Fitness 19 opens in Sacramento

Low-cost, no-frills health club operator Fitness 19 has opened another club, bringing its total number to eleven.

The 7,700 sq ft gym opened at Sunrise Boulevard and Winding Way in Fair Oaks last month. The Sacramento Business Journal reports that Fitness 19 is looking for additional sites for clubs in Sacramento, including Auburn and Antelope.

Fitness 19 gets its name from its policy of charging members just $19 per month membership. It has no cancellation fees and no long term contract. It keeps its overheads low by leasing spaces smaller than 8,000 sq ft, and not providing lockers, showers, aerobics classes or steam rooms. It does however offer treadmills, cross trainers, stair steppers, free weights and child care facilities.

Bill Howland research director for IHRSA says:

'This really makes a great deal of sense. The fitness industry is operating in a tougher environment. To compete, operators must develop a product that stands out. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work.'

Fitness 19 first opened six years ago in Washington. Since then, it has opened clubs in California, Utah and Idaho. Each individual fitness centre is operated by partners bought in by the founders of Fitness 19 - often husband and wife teams.