excerpts from . . . Survival of the fittest

Fitness business reflects trends in large health centers, small workout boutiques

BY JOHN P. MCDERMOTT
Of The Post and Courier Staff

 . . . . Reflecting broader trends, the local fitness industry is swelling as an increasingly health-conscious population grows and ages. But the scrappy business remains as fragmented than ever, meaning more choices and more competition. So when stuffed holiday revelers resolve to get back in shape come 2003, they'll have no shortage of options.
     Traditional full-service health clubs still dominate the fitness landscape. But their lock on the market has been loosened in recent years by a growing number of enterprising personal trainers and other exercise fanatics who are going into business for themselves and carving the market into thinner slices.
     "What the companies are doing is targeting niches," said Bill Howland, spokesman for the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a Boston-based trade group.
     "You might decide to run a gym that caters to the hard-core, young fitness enthusiast. I might run a club that caters to families ... And right down the a street is a women's-only center," Howland said. "We're competitors - and there's definitely some overlap - but we're also positioned differently in the marketplace."
    
PERSONAL TOUCH
 

 . . . .
     Chris McNeil is muscling for a piece of the action. His Charleston-based Faster Fitness, formerly Lifestyle Dynamics, provides 30-minute circuit-training workouts with a personal trainer and customized nutrition programs. It recently picked Summerville for its third location.
     "Our studios appeal to people who feel lost in the shuffle in large health clubs," he said.
     McNeil thinks the "turn-key" low-overhead concept he has developed is ripe for franchising, and he is negotiating deals with prospective investors from Charlotte and Hilton Head.
     "It's a wide-open market, it's a niche," he said.
     Yet McNeil doesn't view big health clubs, yoga studios and YMCAs as his primary competition. He points at the number of people who do not exercise.
     "We're competing with the couch," he said.
    
WORKING HARDER
     Meanwhile, full-service health clubs - which charge anywhere from $30-$60 a month - are determined not to lose any ground. To keep pace and build membership, most have no choice but to stay on top of the latest exercise crazes and trends.  . . . . . .
    
     John P. McDermott covers business. He can be reached at 937-5572 or jmcdermott@postandcourier.com.