“Hello everybody, my name is Matt. Welcome to Body Combat! I hope you all can work hard and have fun at the same time. Are you ready to go?” asks the instructor from New Zealand, who had been invited by Taipei health club Young Beauty to demonstrate a new Body Combat class. “Yes!” the more than 100 gym members packing the classroom respond with great enthusiasm. “Okay, let’s get started,” Matt exclaims. “Put your hands up—you’re a boxer now. Uppercut, hook, jab and cross—this is for your upper body. Body Combat changes your body!”
Over the last few years, fitness clubs have sprung up in Taiwan that offer exciting group exercise classes as well as tailor-made training regimens. Many of them sport the latest facilities and equipment to help people slim down, bulk up, de-stress or improve their fitness level. Local fitness club operators have noted the growing market for their services.
Jeffrey Shih, senior vice president of True Yoga, which operates five centers in Taiwan, says “Overall, we’re seeing Taiwan’s fitness market undergoing positive development.” Shih has also observed that cycling, running and walking events often attract tens of thousands of participants in Taiwan, indicating that more people are placing an emphasis on health and fitness through exercise. “Aside from enhancing physical fitness, exercise can positively change the way people think, do things and live their lives,” he says.
Kelvin Goh, vice president of Taiwan and mainland China operations for California Fitness, which runs six gyms in Taiwan, shares Shih’s optimism. Goh observes that there is an increasing awareness of the link between physical fitness and good health. “More people are aware that exercise is not only a form of entertainment, but also a necessity,” he says. “Plus, compared to 10 years ago when we’d just launched our operations, Taiwanese consumers tell us what they like and ask questions rather than just passively accept whatever we offer. They know what they want now.”
At Young Beauty, what the consumers want is Body Combat, according to manager Mike Pan. “Body Combat is our most popular class,” he says. “I guess that’s because most people here feel stressed and such a fiercely energetic workout gives them an outlet for that tension and emotion. Plus, it’s an interesting martial arts-inspired program with moves derived from boxing, karate, taekwondo, kung fu, Muay Thai and tai chi, and it’s all set to driving music.” Body Combat was developed by New Zealand-based Les Mills International Ltd., the creator of eight choreographed group exercise-to-music programs offered in some 12,000 fitness clubs in more than 70 countries.
In addition to the Les Mills classes, which include Body Balance, Body Combat, Body Pump and Body Step, Young Beauty offers approximately 150 other classes each week that feature different forms of aerobics, dance, yoga and stationary cycling, together with personal training sessions, available from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. daily.
One-on-one personal training at Young Beauty (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)
“We try to offer as many classes as possible and at any time to cater to the various needs of our members,” Pan says. “People can pay NT$1,500 (US$46) per month for unlimited access to the club or NT$250 (US$8) for a single entry. We’ve adopted this affordable and flexible payment scheme to attract more customers and promote good physical fitness habits. We want members to make those habits part of their daily routine.”
Shawn Zhu, a personal trainer at Young Beauty, says his task is to devise customized fitness programs based on an individual’s goals and physical condition. Most members, he says, come to the club to lose weight. An effective approach to reach that goal combines strength training to build anaerobic endurance and muscle mass with exercises that increase the capacity of the cardiovascular system. “Through one-on-one guidance, we can help individuals get the results they want in an efficient, safe way,” he says. “It’s important to know the correct ways of doing exercise so that one can burn calories and avoid injuries.”
California Fitness, a subsidiary of US-based 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, which currently operates 430 health clubs across the globe, opened its first Taipei branch in 1999. Located in the capital city’s eastern business district, the facility has 3,700 square meters of floor space, features around 2,000 fitness machines and made quite a splash in the local fitness scene when it opened with its intensely fashionable, mega-gym image.
“We’ve made it our mission to help people live better through fitness,” California Fitness’ Kelvin Goh says. “Although exercise isn’t the only way to live a better life, having more energy, being stronger, feeling fitter and looking trimmer is a good start.”
Exercise with Entertainment
Goh’s clubs, however, are not just places to work out, but also to hang out. “Our ideal is to combine exercise with entertainment,” he says. “That’s why, besides being equipped with large group exercise studios, state-of-the-art equipment and recreational amenities that include saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, snack bars and Internet kiosks, we’ve placed a lot of emphasis on décor, lighting and music to create a fun, relaxing environment.”
In fact, with their stylish lighting, pulsating music, comfortable sitting areas and mirrors, Goh says his gyms can be compared to discotheques or nightclubs. “People can do almost all the things they do in a nightclub at our gyms,” he says. “But I’d say a visit to our gyms is a healthier alternative. Besides getting a sculpted physique, people don’t have to put up with second-hand smoke and they can still go to work the next morning with good energy, since our locations close by midnight.”
Young Beauty organizes a theme activity every month, such as this “uniform” event, to add fun to its fitness program. (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)
As far as fitness machines are concerned, Goh explains that his company has brought in famous brands including Bodymaster, Cybex, Life Fitness, Precor and Technogym to cater to the distinct needs of different customer groups, as each line has its own “fit” in terms of gender and body type. “We adopt many brands to fit everybody, instead of following a ‘one size fits all’ approach,” he adds.
Goh says his gyms also provide a diverse range of popular group exercise programs including Fly Wheels, a type of “spinning” or stationary bicycle class, aerobics, the Les Mills series, tai chi, yoga, Pilates, and jazz and street dance. The difficulty of these programs ranges from entry-level to advanced, giving members options they are comfortable with.
California Fitness also adds or modifies its classes in line with the latest international trends. For example, the company recently introduced Zumba classes, which fuse several dance styles, including cumbia, flamenco, mambo, merengue, salsa, reggae and rumba, while mixing cardio intervals with resistance training. The word “Zumba” comes from a Colombian word that means to move fast and have fun, a combination that has met with a good reception in the United States, Europe and now Taiwan.
Moreover, Goh emphasizes that his company has recruited 250 fitness experts in Taiwan to work as instructors and personal trainers, some of whom are outstanding athletes. Jenny Lee, an instructor for Fly Wheels, for instance, is a frequent winner of national and international triathlon competitions.
Currently, California Fitness’ outlets boast a combined total of 60,000 members. “Our members are divided equally between men and women, with most between 25 and 35,” Goh says. “Still, we have a number of seniors joining us. One member, for example, is 84 years old, and we’ve become good friends and sometimes go out for lunch.”
One international trend in the fitness business is that gym users are becoming increasingly sophisticated as far as focusing on specific goals and specific exercises that will help them reach their objectives. Instead of just walking into clubs and asking for help with a fitness regimen, these members already know that they want to build their biceps, for example, or reduce the percentage of their body fat, or, in the case of yoga, develop greater flexibility and inner peace.
California Fitness employs around 250 fitness experts in Taiwan, some of whom are outstanding athletes, as instructors and personal trainers. (Photo courtesy of California Fitness)
In Taiwan, fitness club operators are pursuing business opportunities related to this increased customer focus. Established in 2004 in Singapore, the True Group, which is comprised of subsidiaries True Yoga, True Fitness, True Dance and True Spa, is one of the largest fitness and wellness groups in Asia, with centers in Singapore, Taiwan, India, Malaysia and Thailand. The group set up its first yoga center in Taipei in 2005 and another one in 2006, followed by three other facilities dedicated to dance and fitness.
“We gave a lot of thought to customers’ needs before starting this business,” says True Yoga’s Jeffrey Shih. “And we found that offering multiple exercise options at one outlet didn’t adequately address a number of needs regarding more specific fitness regimens. That’s why we decided to adopt the approach of establishing different facilities to match customer interests, so that they can enjoy doing their preferred workout to their hearts’ content.”
Yoga was gaining popularity worldwide when True Group opened in 2004. The company thus opted to venture into the sector by providing a variety of classes, top-grade amenities and services. “We offer about 40 different classes, including Bikram Original Hot Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga, Laughter Yoga, Mantra Yoga and Yin Yang Yoga to add more fun and variety,” Shih says. “We also have special classes for pregnant women, children above the age of 6 and patients that need rehabilitation.”
Shih says the classes at his gyms are taught by 30-odd licensed Taiwanese and Indian instructors and are constantly updated in tandem with international trends and the findings of True Group’s research and development team. “We set up a new business model in the fitness market and I believe that helped us to fuel the craze for yoga in Taiwan,” he says. “I think the reason we’ve succeeded is because we try to serve all of our customers’ needs, not just some of them.”
The five facilities set up by the True Group in Taiwan currently claim an overall total of around 30,000 members. Members can pay from NT$1,500−$2,000 (US$46−$62) per month, or pay in advance for a two or three-year membership to get a preferential rate.
Shih believes that by and large, fitness centers in Taiwan appear more fashionable, spacious and luxurious compared to those in other countries, many of which are community-based or small or medium-sized operations. “Fitness club operators here tend to emphasize the creation of a pleasing environment, or ambiance, via stylish décor, elaborate lighting and audio and video equipment,” he says. “They consider it part of their competitive edge, and it does seem to work well in luring customers, especially younger ones—they can go there not just to work on their physique, but also join in recreational and social activities.”
True Yoga offers about 40 different regular classes, as well as special classes for pregnant women, children above the age of 6 and patients that require rehabilitation. (Photo courtesy of True Yoga)
Shih says his group normally invests NT$80 million−$120 million (US$2.5 million−$3.8 million) when it opens a new health club. Take the group’s yoga center situated on Nanjing East Road in Taipei, for example. In addition to its specialized yoga and Pilates studios, the center sets aside about half of its 3,600-meter floor space for a sumptuous, lounge-style recreation area where members can rest, chat with friends, surf the Internet, or make online reservations for future classes. “As a gym operator, we’ve been making efforts to offer members a better and more interesting option through an exciting variety of fitness programs, as well as facilities for recreation and socializing,” Shih says.
Shih notes that the island’s fitness club and gym users are largely found in metropolitan areas, particularly Taipei City. He estimates that the percentage of gym members to total population could eventually reach 5 to 6 percent in Taipei. “There is still a lot of room for growth, and that’s why the clubs are constantly upgrading their facilities, programs and staff,” Shih says. “Our goal is to eventually expand the number of our outlets in Taiwan from the current 5 to 10.”
Larger Role
California Fitness is also helping to drive the trend that sees fitness clubs playing a larger role in members’ lives. “The major reasons people come to our gyms are to make friends, look and feel better, relieve stress and have fun,” Kelvin Goh says. “That’s why we’ve been striving to build our club into a lifestyle center, to satisfy this wider variety of needs. The goal is to make it the third major location in members’ everyday lives, along with the home and workplace.”
To extend California Fitness’ everyday links with members’ lives, Goh says his gyms have begun to cooperate with local shops, manufacturers, restaurants and theaters to offer discounts, vouchers or free tickets to events. “We want to continue to add more value to our memberships and hope that these offerings can make members’ lives more enjoyable,” he says.
The growing number of lifestyle programs and services offered by fitness clubs helps to lure customers like Brenda Cheng, who has been a member of Young Beauty for two years now. “The most noticeable benefit of making the gym part of my routine is the improvement of my figure and physical strength. I’ve also become more energetic and don’t get tired as easily,” she says. “Plus, I’ve made friends with many people there and we have great fun in the group exercise class. All these things motivate me to keep going back to the gym three or four times each week.”
Write to Kelly Her at kelly@mail.gio.gov.tw