I truly believe in the idea that total fitness is a combination of both exercise and nutrition. One without the other is only going to take you halfway there. Exercise and nutrition are a team; they work together to help us achieve total fitness. Many people don’t think in terms of cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, etc. If your members don’t eat right when they leave the gym they are negating all of that hard work. I have seen so many people who have changed their diet habits to avoid fast foods but instead, they choose to consume other high fat, over-processed foods. Why? Because they don’t know any better. Maybe they eat balanced meals, but they still snack on “low fat” or “low calorie” crackers or cookies on the premise that they are healthier than fried foods. Well that may be true, but oftentimes these snacks contain large amounts of Trans fats! The average consumer does not know the difference between saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat.
However, things are beginning to change. People are starting to realize the importance of making healthier choices and health club owners have an opportunity to lead the market as suppliers of healthy food products. As a club owner, you have one main advantage in the battle of the bulge…your customers are already halfway there. They are paying money to use your facilities because they want to be healthier. The demand is there…so let’s fill the need.
WHAT CAN HEALTH CLUBS OFFER TO HELP MEMBERS ACHIEVE TOTAL NUTRITION?
1. Healthier Food Products: The best thing you can do is simply to make sure that you are supplying members with the healthiest product on the market. More and more Americans are beginning to seek healthier food choices and they are becoming aware of the dangers of processed foods. Take a look at the products that your juice bar offers (and consider a juice bar if you do not already have one). Are your products healthy? Are they free of trans fats and hydrogenated oils? Do they taste good? If you can answer “no” to any of these questions then you have some work to do. Seek out the latest and greatest food trends, but don’t be fooled by tricky marketing ploys that sell unhealthy products labeled as “low” in fat or calories. Read labels! Why? Because your members are starting to do the same and the last thing you want is for them to lose their trust in you as a provider of total fitness.
2. Recovery Shakes: The next step is to expand your shake offering. Do you sell recovery shakes? If so, how do they measure up nutritionally? Are your shakes made with fresh products? Or, do they contain mostly sugar? Are they made with hydrogenated fats or oils? Do they offer the right balance of the macronutrients: protein, carbs and fat? The recovery shake may be the single most important meal that your members consume in a day, especially as it relates to their workout goals. So, make sure that you are offering the best products for their bodies. By offering only the healthiest shakes you are giving your members something that is truly good for their bodies and you are increasing their chances of reaching their performance goals. Remember, satisfied customers are repeat customers!
3. Supplements: Once you have settled on the perfect smoothie product, take it one step further with supplements. People love to be able to walk up to a juice bar and order a shake that is specifically designed to meet their needs. Some people are working out to lose weight, while others are trying to gain. Some are looking for extra energy, while others are looking to increase their intake of fiber. By offering a broad spectrum of supplements, your club makes it easy for customers to find the right shake for their needs. Not only do supplements increase your product offering and allow you to reach out to more customers, but they also increase your profits! That’s right… adding supplements to your shakes will actually increase your profit margins!
Now that you have transformed your juice bar into a nutritional general store you are ready to sell, sell, sell. By offering only the best, most nutritious products, you are offering your customers something more…Total Fitness.
Dan Young is President of Performance Food Centers, Corp. He is accomplished in juice bar concept and design as well as being certified in personal training and sports nutrition. He can be contacted at 866.632.1927, or visitwww.performancefoodcenters.com.
