As a trade association for fitness centers, IHRSA is responsible for creating and fostering an industry marketplace for creative programming. A particularly robust segment of that marketplace relates to youth programming in health clubs. Ideas are swirling about engagement, program design, and how to collaborate with communities to fill gaps left by budget cuts to recess and physical education.

To the surprise of policymakers, the health club market is already serving millions of American children.

In fact, IHRSA surveys indicate:

• 26 percent of commercial health clubs offer youth-specific programming
• 20 percent of commercial health clubs offer a kids-only section
• Commercial health clubs serve more than 5.7 million members under the age of 18, including 2.3 million between 6 and 12 years old, and 3.4 million between 13 and 17
• The number of children using commercial health clubs has increased by 209 percent since 1990

IHRSA recently profiled several clubs offering youth programming. One club, for example, reported great success and engagement with age-appropriate versions of historically adult programs, such as yoga, Zumba, boxing, mixed martial arts, and triathlon clinics. Other notable programs include physical education classes, after school “active” care, climbing wall sessions, suspension training, tumbling classes, group cycling, and even cooking classes.

In earlier posts, we’ve noted that health clubs provide a safe location, supportive environment, and a variety of options for meaningful physical activity, but behavior research points to additional benefits for children.  

For example, family health club memberships can positively influence and reinforce healthy behaviors of both children and adults. As one IHRSA member recently noted, “In many communities, health clubs are one of the few places where families can exercise: parents can work out, while their children are having fun and getting healthy. We make it easy for them.” This family dynamic is particularly important for youth fitness in light of recent research findings that suggest that children are influenced by their parents’ activity levels.

Of course, any discussion about improving population health must consider the cost of implementation. Certainly, membership fees are a factor in determining the overall impact of the fitness industry to improve the fitness levels of American youth, but to a much lesser degree than commonly assumed.  Health clubs may not be the right option for every American, but we believe that affordable choices exist for the great majority of American families. Often, affordability is simply a matter of budgetary priorities and Americans have an unfortunate history of assigning a low value to physical activity. When compared with the monthly cost of premium cable TV, cell phone service, junk food, video games, or even coffee, a health club membership can be a very accessible option.

What are some youth programs that could be implemented in a fitness center?

One of the nation's greatest public health policy successes of the past ten years may be the widespread implementation of corporate wellness policies.

In fact, a recent notice from the Federal government states, "The Departments believe that appropriately designed wellness programs have the potential to contribute importantly to promoting health and preventing disease." In this case, "the Departments" refer to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Department of Labor, and the US Department of the Treasury.

The same notice reports that "wellness programs have become common among employers in the United States...[and] overall, employers largely report that workplace wellness programs are delivering on their intended benefit of improving health and reducing costs."

So, how are corporate wellness programs promoting physical activity?

According to a recent survey by Kaiser/HRET, 30% of all firms surveyed offer gym memberships or provide an onsite fitness facility. This includes 64% of large employers.

The importance of promoting physical activity as a core component of a corporate wellness program was underscored recently by a study published in the November 2012 issue of Health Affairs, which found that employer health care costs are 15.3% higher for physically inactive employees than active employees.

But persuading employees to adopt healthier behaviors, such as regular physical activity, can be exceedinly challenging and simply offering gym memberships or building an onsite fitness center is not likely to convert many employees from inactive to active.

"The key to success," says Bryan O'Rourke, IHRSA member and CEO of Integerus, "is a combination of facility design, and more importantly, an organizational commitment to a comprehensive wellness program."

And that commitment, according to fitness industry experts, must significantly impact the corporate culture.

"The percentage of participation of the workforce that participates in a wellness program or company-built fitness facility is really dependent on the company culture," notes Vaughn Marxhausen, Area General Manager for Houstonian Lite. "This culture starts at the top and filters down. It is usually difficult to increase participation or grow a program, if the culture of wellness is not present." I highly recommend his "The 3 Ps of Participation" strategy.

In this excellent video, Christine Thalwitz, Director of Communications & Research at ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers, discusses specific strategies for creating a culture of wellness. The video is a must-see for any fitness company interested in corporate wellness.

From a corporate policy perspective, the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity's CEO Pledge, which not only confirms a CEO's commitment to providing a supportive environment for employee physical activity, but also asserts the CEO's own intent to be physically active, may also be one of the most meaningful and effective strategies for creating a corporate culture of wellness.

"With most working adults spending roughly half their waking hours on the job on the days that they work, it is incumbent upon business and industry leaders to become part of the solution," says IHRSA President/CEO and CEO Pledge signer, Joe Moore. "By promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles within the workplace, CEOs help their company's bottom line, but they also help society."

A thrilling new initiative of the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), "GO the EXTRA MILE with NIHB" greatly expands the reach of the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP).

NIHB Executive Director, Stacey Bohlen, described GO the EXTRA MILE in a recent letter to tribal representatives.

"The GO the EXTRA MILE initiative is a result of the NIHB signing the CEO pledge, which is part of a national campaign to encourage Executive Directors to commit to supporting and fostering a physically-active workplace. NIHB's GO the EXTRA MILE initiative achieves these goals by creating a workplace that supports physical activity for every member of its staff. Through the GO the EXTRA MILE with NIHB initiative, we will provide 30 staff minutes during the workday to walk one mile each day for a year. We will aggregate these miles and 'virtually' walk to each of the 12 Indian Health Service Areas, either to an Area Indian Health Board or to a Tribal Partner in Areas that do not have a Board."

The letter also invites the tribal representatives to sign the CEO Pledge - originally developed for the NPAP and now championed by the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) - and take advantage of the GO the Extra Mile website, which will include a toolkit, electronic mapping, and access to information from the Association of American Indian Physicians.

The need for the initiative is urgent. According to NIHB, the age-adjusted incidence of Type 2 diabetes is higher among Amercian Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) than all other US racial and ethnic groups. Furthermore, the adult obesity rate among the AI/AN population is 39%, while the inactivity rate is over 50%.

IHRSA applauds NIHB for elevating the importance of physical activity and creating such an innovative initiative to dovetail with the CEO Pledge. We are hopeful that the leadership of NIHB and others will inspire novel outreach efforts across the country and deep into every segment of the population. Clearly, our national approach to addressing the sedentary criss must be judged, in great part, by its effectiveness in reaching the communities most impacted.

Above: NCPPA Executive Team takes CEO Pledge

About the CEO Pledge

The CEO Pledge is an evidence-based national campaign promoted by NCPPA to encourage every CEO in the United States to recognize physical activity as an important driver of employee health and business performance. Studies of employee wellness programs consistently find that executive leadership is critical to employee engagement. If employees believe that creating a culture of physical activity is an executive priority, employees are more likely to be physically active.