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news
Fitness clubs
explore ways to keep students
By Ayako Ando
On-line Forty-Niner
Business:
Though many fitness clubs allow students to get out of long-term
contracts, many do not. Students must choose the right plan
for them.
More than 20 different
fitness clubs' ingenious schemes prevail to get more memberships
in Long Beach, and the students at Cal State Long Beach are
also under their marks.
Most of the fitness clubs use their own strategies to compete
with other clubs and get more members, and sometimes those
strategies bring problems to some people.
Some students complain that certain fitness clubs use tricky
ways to push them to become members, and those clubs don't
let them quit the membership under strict contracts.
However, some offers are surely attractive and will be good
enough to gather more members without any complaints, if a
person chooses the right plan.
For instance, 24 Hour Fitness offers a free five-day fitness
trial for one person and up to four friends.
Rick Skelton, director of 24 Hour Fitness in Long Beach, said
several types of fitness plans are offered, so students can
choose the one that is reasonable for them.
"We are trying to teach our members how to exercise instead
of just letting them do it [on their own] because once they
learn and know how to do it, they can do it any place,"
Skelton said. "We don't have any contracts, so students
can leave without any pressure after finishing their academic
programs. Also we are open for 24 hours, and I believe it
will attract many students who study late and want to exercise
after that."
Another example is Bally Total Fitness, which has two clubs
in Long Beach.
Francisco Davis, general manager of Bally Total Fitness in
Long Beach, said Bally offers student discounts and student
membership programs.
Bally sets up special tables and booths in many different
places, including CSULB, to offer more information about their
club, and ultimately, recruit more new members.
"We set up those places because we can meet more people
and explain [the program] well in person," Davis said.
CSULB students can also take advantage of using Frogs Club
1, a fitness club in The Pyramid on campus.
Mike Solis, membership representative at Frogs Club 1, said
they offer special discounts and other reasonable options
for CSULB students.
"We offer 'membership freezing' that allows students
who are leaving campus during vacation to pay only $10 for
a month instead of the full monthly fee, so that they don't
have to cancel the membership and don't have to pay the regulation
fee again when they come back to school," Solis said.
Solis said nearly half of their members are CSULB students.
Other offers from fitness clubs are free trips if members
bring their friends to become the members and more.
"I believe many people will be satisfied when they choose
and understand their fitness plan well," Skelton said.
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