Sophisticated fitness centers find their niche

As Americans spend more time and money on health and fitness, the expanded market has made way for more specialized gyms that focus on specific needs.

"The market is very sophisticated in terms of what clubs offer," said Rosemary Lavery, spokesperson for the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. "People want options. It's important for developers to focus on what makes them unique. It is a competitive market."

The health-club industry has hit a growth spurt in recent years, pumping $17.6 billion into the U.S. economy in 2006, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.

About 42.7-million Americans had memberships to a health club in 2006, compared to 26 million belonging to a health club in 1996.

The number of health clubs in the market has more than doubled with 29,357 health clubs in the country in 2007, compared to 13,799 a decade earlier, according to the association.

A report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cited possible reasons for the increased spending on health and fitness. Businesses are recognizing the benefits of fitness and health and are adding programs such as preventive health care.

Baby boomers in general are concerned with staying fit. Also, parents are more concerned with childhood obesity while schools have reduced physical education programs, the report found.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates further anticipated job growth in the health and fitness industry. The number of fitness workers is expected to grow by 27 percent in 2016 from 235,000 jobs in 2006. Average growth by industry is 7-13 percent.

With so many health clubs, gyms and fitness centers to choose from, many are taking a unique approach to fitness to set themselves apart.

Women's gyms

Women-specific express gyms are among the fastest-growing in the industry, Lavery said. Curves and Butterfly Life both offer a 30-minute circuit training workout, although their equipment differs.

"We have a 360-degree approach to fitness," said Susie Henderson, owner of Butterfly Life in Lone Tree. "Other gyms have equipment designed for men's bodies. Our equipment is smaller and made for women."

Henderson said the gym's true niche is with women ages 30-60. The quick workout and group class offerings fit the lifestyle of people today.

"Women want something that's convenient, quick and a good time, and also something where they can see results," Henderson said.

Women chat and swap stories while completing the circuit; something Henderson says gives the kind of personal touch that someone wouldn't get at a big box fitness center.

"The biggest thing is that we're fun," she said. "When people come in, we know who they are. In a full-service gym, you swipe your card and that's it."

The circuit includes trampolines for cardio exercise and a resistance-based plate system for weights. The gym also includes 35 video classes each week.

Family gyms

The focus is on member experience at Life Time Fitness in Parker, said Kent Wipf, spokesperson for Life Time Fitness. Because members are not locked into contracts, they can walk away at any moment - putting extra pressure on staff to please members.

"You know you're going to [be] treated special because you aren't tied down," Wipf said. "We want members to be there not because they're obligated, but because we meet their health and fitness needs and they enjoy their time there."

The 110,000-square-foot Life Time Fitness workout club in Parker has 400 pieces of cardio and weight equipment, fitness classes, specialized yoga and pilates studios, a spinning studio with blowers that simulate riding outside and indoor and outdoor rock-climbing walls. All the amenities are available 24 hours a day.

"We're not competitive with other gyms; we're competitive with everything else in life," Wipf said. "That's where the family experience comes in. A family can all do their own thing and then go swimming or rock climbing together."

The 8,000-square-foot children's center features a junior gym and climbing maze, computers with games and a separate area for toddlers.

Life Time Fitness also has its own café and a full-service spa.

Training centers

Personal training centers market themselves as the next level of fitness for athletes. Two training centers just 10 minutes apart recently opened, offering unique approaches to personal training.

VERT Fitness in Centennial relies on highly technical machines and experienced trainers. CATZ in Lone Tree features an indoor track and synthetic turf for drills and skills training.

VERT Fitness, short for Velocity Enhanced Resistance Training, uses advanced technology machines for strength training. Owners Ashley Hartle and Sonja Steward opened VERT last October.

VERT uses computer-controlled equipment that analyzes the speed, position and force applied by the muscles throughout the entire range of motion.

"It's fitness on the next level," said Rebecca McIlwaine, member. "It focuses on specific muscles and fine-tuning the body."

The VERT system comprises three pieces of equipment, including a leg extension-flexion machine, a bench press, and a multifunction machine that offers 15 different full body exercises.

Each machine records and archives and individual's information, measuring speed, force and time on every repetition and graphs the data allowing comparison of results over time. VERT also uses cardio and resistance machines. The technology focuses on fast-twitch muscles.

After school Jan. 9, four Heritage High School baseball players trained together. Each has signed to play for different colleges next year.

"This is the most intensive workout in such a short time," said Chris Miller, 18, of Littleton. "Usually you have to do twice as much because other machines only work [your muscles] in one direction."

At VERT, up to four people work with a trainer for a one-hour session. In addition to exercise on the specialized machines, trainers use medicine balls, cardio equipment and do functional training exercises.

Hartle says the clientele includes all ages of athletes looking to improve their strength and speed.

"The clientele are mainly regular people looking to get in shape who prefer semiprivate training," Hartle said. "They train up to four people with one trainer."

One exit east on C-470, CATZ - short for Competitive Athletic Training Zone - works primarily with athletes ages 10-18.

In the late-afternoon hours of Jan. 9 at CATZ, a handfull of men sit with their knees on scooters, pulling themselves along a track with their arms. In another part of the gym, a group of football players do footwork drills and run through a rope ladder laid out on the synthetic turf.

In the back of the room, lacrosse players are lunging with sandbags held above their heads.

"When you come in, you don't see intimidating machines with big guys," said Aaron Nagel, marketing director. "It's sport-specific strength and conditioning."

CATZ offers three programs: performance training, completely active and adult fitness.

Performance training is designed for young athletes involved in competition. It customizes training for each sport, building strength and enhancing speed.

Completely Active is a program that targets obesity in kids ages 5-12.

"It's for kids who are not in sports," Nagel said. "We make it fun by keeping the kids busy and teaching them to enjoy exercise."

The adult fitness program is a lighter workout. Personal trainers give members challenging drills, such as sprinting down the indoor track, or lunging with sandbags over their heads.

"It's functional fitness," said owner Russ Bergeman. "When you get to that age where muscles aren't as good, it gives you the ability to not hurt yourself and to recover quickly."

The philosophy is to make fitness fun and effective. The majority of clients are 11-15 years old who are transitioning from recreational sports to competitive sports, Bergeman said.

"There's a difference between working out and being trained," Bergeman said. "If you want to work out, go to a gym. That works well for some people. If you want to be trained, come to CATZ. We give the same workouts that we would give to a professional athlete."

Katie Allison, 13, of Highlands Ranch, would rather come to CATZ than to her own softball practice. She's training to get stronger and faster for her upcoming softball season.

"It's fun because we do a variety of things," she said. "I'm getting stronger and faster."

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