Casey Conrad, a consultant in the industry, informed me that she will be embarking on a little adventure starting July 27. She’s going to travel across the United States to various health clubs in the country to discover what they are doing at these facilities, and then she is going to blog about her visits.

I thought this was a great idea. It reminded me of when our magazine did its Fitness Across America series in 2003 and 2004. I was fortunate enough to visit some wonderful clubs in the Southwest one year and then the Midwest another year. I felt like these visits helped me understand this business more, and they gave me a better appreciation for all the wonderful people in the industry who are truly trying to serve others.

If you are interested in being a club that Casey visits on her trip, let her know by going to this site, where she has her route mapped out. Each club she chooses not only gets the publicity from her blog, but they also get a $1,295 training package for free.

We’ll keep you updated on Casey’s blog as she progresses around the country.

When I hear the words “North Carolina” and “Roy,” I automatically think of Roy Williams, the two-time national championship basketball coach of the Tar Heels and former coach of a local university called “Kansas.” Lately, though, another Roy has asserted himself in the Tar Heel state, especially in our industry. more…

After we ran a story about the Washington Army National Guard gym in Iraq that created some unique do-it-yourself fitness equipment, I got a message from somebody at SPRI Products Inc. who said the company plans to send a “care package” to the soldiers. While the SPRI contact I spoke with said he respected the troops’ creativity in putting together a makeshift gym, he thought they might appreciate a selection of ready-made fitness gear. I had a feeling something like this might happen when I originally wrote the story—I’m so glad my hunch was right! A special thanks goes out to SPRI and Sgt. Catlett in Iraq.

The future of cardio exercise and group training is upon us. What you are about to see will revolutionize the fitness world. more…

When I was in Boston two weeks ago for the Club Industry East conference, I made a quick trip up to Peabody, MA, to see the new Latitudes Sports Clubs, a 130,000-square-foot club that is scheduled to open this summer. Owner John Grossi, a former Gold’s Gym franchisee, gave me a personal tour of the club. As we made our way through the construction crews that were still finishing areas of the club, I found myself wishing the conference had been a few weeks later so I could see the completed facility. It looks like it will be quite impressive. more…

The news of the death of the 4-year-old daughter of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was stunning on Tuesday, especially since her death followed an accident on a home treadmill. Normally, we cover the fitness industry as it relates to health clubs, but now is as good a time as any to think about the dangers that can arise with children and treadmills. This story examines the number of accidents that have occurred in recent years involving children and exercise equipment.

This is the time of year when my eyes start getting a little blurry sending out e-mails about the Top 100 Clubs list. I’ve been e-mailing past Top 100 club owners to remind them to submit their forms and contacting some new players that I think might make the list this year. I have even extended the deadline to May 26. (I hope I don’t have to extend it any further.)

With the economy the way that it is, it should be an interesting year for the list. I’ve received about 45 forms so far (still at least 55 to go!). I’ve been pleased that even though some club companies have noted a decrease in revenue, they haven’t been afraid to send in their forms (although some have also neglected to note a number in the line that asks about an increase or decrease). Still, some club companies have actually noted an increase in revenue, which was good to see.

I hope to have most of the forms collected by the end of May. I should then have tabulation and evaluation of the data completed by mid-June so you can view the final results in the July issue.

There’s a for-profit/nonprofit debate brewing in the state of Kansas, particularly in Wichita, KS. The Kansas Health and Fitness Association (KHFA), which represents private health clubs in the state, is making a claim that Wichita YMCAs should not receive a tax break, given the amount of revenue they generate. This advertisement along with this half-page advertisement were published recently in the Wichita Eagle. more…

Considering I recently read a study that said that increased food intake is more to blame for the obesity epidemic than lack of physical activity, I was pleased to see that Massachusetts has put in place some restaurant menu labeling rules that require chain restaurants to post the calorie count of each food item. The rule even applies to drive-through windows, where 65 percent of fast food is purchased.

As we all know, being healthy isn’t just about exercising. It’s also about eating right. And in today’s society, you can’t tell people not to eat at restaurants, especially fast-food restaurants that offer the convenience that busy parents sometimes need. So this rule and a similar one in New York (plus laws being considered in at least 12 other states) are one way to give consumers the information they need to make healthier food choices.

What do you think about this new rule? Should it be implemented in other states or are the states going too far?

If you happened to catch Bruce Willis on David Letterman’s show the other night, you might have heard him speak about a certain celebrity personal trainer, Gunnar Peterson.

In the interview, Willis said he met his new wife, Emma, at a gym owned by Peterson in Los Angeles. When he first saw Emma at the gym, Willis turned to his friend Gunnar and said, “Who is that?” If you don’t believe me, catch the catchy-named blog “Celebitchy.”

As you might recall, Peterson spoke at Club Industry East last year in New York and wasn’t afraid to drop a few big names during his presentation.