BC Brunswick Corp

BOSTON, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- "I Lost It at the Club!," a fitness industry weight loss initiative coordinated by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) and sponsored by equipment manufacturer Life Fitness and Hershey's PayDay PRO(TM) Energy Bar, helped more than 11,000 participating health club members lose almost 20 tons (39,300 pounds) of excess weight. More than 800 IHRSA member health clubs participated in the eight-week program, which began on January 9, 2006. "This initiative was established to support both current and prospective health club members to fulfill their New Year's resolutions to lose weight and get in shape," said John McCarthy, executive director of IHRSA. "The program's overwhelmingly positive results are a testament to the creativity and commitment of fitness professionals who work tirelessly to assist club members to achieve their fitness goals." There is no question that more Americans make the decision to join a health club as they ring in the New Year than at any other time of the year -- IHRSA estimates that one million Americans joined health clubs in the month of January alone. A recent study that measured American attitudes about exercise indicated that 79 percent of current health club members joined a health club to get in better shape and 54 percent joined to lose weight.(1) In addition, health club exercise proved more effective than any other weight loss method, according to the IHRSA/ASD Obesity-Weight Loss Trend Report. Comparing weight loss methods, 30 percent of health club exercisers reported being "very/extremely" successful in their weight loss attempt, while only 26 percent of formal dieters, 21 percent of outdoor exercisers and 19 percent of home exercisers reported the same. Jay Megna, Executive Vice President for Life Fitness believes in the benefits of the program. "We were excited to sponsor this initiative partnering with health clubs to help create enthusiasm and drawing awareness to weight management and overall fitness," said Megna. "Getting members more involved by giving them a challenge to push themselves generates enthusiasm and draws them back for more." Participating health clubs were encouraged to use "I Lost It at the Club!" to reinvigorate their existing programs, to introduce new programs and to hold special educational seminars. Participants were also encouraged to use the program to foster a sense of community in the club, bringing members together as participants in the same weight-loss program. IHRSA provided additional program ideas and tools, including activity cards, member newsletters and weight loss tracking sheets. About Life Fitness Life Fitness, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE:BC), is the global leader in designing and manufacturing a full line of high-quality fitness equipment for commercial and consumer use. It is the largest commercial fitness equipment provider in the world and the only fitness equipment manufacturer that has been providing premium equipment for more than 27 years. Life Fitness' cardiovascular and strength-training products, including the renowned Lifecycle exercise bike, are used in health, fitness and wellness facilities, as well as in homes, worldwide. The company is headquartered near Chicago and distributes its equipment in more than 120 countries. About IHRSA The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is proud to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2005-2006. Over the past quarter of a century, the not-for-profit association has established itself as the voice of quality and innovation for the global health, racquet, and sportsclub industry representing over 7,200 clubs in 74 countries, along with over 600 industry suppliers. (1) IHRSA, and Ketchum Research. Fitness American Style II: A Look at How and Why Americans Exercise. 2004 DATASOURCE: International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) CONTACT: Brooke Correia of IHRSA, +1-617-951-0055, ext. 149 (office) Web site: http://www.ihrsa.org/

Copyright