Obesity might be on the rise in the United States, but so is the industry that is battling it.

In the last 10 years, the number of fitness centers in the country has more than doubled, rising from about 12,600 in 1995 to just under 27,000 by the beginning of last year, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. And memberships have kept up with the pace, steadily climbing from 24.1 million in 1995 to more than 40 million in recent years.

The industry is growing locally, too.

Mainland Fitness, an upscale fitness club, recently opened at Cornerstone Commerce Center in Linwood. Tilton Fitness, a locally based network of fitness centers, will soon break ground on its fifth club, a 40,000-square-foot, $7 million facility in Galloway Township, said Sam Young, president of Tilton Fitness. And AtlantiCare's LifeCenter, which opened last February in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, ended the year with 2,000 members, a few hundred more than its expectations, said LifeCenter executive director Glenn Jones.

Fitness centers thrive on finding niches, so some might be a better fit than others depending on the needs. For that same reason, fitness centers that seem to offer similar equipment and services aren't always necessarily in competition with one another.

For example, Curves, the ubiquitous, for-women fitness chain, does not usually pull customers away from other gyms, according to some franchise owners. Instead, it tends to attract those who would otherwise avoid gyms.

Likewise, while the LifeCenter has attracted a few people away from established fitness centers, most of its members were from a new crop as well, Jones said.

“We knew we weren't going to be able to sell the same Popsicles that everyone else is,” Jones said. “Most of our membership are people who have never worked out in a fitness facility, or people who haven't worked out in 10 years.”

And Mainland Fitness came into the market courting a sophisticated clientele. Its owners have installed plasma televisions in its cardio area, made wireless Internet connection available to its members and outfitted its locker rooms with private tile showers and spa products.

The following is a look at some of the exercise and fitness options available in southern New Jersey:

Commercial clubs

Commercial health clubs, such as Tilton Fitness and Island Gym, make up a plurality of memberships across the country, according to the health club association. About 42 percent of those with health club memberships do so at some sort of public, commercial venture, it reported.

Many of those often have multiple locations that allow members a variety of venue for their workouts. Tilton has locations in Northfield, Mays Landing, Somers Point, all in Atlantic County, and in Stafford Township, Ocean County; Island Gym has four Atlantic County locations: Ventnor, Absecon, Egg Harbor Township and Northfield.

Membership costs will vary depending on the size and services of the gym. At Tilton Fitness, for example, they run at a little less than $50 a month, Young said. Personal training is usually available — at Tilton, for example, it is $45 an hour.

Health care-operated centers

The AtlantiCare LifeCenter at English Creek Avenue and Delilah Road makes it a point to cater to those who know they need to exercise but lack the follow-through to keep a regime going, Jones said.

“We're more of a cotton club than a spandex club,” he said.

Upon joining, members are required to take a fitness assessment and answer questions about their goals, after which an exercise plan is designed specifically for them. Jones said the goal there is to turn exercise and nutrition into habits, rather than the sporadic bursts with which well-meaning people often start exercising before tapering off.

In Cumberland County, South Jersey Healthcare also operates Fitness Connection, which has locations in Vineland and Bridgeton, Cumberland County.

Membership can cost a bit more than other fitness centers: $59 a month for one person, with each additional person in the family at $45 a month for the LifeCenter. The required fitness assessment is $150 — and $75 for each additional person on the membership — but members can get more fitness assessments as they start their exercise program at no additional cost, Jones said.

At Fitness Connection, people should expect to pay on average $40 a month, according to SJH. Members are also entitled to a health assessment upon joining.

Special-interest clubs

The fastest growing franchise in American history isn't McDonalds; it's a fitness center that caters specifically to women.

Curves has more than 9,000 locations worldwide, about 250 of those in New Jersey. Unlike the usual gym scene, the Curves environment centers around a series of resistance machines and platforms for exercise moves where members rotate through a 30-minute workout.

Other gyms have found similar niches, catering to women or senior citizens.

Membership rates can vary from location to location, but Donna Visco, co-owner of the Curves at Ventnor Plaza, said women in southern New Jersey should expect to pay about $29 a month if on a year-long contract or $39 for a month-to-month membership. There is also a $149 sign-up fee, but Visco said the franchises regularly have promotions where that fee is cut in half or eliminated entirely.

Community Centers

Venues like the YMCA remain one of the more economical fitness options for families who want to participate in fitness activities together.

At the YMCA in Vineland, membership costs vary by age, from less than $11 for children under 12 to a little more than $60 a month for family membership. There also is a joining fee for first-time members.

Though not as prevalent as YMCAs, Jewish Community Centers still make up a small percentage of fitness club membership across the country. At the Milton and Betty Katz Jewish Community Center in Margate, Atlantic County, memberships start as low as $26 a month.

Community centers are some of the more popular options, too. The health club association reported that the YMCA alone represented 19 percent of health club memberships.

Discount memberships

Many employers and health plan providers offer access to discount membership programs. Such programs participate with local health clubs and can offer full memberships even as low as the $20 and $30 range.

The National Fitness Network, for example, offers discounted memberships to Fitness Connection, Ultimate Gym and Fitness in Forked River, Ocean County; Somers Point Fitness in Somers Point; and Body Works in Ocean City, Cape May County.

Other options

Some have found other ways to meet their fitness goals, although those are usually limited to those with the proper circumstances.

A few churches have their own fitness centers for its members. Some corporations also provide facilities for their employees.

And the wealthy often turn to country clubs or posh resorts for exercise. Altogether, however, those options make up only about 8 percent of gym memberships, according to the health club association.
By MICHAEL B. BAKER Staff Writer.
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