- November 23, 2024
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Two local gyms have reported membership increases thanks, in part, to a shift toward more prevention-based care from health-insurance providers.
BY MIKE CAVALIERE | ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Ever since the popularity of group-fitness programs like yoga and zumba blew up about five years back, local gyms that offer these classes have watched their memberships rise. But centers like Gold’s Gym, in Ormond Beach, and Fitness One, in Palm Coast, have seen even more recent increases, thanks to insurance companies beginning to include gym time as a perk on their health plans.
“It’s cheaper for them to be preventative,” said Dave Lieb, sales manager at Gold’s Gym, at 333 W. Granada Blvd. “A lot of insurance carriers are starting to jump on board. ... And for us, we don’t care if we’re getting paid by the member or the insurance company.”
It’s all part of a greater push toward more prevention-minded health care, Lieb added. Paying a gym $30 or so once a month is worth it for providers, he said — if it helps to keep a their clients out of the hospital or doctor’s office.
Donna Williams, supervisor of Fitness One, at 250 Old Kings Road, in Palm Coast, agrees. They both cite Humana’s Silver Sneakers Fitness Program for seniors as their facilities’ top provider.
The program, which covers 100% of a senior’s bill, has been around for years, they say, and people take advantage.
But at the beginning of 2013, Florida Health Care also started covering gym workouts. State and county workers, including teachers, get at least a portion of their gym time thrown into their health plans at no extra charge under that provider — at partnering facilities, anyway.
“There’s quite a few employers where now, all of sudden, you get (these perks),” Lieb said. “And I think you’re going to see it continue to go that way.”
Williams says hers is the only facility in Flalger County that offers the discounted rates, however. Fitness One currently has partnerships with four different insurance providers, she added.
“There’s a lot of people who come into gym, and they let you know right away: ‘I’m only here for zumba.’ ” she said, noting that her facility hosts zumba classes five days per week and even sometimes seven times.
But with an estimated 50-50 ratio of those who come in to weight-train or work the machines compared to those who go for group sessions, professionals like Williams and Lieb are constantly having to find new ways to keep people coming to the gym — especially when “life gets in the way."
Fact is, Lieb said: Gyms really do want their members inside as much as possible — even if they’re on contract.
“Because usage means retention,” he said. “If you’re using it a couple times a week and you feel good about yourself ... you’re probably not going to cancel that membership.”
So, even though both gyms report membership hikes from last year — Gold’s currently has about 3,000 members; Fitness One has about 4,800 — they’ve had to get creative to keep people coming in.
Fitness One doesn’t make its members sign a contract, for example. Gold’s Gym has started adding more specialized classes to its offerings: like chair yoga.
“We’ve also tried to adapt to new age groups,” Lieb said. “I think it’s definitely helped us, because a lot of our competitors don’t do the group fitness.”
“We’re constantly doing things,” Williams added. “We’ll have a 5K run. ... We’ll sponsor events and then set up at booth at the race.”
Fitness One also gives away free months in community raffles. It offers three free orientation classes, free health assessments and workout plans at the start of each new membership.
“A lot of people turn down a fitness assessment ... but it really is going to help you,” Williams said. “You’ll get more comfortable with what you need for your body.”
Lieb couldn’t agree more. How can you expect to get the most out of your membership, he asked, if you don’t understand every machine or know what workouts to do to reach your goal?
“That’s basically a disaster waiting to happen,” he said. “You feel clueless.”
That’s why Gold’s offers a few free training sessions, as well.
Other tricks to get the most of your membership, they say, are to come with a friend, split the cost of a personal trainer with a partner and to try every class at least once.
“(Members) aren’t buying a fitness membership,” Lieb added. “They’re buying the goal they’re looking for. ... We’re the solution for your quest for fitness.”
