It is no real surprise to those in the fitness industry that most people find exercise tedious, uncomfortable, and lacking the results they expect. Even many exercisers with the best intentions drift away from their New Year’s resolutions or somewhat regular visits to the gym. Every health club experiences the annual crush of seemingly resolute exercisers in January, only to find that more than half disappear by mid-February.
Exercise equipment – particularly cardiovascular machines – is the core of every fitness center, and exercisers today demand a significant variety in order to cross train, maintain motivation, and ultimately provide compelling results. Typically health clubs have favored “horizontal” machines – treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals, rowers and skiers- that require the body to move in a horizontal plane or round-and-round motion. It is this “been there, done that” attitude that can begin to erode your memberships.
Successful clubs recognize this and floor a substantial variety of cardio machines, one of which – the total-body vertical trainer – is a key component of maintaining satisfied and committed members.
The up-and-down motion required by total-body vertical trainers defies gravity, and offers significant advantages to club members who want unique, efficient and effective workouts in limited floor space environments.
Why vertical trainers?
For today’s time-starved population, it’s clear that total-body workouts and cross training are critical to achieving results, conquering fitness goals, and satisfying members both physically and mentally.
Facility owners – especially those who offer express workouts – can see an increase in revenues, member participation, and member satisfaction with results, simply by replacing less effective “cardiovascular” platforms with versatile, result-producing equipment like total-body vertical trainers.
In fact, total-body vertical trainers offer countless benefits:
1. Unmatched effectiveness.
• Provides total-body, fluid exercise to actively engage more muscle groups for better conditioning and caloric expenditure-but without harmful, jarring impact.
• Facilitates weight-bearing vertical training against gravity.
• Elevates heart rate faster and burns more calories in as little as 30 seconds compared to elliptical machines, treadmills, and stair climbers, according to research on the use of total-body vertical trainers.
• Offers a total-body vertical workout after which members say they rarely feel the need for additional exercise.
2. Significant versatility.
• Offers a wide range of step heights to accommodate beginning exercisers through high-performance athletes.
• Can be used as a lower-body stepper, total-body climber or while seated to work the arms only, or legs only.
• Simple to use in unsupervised situations with an interactive voice module that directs exercisers, who can quickly get on and go.
3. Operational advantages.
• Incredibly space efficient with only three-and-a-half by four feet of space required.
• Cost-effective.
• Highly durable.
Total-body vertical trainers undoubtedly are an ideal addition to jump-start circuit, express routines.
Unmatched vertical climbing benefits. Unlike other cardiovascular modalities, total-body vertical trainers provide unparalleled benefits such as:
• Actively engage more muscle groups for a true total-body workout and greater conditioning.
• Offer highest caloric and fat expenditure over most cardio machines in as little as 20 minutes.
• Provide non-impact, fluid, total-body motion.
• Require lifting arms above the heart and head for better circulation and conditioning.
• Facilitate vertical training against gravity so users have to push and pull their own body weight-minimizing the opportunity to “cheat” and boosting results.
• Allow for interval sprint training for better conditioned users or athletes who want to boost their anaerobic threshold.
Driving bigger, better business.
Because health clubs essentially sell exercise – which many people view as unpleasant, dull or a necessary evil – smart facilities understand that being profitable comes down to creating and keeping members by engaging them, offering variety and meeting their needs. Today’s vertical trainers do just that: they are extremely effective, versatile, and easy to use which is a simple answer to cardio boredom.
Brett Collins is the Sales and Marketing Manager of VersaClimber. He can be contacted at 800.237.2271, or by email atbcollins@heartrateinc.com.
