What Thanksgiving is to turkey sales, New Year's is to the fitnessindustry.
On Jan. 1, millions of Americans resolve to get into shape. Bysome estimates, January can account for 12 to 15 percent of a club'snew members for an entire year.
Boston Sports Clubs, already a dominant player in the region, isaiming to capitalize on the rush by opening four new clubs in early2006, including what may be the city's first round-the-clock workoutfacility.
'We consider them our biggest competition,' said Gary T.Klencheski, chief executive of the rival Fitcorp chain.
Boston Sports Clubs is part of Town Sports International, aprivate company that also operates clubs in the New York,Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., markets. At the end of the thirdquarter, Town Sports reported having 137 clubs and more than 410,000members in the United States.
The company is replacing an existing club in Copley Place, and, ifpermits can be obtained, the hope is that the replacement willeventually be open 24 hours a day part of the week so that night owlscan pump iron at 2 a.m. And for the evening commuter who wants tosqueeze in some cardiovascular exercise before catching the 6:20 toNatick, there are plans for a new gym near South Sta tion.
Just in time for all those folks making New Year's resolutions,the chain is opening a facility in Watertown Jan. 1 and a club in theSouth End a short time later.
Boston Sports Clubs will end 2005 with 18 local clubs, but TownSports International chief executive Robert Giardina said he thinkshe can roughly double that number in the next five years.
'Our members want convenience,' Giardina said. 'So we want to beconvenient to where people work and live.'
When Klencheski opened his first Fitcorp in the Financial Districtin 1979, his closest rival was a YMCA near Northeastern University.Today he estimates the Financial District is home to a dozen clubs.
But if competition for a piece of the pie is fierce, at least thepie is growing, helped by a medical profession that's constantlytalking about the virtues of fitness and the dangers of obesity.Between 2000 and 2004, the number of people belonging to health clubsrose from 32.8 million to 41.3 million, according to theInternational Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a tradegroup. During the same period, annual industrywide revenue increasedfrom $11.6 billion to $14.8 billion.
Much of the growth is coming from baby boomers. Health clubs wereonce mostly for consumers in their 20s and 30s. But by 2004, thenumber of health-club members over 55 was 10.2 million, up from 6.8million in 2003, said association spokeswoman Brooke Correia.
As a result, many clubs are making changes.
To accommodate members who can't do high-impact aerobics veryoften, Sports Club/LA plans to add more space for yoga and Pilatesstudios.
'Our target market is people in their mid-40s, and what they wantis kinder and gentler forms of exercise,' said Smaiyra Million, aSports Club/LA executive.
Meanwhile, a Texas-based chain of no-frills franchise clubs calledCurves targets middle-aged women who, in many cases, hadn't exercisedbefore. Curves has about 230 locations in Massachusetts.
Susan Hames and Lynda Corn own a Curves franchise in Revere. Theirclub has no showers, no treadmills, and no men. At this women-onlyclub, exercise machines are grouped in a circle and designed forspeedy workouts.
Hames said many of her members 'felt other gyms wereintimidating,' and Curves provides them with a comfort zone.
'You don't feel like you need to dress like a glamour queen whenyou go work out,' said Elaine Antonucci, 55, a member of the Curvesin Revere.
Another fast-growing demographic in the fitness industry is kids.
Between doctors warning about children's obesity and some schoolscutting back on physical education, many parents are enrolling inhealth-club family plans.
A few years ago, Frank and Stacey Santo signed up for a summerpool membership at Boston Sports Clubs in Wellesley. Their threechildren enjoyed it so much they became year-round club members.Thanks to a recent expansion largely to accommodate kids, this clubfeatures rooms for laser tag, gymnastics, and birthday parties.
Frank Santo, a restaurateur, said the club is great for his 8-year-old son.
'We have to limit his video game time,' Santo said. 'Any time wecan get him moving around, we do it. As parents, we have to set anexample. We want our children growing up knowing that exercise shouldbe part of your day.'
The new Boston Sports Clubs in Watertown also aims to be family-friendly. But when it opens, it's likely to be saturated with adultswho have just made New Year's resolutions.
Chief executive Giardina has seen it all before. People will seizeon any excuse not to exercise. But today there is a difference.
'A typical member gets very active around New Year's,' he said.'Then they slack off. Years ago, they would have just disappeared.Now they come back.'
Chris Reidy can be reached at reidy@globe.com.
