Last bit of 2006 business: Let that belt out a notch.
The holiday season is as much about overeating as it is about peace on earth and good will toward shoppers trying to leapfrog a checkout line.
How do we know? People study these things.
A team of researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine a few years ago that the average person gains one pound between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Doesn't sound too worrisome -- but those researchers also found holiday flab tends to adhere like Super Glue and "probably contributes to the increase in body weight that frequently occurs during adulthood."
Maybe humans intuitively sense this. Maybe that's why, once the holiday partying ends, some kind of homing instinct seems to direct us toward a health club.
January is boom time for the fitness industry. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, 1 million Americans will take out club memberships during the first month of the year. New customer traffic can spike as much as 50 percent.
"If people aren't joining a club by Jan. 31, they're probably not joining," says Sharon Nevins, vice president of marketing at Maryland Athletic Club and Wellness Center, or MAC, in Timonium. "That's how dramatic January is."
Nevins adds that the majority of MAC's January newbies have never belonged to a club before or worked out regularly: "The 'deconditioned' is our industry term for them."
Dave Rutch, a personal trainer at Strong & Focused Fitness Studio in Sparks, has been in the business 15 years. "It's like clockwork," he says: Every January clubs get flooded with new faces and by March, once the novelty wears off, most have disappeared, seduced by the living-room couch and bags of potato chips.
The churn rate at health clubs is notoriously high: about half of all members drop out. Therefore, when shopping around for one to join, it literally pays to ask the toughest questions of yourself.
Is this a new-leaf whim or a healthy-living commitment? Do you have a goal in mind? If so, how realistic is it?
"This is a lifestyle change," explains Rutch. "This isn't something you're going to do for a month or two. You've kind of got to find where your motivation's coming from. Do you have a valid reason or do you just want to look good?"
Regarding motivation, it would be a bad sign to focus on extraneous factors like, oh, the color scheme of a club. If you only feel comfortable breaking a sweat at Mauve Fitness, your calorie-burning future isn't bright.
Still, one tangential factor does merit very serious
consideration: location.
"The No. 1 one thing is convenience, making sure it fits into their schedule" says Mark Milani, general manager of Merritt's Downtown Athletic Club. "If they have to drive or travel more than a certain number of minutes, they're not going to stick with it."
As a very general rule of thumb (or thigh), fitness novices might want to find a club within 10 minutes of home or work; that gives the Procrastination Devil less time to whisper in your ear.
Family and friends are the best source to tap into for specific club suggestions. However, don't be wedded to word-of-mouth recommendations. Those folks may be living on a higher fitness plane or not value certain amenities (child care or a swimming pool, for example) you cherish. Also, friends' promises to "work out together" can wilt quicker than a rose in a steam room.
There's no substitute for first-hand experience, says MAC's Sharon Nevins. Her top club-hunting tip is to request a trial membership -- and use it. Most facilities offer 15-day test drives. Some offer 30.
And what if a club you fancy doesn't do trial runs?
"Leave and go to another one," says Nevins.
MAC recently launched a "Healthy Start" promotion to attract potential clients who are in more advanced stages of deconditioning. A doctor's referral is required.
Participants pay $60 for a 60-day temporary membership supervised by a staff nurse. That fee is applied to the standard rate if they later opt to join full-time.
"These people are literally hand-held through the program," says Nevins, "and so far half of those people are becoming members."
Rosemary Haynes, a 46-year-old working mother from Timonium, signed up for Healthy Start in November after an annual physical revealed she had borderline high blood pressure.
Years ago Haynes briefly belonged to a health club, so she's making a fitness comeback of sorts. Two days a week she does an hour of weight lifting and cardio exercise on a bike or treadmill with a MAC trainer. Two other days she does a half-hour of cardio work on her own.
"In two weeks, I lost three pounds and my blood pressure is down," says Haynes. "There's a family history of high blood pressure, so it's really important to recover my stamina and energy and get stronger."
Having the "personal attention" of trainers appeals to her. So does MAC's wellness philosophy. Haynes' goal is to drop 20 pounds, but she opted not to deny herself the finer things of holiday life. She had a few glasses of wine and sampled some desserts.
The only off-limits item was Oreos. Those demon cookies have been a lifelong nemesis. Her Healthy Start doesn't change that.
"They're still trouble," says Haynes. "They'll always be trouble."
tom.dunkel@baltsun.com
Choosing a club
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association Web site (healthclubs.com) offer suggestions for fitness consumers. Click "Choosing a Club" on its home page.
Here are a few basic points to keep in mind: Know what you want: If your goal is to bulk up, pay extra attention to club's stock of free weights and strength-building machines. If you want to lose weight, see what's offered in the way of aerobic classes, running tracks, stationary bikes, treadmills and nutrition/weight-management programs. How user-friendly is the club for you?: Can you get there quickly? Do the hours of operation jibe with your work schedule? Are the parking lot and neighborhood safe at night? Trial by fire: Request day passes or a trial membership and work out during the same hours you're likely to come into the club if you join. Talk to current members. Pay attention to club demographics. Would you fit in?
"Health clubs look very different at different times of the day," says Sharon Nevins, vice president of marketing at the Maryland Athletic Club and Wellness Center in Timonium. "Hard-core business executives come in the morning, and evenings tend to be younger people." Amenities, anyone?: If you're all fitness business, a bare-bones club could be best -- and cheaper. On the other hand, maybe you can't survive without child care, a juice bar, aerobics and spinning classes, or a lap pool. Ask what's included in the standard membership fee and what's extra. Eyeball the staff: The exercise floor should be supervised at all time. What credentials do the personal trainers have? The American College of Sports Medicine or American Council on Exercise provide respected certifications. Read the fine print: Inquire about any cancellation fees and initiation charges. A month-to-month membership, though more expensive, might better meet your needs. Don't be afraid to negotiate. Nothing's written in stone.
Be wary of any talk about excessively long-term or lifetime memberships (which are illegal in most states). If you're not a trusting soul, contact the Better Business Bureau to see whether any complaints about the club are on file. Heed red flags: High-pressure sales tactics should be a turnoff. If showers and changing rooms aren't clean, if equipment and carpeting look worn, the club likely has management issues or money problems. Move on.
[ TOM DUNKEL]