Tyler

By BRIAN PEARSON
Business Editor

Samantha Bass promises to make good on her New Year's resolution of hitting the gym.

While other first-time gym members might throw in the towel after a few weeks or months, Bass, 21, owner of the Haute Dog section of The Punkin' Patch in Tyler, said she has a higher cause in mind.

"It's a long-term thing," a single mother who has a 5-month-old daughter. "I want my daughter to have a good, healthy mom and my New Year's resolution was to lose weight."

While retailers cash in on Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving, the key day of the year for gyms is Black Monday, the first Monday after New Year's Day, when it becomes time to address fitness on the annual resolutions list.

While some in the exercise industry predict a decline in gym membership this year because of the shaky economy, others speculate that a more fitness-minded public will cut back elsewhere before tearing up athletic-center cards.

"When the economy gets tough, the first thing (people) do is drop their gym membership," said Brandon Salisbury, program director of the YMCA centers in Tyler and Whitehouse. "We'll be having to work harder (this year) to keep the members we have, and it'll be tough to bring in new members. We're going to be stepping up marketing."

Salisbury said fitness-industry experts have predicted that one in six health clubs will go out of business in the next year because of the economy.

"Across the industry, we've seen a 24 percent drop in gym membership sales (this past year)," he said. People "would rather drop their gym membership than stay at home and cook and not go out to eat."

However, Salisbury and other Tyler area gym managers said a more fitness-minded America, thanks to increased health education in addition to television shows such as "The Biggest Loser," might buoy gym interest.

Mark Mough, general manager of World Gym, 5201 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler, said his facility encourages its members to help in the recruiting work. The gym is offering a new deal in which members get a free month for one referral and six months for four referrals.

The next year could prove challenging for gyms, even in Tyler, which has been mostly immune from the nation's economic woes, said Mough, whose gym has about 2,000 members.

"It's going to be a bit slower. People give up things they need, not what they want," he said. "Working out is not fun. It's work. It's easier to go out to dinner."

Mough said the Tyler gym industry is competitive.

"There are a lot of gyms in Tyler," he said. "It's a saturated market."

Nevertheless, there are signs that Tyler residents are sticking to their gym plans, Mough said.

"Between Christmas and New Year's, we had a good flow of people in here," he said. "This week is going to be a big jump. A gym's best time is the first three months, with people excited and motivated that they are going to make a change this year."

Mough said his gym's keys to success include offering diverse programs, focusing on nutrition and promoting good overall health through fitness.

Chris McDowell, general manager of Woodcreek Athletic Club, 6110 S. Broadway Ave., said his facility this year is offering its usual January discounts to join the fitness center, the city's largest, with about 4,000 members.

McDowell said his facility's size gives it an edge in the competitive market.

"We're the biggest, so we do have a little advantage," he said. "It's hard if you can't house that many people. Like Yogi Berra said, no one goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

McDowell agreed that upgrading equipment and offering more programs is important to keeping members and luring new ones.

Salisbury said the YMCA, because of membership costs that are below what other athletic centers charge, has seen a sharp increase in people joining the center at 225 Vine Ave. in Tyler.

The YMCA upgraded weight-room equipment last July and is introducing more exercise programs such as dance exercise Zumba, which starts Thursday, he said. Membership since last June has increased from 230 families to 520, he said.

While YMCA mostly caters to those who might not be able to afford other gyms, its membership is diverse, Salisbury said.

"We have the doctor who comes to work out, and we have the homeless guy who comes in to shower," he said. "I think the economy has actually helped us a bit."

Kelli Wuerffel, regional operations manager for Premier Fitness, which has a Tyler location at 5604 S. Donnybrook Ave., said she has started seeing a trend in which gym memberships are no longer the first thing to go when the economy goes south.

"People are giving up other things, like eating out, so they can maintain their gym membership," Wuerffel said. "They're making health and fitness a priority."

Bass, who joined World Gym a month ago, said she would give up pedicures and "beauty stuff" before she'd give up her gym membership.

"It's not that expensive," Bass said. "If you utilize the membership, it's worth it."

Working out Friday at World Gym, Don Neil of First Bank and Trust in Tyler said he'd give up traveling and eating out before he'd give up working out.

"But if the economy keeps getting worse, everything is on the table as far as cutting expenses," Neil said.

Brian Minton does a set of curls at World Gym on Saturday morning.
(Staff Photo By Herb Nygren Jr.)