AED Issue Active in Several StatesSeveral state legislatures are considering legislation related to automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Indiana’s Senate Health and Provider Services Committee introduced a bill early last month requiring all health clubs to have an AED... Oklahoma Committee Passes Tax Credit BillThe Oklahoma Senate Finance Committee passed a bill on Feb. 13 that would give a tax credit equal to 20 percent of the cost of membership to a health or fitness club.... South Carolina Introduces Bill Prohibiting Automatic RenewalCOLUMBIA, SC -- Last month, a bill that would prohibit automatic renewal of health club contracts was referred to the South Carolina House Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs after being introduced in the South Carolina House of Representatives. The bill would also limit the duration of month-to-month health club contracts to no more than 12 months. ... Akradi Pleads Guilty to MisdemeanorEDEN PRAIRIE, MN -- Bahram Akradi, CEO of Life Time Fitness, Eden Prairie, MN, pled guilty last week to a misdemeanor assault charge in connection with a February 23, 2006, incident at his daughter’s high school (http://fitnessbusinesspro.com/forprofits/fitness_life_time_fitness_8/index.html). ... Half Give Up Fitness Pledge One Month LaterAt the beginning of each year, 50.5 percent of resolution-makers pledge to get in shape in the new year. By Valentine’s Day, 49 percent of those people have given up on their fitness resolution, according to a nationwide survey by Bally Total Fitness... Bally’s Employee Faces Sexual Abuse ChargesA Bally Total Fitness employee in Guilderland, NY, is facing separate charges of sexual abuse. James Carter was arrested on Feb. 3 and charged with forcible touching, sexual abuse and unlawful imprisonment... Elements Hits 25 Club MilestoneBy the end of last year, the women-only club Elements had hit a 25-club milestone, and so far this year, the company has opened one club in Exeter, NH, with another 25 clubs in development ... Life Time Revenue Grows 31 PercentLife Time Fitness Inc. reported today that its fourth quarter 2006 revenue grew 34.5 percent and its 2006 revenue grew 31.2 percent. Fourth quarter 2006 revenue was $139.3 million compared to $103.6 million during the same period the year before. Revenue for 2006 totale... Fitness Together Opens 26 Studios in Last Quarter 2006-- Fitness Together, a personal training organization, opened 29 studios in the last quarter of 2006, a 16 percent increase over the same period the previous year, says Rick Sikorski, Fitness Together CEO. In all, 91 studios were opened in 2006. ... Bally Opens New Club in Alexandria, VABally Total Fitness has expanded in the Washington, DC, area with the early February opening of a new club in Alexandria, VA. Bally has four other clubs in northern Virginia, six in suburban Maryland and one in DC... Gold's Gym Opens 42nd Fitness Facility in TexasHundreds of local residents took part in the grand opening of Gold's Gym Bandera Trails in San Antonio, and, as a result, the facility sold 174 memberships. The 40,000-square-foot facility marked the opening of the 42nd Gold's Gym facility in Texas.... Six States Earn an 'A'California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennesse received high markets on the The Obesity Initiative's latest report card, a best-of-the-best list of those states taking positive steps to combat the nation's obesity epidemic, especially as it affects children... Bally Sponsors Women’s Health FairOne in every three women in the United States dies of heart disease. To help women learn how to reduce risk factors and adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle, the Sister to Sister... Colorado Town Opens Rec CenterAn architecture firm made every inch count at the $12.2 million, 57,000-square-foot Gypsum Recreation Center (GRC) in the mountain town of Gypsum, CO. While other community centers in Colorado often depend on tourism... The Cooper Institute Earns National Accreditation for its Personal TrainerThe National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) granted accreditation to the Cooper Institute’s Personal Trainer Certification (CI-PTr) program for a five-year period. The Cooper Institute is one of only seven organizations to achieve NCCA accreditation ... Gold’s Gym Celebrates 10 Years in RussiaMOSCOW -- Ten years ago, when Paul Kuebler, Jake Weinstock and Vladimir Grumlik got together to open Gold's Gym Moscow, things in Russia were a little different. "At the time, the concept of fitness was completely different than in the U.S," says Paul Kuebler, part-owner of Gold's Gym Russia. ... ACSM Certifications Earn NCCA AccreditationThe Health/Fitness Instructor® and Exercise Specialist® credentials of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) have earned accreditation by the National Commission for ... Healthy Inspirations and Slender Lady Become OneAs of Jan. 1, Healthy Inspirations and Slender Lady, Coronado, CA, have merged and will take the name Healthy Inspirations with Slender Lady franchisees implementing the Healthy Inspirations model in their facilities. Casey Conrad, former CEO of Healthy Inspirations... Seven Fitness Club Franchises Make ListFitness club franchises remain a hot business opportunity if Entrepreneur magazine’s annual Top 500 Franchise list is any indication. The list, which was released earlier this month and ranks franchises in a variety of industries, includes seven fitness club companies, many of ... Wellbridge CEO and COO Buy Company-- Ed Williams, co-founder and CEO of Wellbridge Co., and Jay Kell, COO of Denver-based Wellbridge, purchased the company in late December, according to a release from the company. Williams and Kell are principals in Fitness Ventures LLC, which also includes as a principal ... TSI Opens 100th Club in New YorkTown Sports International Holdings Inc. (TSI), an operator of clubs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region, opened its 100th New York Sports Club in the metro New York area.... IHRSA Members Report Increased Club Revenue and Improved Membership RetentionAlthough some industry experts are forecasting increased competition and possible flat revenues for clubs this year, a recent survey reported an increase in revenues and a growth in membership ... And the Best Hotel Gym Goes To…The Houstonian in Houston, TX; the Park Hyatt at Bellevue in Philadelphia; and the Four Seasons in San Francisco topped the list of the 2006 Best Hotel Gyms in the United States... NJ Assemblyman Introduces Legislation to Abolish Gym TaxThe American Heart Association is supporting a New Jersey assemblyman’s proposal to eliminate the sales tax levied on health club memberships. Assemblyman Bill Baroni ... State of the Industry: Go FishBy: By Pamela Kufahl, editor On the surface, fishing appears to be a lazy man's past time, but ask a true fisherman about it, and you'll find out that fishing is more complicated... |
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