subject: Health Club Managers, Is Phillip Morris Your Real Competition? [print this page] Health Club Managers, Is Phillip Morris Your Real Competition?
Health club managers have a lot to learn from the tobacco industry. One only needs compare the popularity of cigarette smoking compared to gym membership.
The health club industry is booming. There are more gyms, health clubs, wellness centers, yoga, and PT studios today than ever before. There are more facilities, more vendors, more members, and more money. However when you compare the numbers of health club memberships to smokers, the numbers are small. Go ahead...take a look tat your club management software and see how many members you have today!
Crunch the Numbers for Tobacco Use versus Gym Membership
According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), 12 percent of all Americans (36 million people) are current gym members. About 19 percent (approximately 57 million people) were gym members at some point.
At first glance this is great news, especially considering it is a relatively young industry. But what does this success look like when compared to a company like Phillip Morris?
According to the Center for Disease Control, 21 percent of Americans are current smokers. That's 63 million people.
More Smokers than Exercisers
That is an astounding number! There are more people who currently smoke then those who have EVER been a member of a gym. (That means they never even gave it a try!). Despite billions of dollars spent warning people not to smoke, the tobacco industry is more effective at getting people to smoke REGULARLY than health clubs are at even getting people to TRY membership. The health and fitness club industry sells something that helps people live longer, better, and makes them feel good and look great. Improved health lowers insurance costs and potentially medical costs. Yet still gyms are "losing" to big tobacco!
The tobacco industry has longevity in the marketplace. It certainly has more money for marketing. Furthermore, tobacco products include an addictive property that a treadmill cannot match. This disparity also offers a wonderful opportunity and motivation for health club managers to close the gap.
Consider this:
It takes on average about 4 minutes to smoke a cigarette.
The average smoker smokes 18 a day. (Many smoke far more, up to 30.)
The average smoker spends 72 minutes a day smoking.
The average smoker spends $1,971 a year on cigarettes or $165/month.
Think about what you can do if someone would spend 72 minutes a day working out, and $165/month at your club. Enter those numbers into your club management software and see what you come up with!
