“Seventy Percent,” my trainer, Paul, said. I was on my first personal training session of a three-month package, and he told me that about 70% of my success would depend on my eating habits. I asked if he could put together a plan for me to follow or offer guidance, but unfortunately for me, his liability was much more important than my success and retention. I had no idea what to eat in order to accomplish my goals. At the time, I was 30 pounds overweight. Even though Paul was a very professional trainer, and I learned many new techniques for exercising, I never lost the weight. After completing my sessions with him, I decided to find someone that could offer me a more complete weightloss solution.
This all-too-familiar story clearly illustrates the common “sin of omission” committed by health clubs today. We spend an enormous amount of money and time creating the standard list of amenities: treadmills, hot tubs, saunas, spinning classes, personal training, towel service. However, for one reason or another, we have failed to provide a simple solution to the most important problem facing our members and clients: “What should they eat in order to succeed?”
Realizing that proper member nutrition plays an enormous roll in the success of your club is a huge step toward a new level of growth. Fortunately, with new, extremely viable solutions becoming wellknown in the industry, many facilities are actually beginning to do something about the issue. Nutrition guidance programs have come a long way since the Nineties. They have become very user-friendly and easy to implement. Some may even be privatelabeled by your club, and require very little staff overhead. These programs are evolving – just like the health and fitness industry. By making these new technologies accessible to your members, you open your doors to a mainstream class of new clientele whose interest is primarily focused on weight loss and improved health. When given the proper tools, your customers have the potential to surpass even their own expectations. And, with better results, come higher retention rates and more referrals. By supplying services through your health club that improve your members’ eating habits, you increase the value of your club – both to you, and to your members.
John Peters is the VP of Sales at Vitabot. He can be contacted at 301.864.3886, or by email at jpeters@vitabot.com, or visit www.vitabot.com.
