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Gym Wise
Are Memberships Worth Your Family's Money?
By Jenn Director Knudsen
"We've used it a couple of times, but it's more fun spending time with our children," she says.
Many gyms nationwide, including Life Time Fitness and Bally Total Fitness, say they are doing their part to curb the childhood and adult obesity epidemics in this country by offering classes for every member of the family.
They entice parents into their facilities with, for example, parent-assisted infant and toddler-tumbling classes.
And some folks get into fitness the other way around: Children spark their parents' interest in working out.
"We find that our FitTEEN program has stimulated more daughters bringing in their mothers, rather then mothers bringing in their daughters," says Scott Breault, spokesman for Lady of America and Ladies Express Fitness Centers (www.ladyofamerica.com or www.ladiesworkoutexpress.com), an all-female gym based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with more than 1,000 locations in 47 states and six countries.
FitTEEN is an incentive program the gym offers to teen-age girls, 13 to 19. If their mothers join, the teens get to use the facilities for free. Mom must provide initial parental consent. An adult member pays less than $100 to join and then roughly $30 a month.
Breault says mothers see their daughters getting serious about fitness and want to check it out for themselves. Not only that, but the moms realize working out with their teens is a great way to spend time together, something they may be short on at home.
