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WORCESTER Upon walking into Planet Fitness, Worcesters newest fitness center, members will not find bulky weight-lifters or intense triathlon trainers. The gym, whose motto is a judgment-free zone, instead promotes pizza nights and bagel mornings.

The Planet Fitness club, one of more than 550 in the United States, strives to create a fun, comfortable and noncompetitive environment for people while they exercise.

We want this gym to be inclusive, said Jonathan Epstein, co-owner of the club. We want our members to feel welcome. This gym targets the 90 percent of the population who dont have the time to exercise daily.

The new branch, which recently opened in Webster Square, includes more than 100 Cybex cardio machines and 20 televisions in the main training room. The 20,000-square-foot gym is larger than the average Planet Fitness facility. In addition, the club has weight lifting machines but, in keeping with the judgment-free zone, does not have dumbbells that weigh more than 75 pounds.

Planet Fitness also has a lunk alarm. If members feel that they are being judged in the gym they can set off a loud alarm that flashes and is intended to reprimand the offender. Lunks are proclaimed by Planet Fitness to be people who grunt as they lift weights, loudly drop weights or judge other members in the gym.

Planet Fitness is a great place for people to get started (exercising), Mr. Epstein said. The lunk alarm overcomes barriers that most people face while exercising.

Planet Fitness also features tanning booths and a full tanning salon in the back, as well as massage chairs, a 12-minute abdominal station and a 30-minute express circuit station.

The club is owned and operated by Core Development and Management, the largest Planet Fitness franchise group in Massachusetts. Its key directors include Mr. Epstein, Chief Executive Officer Brian Kablik and Chief Directing Officer William Whelan.

Planet Fitness was founded in 1992 in New Hampshire. It began franchising in 2003 and now has at least 2.3 million members in more than 250 locations. For the past five years it has been ranked as one of the fastest-growing private businesses in the United States.

Membership rates are $10 a month with no commitment. The club also offers a Planet Fitness Black Card for $19.99 a month that includes free guest privileges, unlimited tanning, use of the massage chairs and access to all Planet Fitness clubs in other locations.

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Planet Fitness offers 'judgment-free zone'

What started out as an NYU student's senior project has sprouted into a world-wide effort to provide fun and fitness via an unconventional sport. The sport's creator, Greg Manley, sought to develop a game that combines elements of theater and athleticism. Hence, circle-rules football was born.

Playing the Game

Circle-rules football, often just called circle-rules, combines elements of football, soccer, and volleyball into a fast-paced, chaotic game played in the round. The playing field consists of a circle roughly 60 yards in diameter. A smaller ring of six to eight yards across, called the key, encircles the middle of the field. The only goal, about 3 yards wide, sits in the dead center of the key.

Teams consist of five field players plus a goalie. Each team is charged with defending one side of the single goal while attempting to score through the opposite side. The goalie is the only player allowed in the key, except during a kick-off.

Players must kick, roll, hit, or in some other way move a large inflatable fitness ball around the circular field. Athletes can touch the ball with any part of the body. At no time can the ball be held by both hands at the same time, except by the goalie.

A goal is scored when one team plays the ball through the goal on the opposing team's side. Play continues through four 15-minute quarters. The team scoring the most goals at the end of 60 minutes is pronounced the winner.

Game Variations

Smaller, more intimate bouts of circle-rules football can be played where the goalies are removed and the goal shortened to about 2 yards. The key and rest of the playing field are diminished as well. Teams are made up of three to four players, and playing time can also be shortened.

Finding a Game

If you are interested in seeing circle-rules in person leagues have New York and Minnesota. League play is overseen by the Circle-Rules Federation, a governing body created by the game's founder.

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Fitness, Fun the Point of Circle-Rules Football

Fitness Business Coaching and Training Site Offers All-in-One Resource on Growing Fitness Businesses

A new website helps fitness pros master the three key elements to growing and succeeding with a fitness business. The site also offers proven tips for fitness business success.

Fitness business success involves mastering three key elements: - Gaining high-quality and relevant fitness education and then continuing that education indefinitely; - Using proven, step-by-step fitness business systems and models to make a fitness business run smoothly while helping more people and securing a strong financial future; - Finding the right fitness business coach and mentor for guidance along the way.

The http://www.fitnessbusiness.biz/ website and fitness business coaching and career training program offers the latest in coaching, career advancement and mentoring for anyone who owns or is thinking about running a fitness business.

When I got started in the fitness business 20 years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a lot of great mentors and coaches who really helped me develop my fitness business along the way, so theres nothing I enjoy more than working with fitness pros, personal trainers and coaches looking to take their business to the next level, said John Spencer Ellis, founder of John Spencer Ellis Enterprises, a fitness and personal development solutions company. This is the ultimate resource for growing a fitness business, earning more money and helping more clients get in shape.

Ellis launched his first fitness business 20 years ago, has since gone on to create a fitness business empire that includes accredited fitness associations and certifications, the largest fitness boot camp system in the world, martial arts business systems as well as fitness businesses and fitness trends used around the world. Each week, more than 1 million people enjoy a fitness program that he created, including this fitness training business success blueprint.

About John Spencer Ellis Enterprises John Spencer Ellis Enterprises is a solutions provider for fitness and coaching professionals around the world, providing education, turn-key business programs, coaching and resources for new and advanced fitness and coaching professionals. For more information about John Spencer Ellis Enterprises or becoming a fitness business coaching and career training, please visit http://www.fitnessbusiness.biz/

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Fitness Business Coaching and Training Site Offers All-in-One Resource on Growing Fitness Businesses

Well-being enhancement company Healthways (HWAY) recently revealed an agreement with Anytime Fitness to provide, from August 1, 2012, its Prime Fitness Program and SilverSneakers Fitness Program at about 1,700 Anytime Fitness centers across the U.S.

Anytime Fitness is reputedly the planets largest and fastest growing fitness chain. Since its inception in 2002, it has grown to almost 2,000 centers across the globe with 1.4 million or so members. Anytime Fitness provides enrollees with top-class exercise gear at economical prices. The fitness club has operationalised facilities in 49 states as well as overseas locations such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Australia and Qatar. Members of Anytime Fitness can avail of any of its facilities.

The SilverSneakers Fitness Program encourages positive changes in behavior by promoting a physical regimen. The program is open to Medicare beneficiaries through various Medicare plans. Prime Fitness is Healthways commercially-oriented fitness plan. Both fitness programs are scientific in nature and outcome based. They promote active lifestyles among participants.

The Healthways model encourages people to make favorable lifestyle changes that lead to enhanced well-being, reduced healthcare costs, improved performance and economic value. The company has invested in technology platforms that provide scalable support with large populations. It has tie-ups with a large proportion of U.S. health plans and counts many millions of lives in its customer base.

Due to its unique scalable business model, Healthways shares present a long-term investment opportunity although it may face many challenges in the short to medium term. Healthways is the leader in a strategically critical and rapidly evolving part of the health care services market. Its fitness program (SilverSneakers) for seniors is available at 14,000 centers across the U.S. and caters to several million eligible enrollees.

Healthways competes with Express Scrips (ESRX) among others. We are currently Neutral on the stock, supported by a short-term Zacks #3 Rank (Hold).

Read the Full Research Report on ESRX

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HWAY Partners Anytime Fitness

by Eugene Scott - Jun. 29, 2012 03:52 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

The founder of Planet Fitness is bringing a new health club to northeast Phoenix.

Rick Berks, founder of YouFit, a new fitness center, is opening a location in July.

YouFit is based in St. Petersburg, Fla. The newest location will open in the strip mall on the southeast corner of Tatum Boulevard and Greenway Road.

YouFit hopes to open five more Valley locations, according to its website. Locations in Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Peoria and Tolleson are expected before the end of the year. There are locations at 16th Street and Bethany Home Road in Phoenix, 35th Avenue and Bethany Home Road in Phoenix, Glendale and Chandler.

"We've had success really everywhere we've gone. We space them out. It's not an exact science," Berks said. "We do retro fits of buildings and go to different markets and look for sites that will work for us."

The chain has nearly 50 locations under construction nationally.

Like many boutique gyms that have popped up in northeast Phoenix, YouFit markets itself as a fitness center for "regular people."

"Our clubs are geared more to the average person who is going to get in shape," Berks said. "We're more fitness-oriented. It's not geared towards the bodybuilder type or the triathlete or professional athletes."

Bob Glazar, 58, lives in central Phoenix and joined the YouFit at 16th Street and Bethany Home Road after his previous gym raised its rates.

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Planet Fitness founder brings new club to NE Phoenix area

SAN RAMON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

24 Hour Fitness is pleased to announce the grand re-opening of its expanded Pearland club, located at 10011 Broadway Street in Pearland, Texas, on Saturday, July 7 at 6 a.m. To celebrate, 24 Hour Fitness team members invite the local community to experience the remodeled club on re-opening day with complimentary VIP tours.

The 24 Hour Fitness Pearland Super-Sport club, which began renovations in May, now spans approximately 40,000 square feet and features an array of new upgrades and amenities. Some of the enhancements that members and guests can enjoy include:

24 Hour Fitness is proud to provide Pearland, one of the fastest growing cities in Texas, with an expanded club to further support the fitness goals of our members and guests, said Jim McPhail, chief development and merchandising officer, 24 Hour Fitness. Weve been part of Pearland for six years, and look forward to many more years of helping improve lives through fitness in our community.

The club is managed by Theresa Shmerling, and is staffed by more than 100 team members. In addition to the recent upgrades, the club will still offer popular amenities that members have enjoyed for years:

To try 24 Hour Fitness and experience the remodeled 24 Hour Fitness Pearland Super-Sport club, download a free pass at 24hourfitness.com.

About 24 Hour Fitness

Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., 24 Hour Fitness is a leading health club industry pioneer, serving nearly four million members in more than 400 clubs across the U.S. Since the first club opened in 1979, the company has been dedicated to helping members change their lives and reach their individual fitness goals. With convenient club locations, personal training services, innovative group exercise classes and a variety of strength, cardio and functional training equipment - 24 Hour Fitness offers fitness solutions for everyone.

Through its support of the United States Olympic Committee and many U.S. National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of sport, 24 Hour Fitness is one of the largest supporters of amateur athletics in the country and will serve as the Official Fitness Center Sponsor of the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams. The company is committed to being a good neighbor in its communities via charitable and in-kind donations to groups focused on both helping Americans get healthy and improving youth fitness. The companys national accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, which includes A+ ratings for all club locations across the U.S., demonstrates the organizations ongoing commitment to member satisfaction. Please call 1-800-224-0240 or visit 24hourfitness.com for more information and to find the club nearest you.

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24 Hour Fitness Celebrates Re-opening of Expanded Pearland Club

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/r2rt5s/fitness_equipment) has announced the addition of the "Fitness Equipment Manufacturing" report to their offering.

The US fitness equipment manufacturing industry consists of about 100 companies with combined annual revenue of about $3 billion. Major companies include Cybex International, ICON Health & Fitness, Life Fitness, Nautilus, and Precor. The industry is concentrated: the top five companies account for more than 50 percent of revenue.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by consumer income and demographic trends. The profitability of individual companies depends on unique product designs and effective marketing. Large companies have some advantages in brand recognition, but small companies can compete effectively by building unique products.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products are motorized treadmills, stationary bikes, stair climbers, rowing machines, and elliptical "cross-trainers," collectively called aerobic exercisers; and weightlifting machines ("strength training"), and traditional weightlifting equipment ("free weights" and benches). In addition, there are a large number of ancillary products. This equipment allows individuals to exercise by themselves in a limited space. The two major market segments for fitness equipment are the home and the institutional exercise equipment market (including health clubs, corporations, apartments, and hotels). The home market is by far the largest and has grown significantly in the past decade. Products are made and marketed separately for the two segments.

Products for home use are mainly treadmills and exercise bikes. Cost is a primary consideration, so home equipment is generally built with lighter materials, as it is rarely used more than one hour per day.

Key Topics Covered:

Industry Overview

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Research and Markets: 2012 Report on the $3 Billion US Fitness Equipment Manufacturing Industry

HASTINGS, Minn., July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- From the humble beginnings of its first gym, which was barely the size of a typical home basement, Anytime Fitness (www.anytimefitness.com) has quickly become the fastest-growing fitness club chain on the planet with no signs of slowing down.

Featuring a unique combination of individual attention, online support and 24-hour club access, nearly 2,000 Anytime Fitness clubs now serve more than 1,400,000 members in a dozen countries.

"Anytime Fitness recognized that consumers would respond to extremely convenient and affordable clubs and developed a business model to meet this demand. Their ten-year growth rate is truly remarkable," said Joe Moore, President and CEO of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).

Anytime Fitness, which earned the title of "fastest-growing fitness club" by opening 279 clubs in 2011 and 1,474 clubs over the last five years, prides itself on providing members with unparalleled support and encouragement in a friendly, non-intimidating club atmosphere. (IHRSA ranked Anytime Fitness #1 in one-year and five-year Unit Growth in its annual "Global 25" listings: http://www.ihrsa.org.)

#1 in Growth -- and #1 in "Club Culture"

"Many businesses can grow quickly and other companies specialize in earning customer loyalty," said Chuck Runyon, Anytime Fitness CEO and co-founder. "We take great pride in having accomplished both of those things simultaneously. We've done so by focusing first on the needs of busy people who simply want to lead a healthier lifestyle and then by providing our franchisees with the practical tools, technology and educational support to help members achieve their goals."

The "fastest-growing fitness club" title comes on the heels of several other accolades and noteworthy events for Anytime Fitness.

Earlier this month, Runyon and Dave Mortensen, Anytime Fitness President and co-founder, were featured on ABC's "Secret Millionaire." A few days later, Minnesota Business magazine ranked Anytime Fitness #1 on its inaugural list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For." Prior to that, Anytime Fitness was named one of "10 Great Franchise Bets" by CNN Money, a "Top 20 Franchise for the Buck" by Forbes, and ranked #10 on Entrepreneur's "Top Global Franchise" list.

In recent weeks, Anytime Fitness opened its first club in Qatar and signed an area development agreement to open new clubs in India. In the coming year, Anytime Fitness expects to open another 250 clubs and expand into as many as five new countries.

More than 1,000 Anytime Fitness franchisees, club managers, corporate staffers and preferred vendors will attend the company's 10th-anniversary celebration and conference at the historic Palmer House hotel in downtown Chicago, September 13-16th. Media representatives seeking credentials to attend the conference should contact mark.daly@anytimefitness.com.

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Anytime Fitness Ranked #1 "Fastest-Growing Fitness Club In The World"

NEW YORK, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Global Sports and Fitness Clothing Industry

http://www.reportlinker.com/p092497/Global-Sports-and-Fitness-Clothing-Industry.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Fitness

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Sports and Fitness Clothing in US$ Million by the following Product Segments: Sports Apparel, and Fitness Clothing. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2009 through 2017. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. The report profiles 259 companies including many key and niche players such as Adidas AG, Reebok, Amer Sports Corporation, Ashworth Inc, ASICS America Corporation, Benetton Group S.p.A, Billabong International Limited, Blacks Leisure Group Plc, Columbia Sportswear Company, Descente Ltd., Eddie Bauer, Inc, Escada AG, Everlast Worldwide, Inc., Foot Locker, Inc., Gap Inc., Banana Republic, Old Navy, Hanesbrands, Inc., Hugo Boss AG, Jacques Moret Inc., JJB Sports Plc, Jockey International, Levi Strauss & Co., Nike Inc., Umbro Plc, Perry Ellis International Corporation, PVH Corp., Ralph Lauren Corporation, Prada S.p.A Group, Quiksilver Inc., Russell Corporation, Brooks Sports Inc., The Timberland Company, Tommy Hilfiger,Triumph International AG, Under Armour, Inc., V.F. Corporation, Nautica Enterprises Inc., Majestic Athletic, Wacoal Holdings Corporation, and Warnaco Group Inc. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are primarily based upon search engine sources in the public domain.

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONSStudy Reliability and Reporting Limitations I-1Disclaimers I-2Data Interpretation & Reporting Level I-3Quantitative Techniques & Analytics I-3Product Definitions and Scope of Study I-3Sports Apparel I-4Fitness Clothing I-4II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. OUTLOOK AND CURRENT SCENARIO II-1

Sports and Fitness Apparel: Sporty, Fit and Fine II-1

Competitive Scenario II-1

Table 1: Global Sports and Fitness Clothing Market (2010):

Percentage Share Breakdown of Value Sales by Leading Athletic

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Global Sports and Fitness Clothing Industry

Planet Fitness in North Lakelandis part of a health club chain that charges as little as $10 per month. Even with membership growing again, some moderately priced chains face pressure from competitors' low costs.

LAKELAND | How healthy is the health club industry?

It maybe is a question worth asking in the wake of a recent announcement by Lifestyle Family Fitness that the fitness chain is throwing in the towel after 30 years in business. Lifestyle, which began in Lakeland, is selling its 32 remaining Florida locations to L.A. Fitness and is closing another site in Naples.

Despite Lifestyle's exit, health club consultants and local gym owners say customer demand has weathered the poor economy and remains strong. But some observers say the industry is suffering from intense price competition as gyms rush to add members and to expand.

In the case of St. Petersburg-based Lifestyle, "what happened to them is they tried to grow too quick," said Richard Quinn, a health club consultant based in Cape Coral.

"The business plan was out of hand for them. Everybody wants to grow fast but they forget where the industry started: with service," he said.

Lifestyle, founded in Lakeland in 1982, once had as many as 55 clubs and about 200,000 members in four states. The chain sold its locations in Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina in December and shuttered its North Lakeland gym about the same time.

"In the months that followed, we evaluated our option to remain an independent company or sell to a larger organization," said Lifestyle CEO Stuart Lasher in a memo to employees last month, announcing the sale to Irvine, Calif.-based L.A. Fitness.

Two Curves gym locations also closed in Lakeland last year.

Data from the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association shows the U.S. health club industry is still seeing modest growth. Total revenue increased 5 percent to $21.4 billion last year, and club memberships inched up 2.4 percent to 51.4 million.

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Fitness Centers Growing, But Facing Serious Competition

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