years,” she said, “we’ve seen a blossoming of studios and in-gym programs designed particularly for victims of violent crimes, for multiple sclerosis sufferers, for cancer patients, and more. Yoga seems adaptable to the needs of many different populations, and it’s wonderful to see that our veterans can reap its benefits.”
Molendyke stresses that teacher-training for veteran-related PTSD treatment focuses largely on learning how to speak to veterans and other trauma-sufferers. “We needed to bring it to the military in a format that wasn’t intimidating,” says Molendyke. “You can’t use Sanskrit. It can’t be command-oriented.” Instructors are also taught how to modify their classes to provide a safe environment for PTSD-sufferers.
Author: ezfacility

The Real Issues Facing the Fitness Industry
Sometimes, when I’m brainstorming posts for this blog, I look around on Google to get a sense of what people are thinking and talking about. Today, I was struck by what came up when I Googled “Fitness Industry Issues.” I was looking for topics of discussion, ideas, or observations, but almost the entire first page of results linked to long rants and complaints: “The Fitness Industry is Corrupt”, “The #1 Problem in the Fitness Industry”, “Things That Bug Me About the Fitness Industry.” Or, my personal favorite, “The Fitness Industry Is Dead.”
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Preventing and Handling a Tragedy
In February 2012, a tragic event occurred: A 22-year-old woman collapsed in a stall in the women’s locker room at a Planet Fitness in Bay Shore, New York. An hour later, she was dead. The family of the woman is now suing Planet Fitness, claiming that the sole staff member on site at the time did not help her. That staff member, according to reports, was male, and when he was alerted by a female member of the gym that a woman had collapsed, he replied that he was not allowed to enter the locker room.
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Gigantic New Sports Complex Proposed for D.C. Area
July 3, 2013 – A start-up sports and entertainment company has proposed building a Washington, D.C.-area athletics complex that would occupy 600,000 square feet — the size of three Wal-Mart supercentres. The company’s founders, Kendrick F. Ashton, Jr. and Craig A. Dixon, say the facility, to be called the St. James Sports and Entertainment Complex, would be the largest in the region.
Ashton and Dixon grew up locally and say that, as kids, they always dreamed of having accesses to such a complex. According to their business proposal, the complex would cater to a wide range of sports, and would include six indoor tennis courts, four batting cages, two NHL-size hockey rinks, and an 80,000-square-foot multipurpose field house.
“We grew up incredibly passionate about participating in sports and getting better and pursuing certain passions,” Ashton said. “This is the kind of facility we would have liked to have had as young children growing up.”
Eric Willin, COO of EZFacility, a sports facility software management company, noted a recent trend toward the creation of gigantic complexes that offer a variety of athletic activities, along with opportunities for year-round competition and training. “The construction of such a facility in the D.C. area would have major significance,” he said. “Local athletes, students, and sports enthusiasts would have unprecedented opportunities for participation in sporting events, and the complex would likely draw sports tourists and others from all over. We’ll be interested to see how this project progresses.”
The new complex would be built on the Hensley Park playing fields, between the Beltway and Eisenhower Avenue, in Alexandria, Virginia. Ashton and Dixon pitched the project as an economic development engine for the area, which lies near where the National Science Foundation is planning to relocate in 2017. They are requesting a 40-year ground lease from the city of Alexandria, but it is not yet clear what the project would cost them or taxpayers.

The Best Approach To Providing Recovery Services
This week, the IHRSA blog asks an interesting question: What is the industry standard when it comes to recovery services for members? How much is too much (or is there even, in this case, such a thing as “too much”)? What kinds of services should clubs offer, and how are they best implemented?
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LA Fitness to Spend More Than $4 Million Remodeling Ten Arizona Clubs
June 20, 2013 – LA Fitness has announced plans to renovate its Tucson East facility in Tucson, Arizona, with a full-scale update and an expansion of more than 7,000 square feet. In addition, the California-based health club chain will remodel and update nine other sites in and around Phoenix and Tucson.
Reconstruction of the Tucson East site will take place near the end of July. Once complete, the club will feature all new cardio equipment and other updates.
At other sites, remodeling efforts are already under way, and will continue on a rolling basis throughout June and July. While specific plans vary from location to location, they include the following: refinishing hardwood floors in group fitness rooms, racquetball courts, and basketball courts; replacing the flooring in cycling studios; installing new LCD televisions; refinishing saunas; new carpeting and lighting; repainting and updating graphics; and adding new cardio machines, strength equipment, free weights, and indoor studio cycles.
“We are committed to providing state-of-the-art facilities and enhancing the LA Fitness experience with more than $4 million slated for these improvements, to ensure our members enjoy achieving their fitness goals,” Senior Vice President/Chief Real Estate Officer Bill Horner said in a company statement. He added that club members will have access to other nearby clubs when their usual locations are closed for the remodeling.
Eric Willin, COO of EZFacility, a health club management software provider in Bethpage, New York, noted that a number of health and fitness chains are currently undertaking expansion efforts. “We’re seeing more businesses choosing to open new sites or to rebuild existing ones than has been the case in recent years,” Willin said. “It’s a positive sign about the state of the health club industry. Given the American Medical Association’s decision to designate obesity as a disease, as well as other factors, we’ll probably continue to see an increase for a while to come.” Other nationwide health club chains that recently have announced plans for reconstruction or expansion include Total Woman Gym and Spa, Chicago Athletic Clubs, and UFC Gym.
LA Fitness has more than 500 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Earlier this month, the company opened its first branch in Rhode Island and announced plans to open at least six new clubs in the Detroit area.

Adapting to Functional-Fitness Trends
Last week, the New York Times ran an article about the functional-fitness trend. “Vintage exercise machines have recently become the padded shoulders of the workout world,” the article states, “swept aside for a fresher look.” In other words, out with the leg presses, biceps curlers, and seated torso rotations, and in with the kettle bells, medicine balls, and weighted sleds. Anything that gets you working out in ways devised to help you perform daily activities, like lifting, bending, and climbing stairs, constitutes the latest trend, the article says.
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Obesity Is a Disease – What Does It Mean for the Fitness Industry?
When I sat down to do some research before writing up this post today, I typed into Google, “Is obesity,” but before I could get any further, Google finished my question for me: “Is obesity a disease?” 61,600,000 pages came up when I hit enter. It’s the question everyone is asking — and now the American Medical Association (AMA) has answered it. On Tuesday, after considered debate, the physicians’ organization voted to extend official disease status to the condition. Yes, is the answer to the question. It’s a disease.
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Gold’s Gym Acquires 17 Fitness First Facilities
June 25, 2013 – Last week, Texas-based Gold’s Gym International acquired all but one of the 18 fitness facilities owned by Fitness First in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. region. According to the news outlet Club Industry, the acquisition price was in the $30 to $40 million range, and the deal will be closed by the end of this week.
“We love the clubs because of the distribution in the D.C. area in relation to our current clubs,” Gold’s Gym CEO and president Jim Snow told Club Industry. “…It takes us to 50 clubs, both corporate and franchise, in that DC market, giving us a strong, clear competitive advantage, so this is a really nice acquisition from that perspective.”
Fitness First will continue to own and operate one club, in Bethesda, MD, because of the structure of the lease with that club’s landlord. The owner of Fitness First, Peter Harvey, told Club Industry that he was ready for a change. “I think it was a great opportunity for all sides,” he said. “It was great for me, personally, and I think it’s a great move for Gold’s.”
Hugh McEvoy, Director of Sales and Operations for EZFacility, a gym management software provider in Bethpage, NY, noted that the move seems beneficial for all involved parties, including Gold’s, Fitness First, and the members of both clubs. “Any change on this scale is going to involve a lot of transition,” he said, “but it sounds as if the customer’s concerns are a high priority in this deal, and the change is sure to be a positive one. It’s always significant,” he added, “when a major gym chain grows in such a way.”
The Fitness First clubs acquired by Gold’s will be rebranded under the Gold’s Gym name over the next six months. Gold’s will honor all current Fitness First memberships and will offer former Fitness First members access to additional Gold’s Gyms. Also, current Gold’s Gym members will be offered options granting them access to former Fitness First clubs.
Last year, Gold’s Gym made another big acquisition, taking on 11 San Antonio-area Spectrum Athletic Clubs. In total, the company has about 100 corporate-owned clubs and 675 franchised clubs.

Happy Employees Means A Healthy Business
The fitness industry is winning accolades in the press these days. In this space a couple of weeks ago, we highlighted an article in Forbes that lauded the industry for its useful website content and its ability to make that content go viral. Now another magazine, Minnesota Business, offers praise of a different sort: Anytime Fitness has won recognition as the best Minnesota company to work for in the large business category.
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