"Entrepreneur Magazine puts niche gyms among the top new business trends likely to emerge in 2007.
What's a niche gym? It's a health club that specializes in alternative fitness methods and experience. They are generally smaller and designed to appeal to a defined clientele. Curves was one of the first successful gyms to appeal to women only. Now different demographics, from seniors to toddlers, and activities are expanding exercise options. Whether boxing, Pilates, yoga, rock-climbing or dance-technique methods, niche gyms thrive by tailoring their programs, creating enthusiasts and delivering fitness results.
As a business model, what is old is new again. Trendy, niche gyms claim and gain market share by building old-fashioned brand loyalty: offer something customers want, keep them wanting more and they'll keep coming back.
Short of having a personal trainer, a specialized gym may offer the best value for the buck. Sessions or class packages can be pricier upfront but may offer a better long-term result, connecting interests to exercises that you'll actually want to do.
Niche gyms are an option for anyone who has ever joined a traditional gym only to find, despite best intentions, that the membership fees are more consistent than their workouts. "A lot of people feel like they are their own. The machines can be intimidating and usually people don't get a lot of personal instruction," observed Tom Rezabek, owner of the Pure Barre fitness studio in Chevy Chase. "Even exercisers who stick to a routine may not be optimizing their workout." Part of the appeal of niche gyms can be more interesting workouts and instruction that helps reduce injury risks.
Raising the Barre
Pure Barre is one local example of the type of niche gym on Entrepreneurs short-list of "what's hot for 2007" for small business trends.
Pure Barre is an exercise method that works core body muscles with faster, safer results. Rezabek, a former weight-lifter and college football player, offers the first class at no cost so newcomers get a feel for the exercise technique.
"After one session, most people know if this technique is for them or not," he said. "I think it is the most effective 55-minute workout you can get. There is nothing like it in Lexington."
He compares Pure Barre to popular exercise techniques like Core Fusion in New York and the Barre Method in California. These workouts focus on concentrated movements and deep muscle conditioning.
"We tell our clients to put their minds where their muscles are. Being aware of the small movements that make big differences is the goal. What you get is strong, lean muscles — not a bulky, physical look."
Rezabek speaks from experience. A serious back injury forced him to look beyond weight lifting for exercise options that could aid recovery as well as offer a challenging workout. He didn't have to look further than his sister's fitness studio in Birmingham, Mich.
Carrie Rezabek developed the Pure Barre technique, drawing from her training in Pilates, dance and fitness as well as the Lotte Merk Method (a rehabilitative exercise program used by dancers). Pure Barre is claiming a healthy portion of the niche gym market: five dedicated fitness studios are in operation across the Northeast, with two more slated to open early this year.
"My sister grew up dancing, not me. When I went to her studio, I was amazed at the quality workout and what it does for the body. You don't have to be dancer to do it. The ballet barre helps you hold your balance so you can concentrate on the move," Rezabek said.
Rezabek opened his own machine-less gym just over a year ago. The heaviest equipment in the room are hand-weights, floor mats and foam blocks. The instructor drives the class, snapping to a music tempo while calling out a series of choreographed sprint-recovery-stretching movements.
"It's easier to be disciplined when the person next to you is working really hard and a trained instructor is directing and correcting your movements. The risk of injury is lower and the fitness benefit is higher," Rezabek said.
According to Rezabek, the typical workout burns from 500 to 600 calories per session.
For a small business like Pure Barre, offering a premium product while working to develop a loyal customer base, it has been a nice niche to fill.
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