To get rid of the monotony of working out with machines, fitness clubs are coming up with newer concepts that make shaping up a lot easier.
The craze of getting into shape is high and so is the health and wellness business. Koramangala strikes the right chords to take fitness beyond dumbbells and treadmills. From experimenting with aerobics and Zumba to giving out awards for being fit, Koramangala fitness inc is thinking out of the box to earn and keep people fit.
"With the increase in the population density and affluence in Bangalore we see the market grow year on year by 10-15 percent and Koramangla contributes to 20 percent of that growth, said Vikram Aditya Bhatia, managing director, Fitness First, a multinational fitness chain present in 16 countries with 380 clubs and with over 1 million members.
To get rid of the monotony of working out with machines, fitness clubs are coming up with newer concepts that makes shaping up a lot easier. Novelty in idea is the key marketing strategy for the umpteen fitness clubs in Koramangala.
The first fitness centre of Koramangala has cashed in on the changing trends and done everything to attract the fitness crazy crowd. "People no longer enjoy tryst with machines for work out. Gyms have become more of hangout zones where working out is more of fun than exercise," said Pattu Ale director and fitness expert of Aero Fitness Centre, at 5th block, Koramangala.
The 14 year old fitness centre has a 7,000 square feet property where initial investments of Rs48 lakh were made to make the gym at a par with international standards. "Making anything close to this would presently cost one more than a crore," added Ale. Other than regular members, the rush at Aero Fitness Centre on weekends needs a special mention. Most of the weekend crowd would not prefer treadmills and weights. The new fad for the season is zumba and aerobics followed by flexibar workout.
"When people can lose weight dancing why should they have a tryst with machines, most of the young girls as young as young as school goers would take up Zumba classes, this way they stay in shape and also learn a new dance form. Like they say it Zumba has a lot of the 'cool' factor to it," Ale said.
With a CAGR between 60 percent and 70 percent it is only evident that Aero Fitness' novelty has gone down too well with the local crowd. The fitness centre as the owner mentioned does not only cater to Koramangala residents but also has members from HSR layout, Indiranagar, Jaynagar, Sarjapura and Malleswaram.
Targeting the middle income market with 850 members at present, Aero Fitness has kept memberships moderate, ranging between Rs 1,200 and Rs 5,000.
With the success of the Koramangala centre, the group is also on an expansion mode. In a year's time they would have a branch at Indiranagar with investments up to Rs 1 crore. Big names in the sector too have carved out a niche for themselves not only in the high income and elite category but also among the higher middle and middle income group. Talking about the variety served on the fitness platter at Fitness First, Bhatia said, "We offer a variety of services like, state of the art techno gym equipment, cardio theatre with audio visual, cycling studio, extensive group exercise timetable like body pump, body combat, aerobics, kick boxing, and yoga."
The three primary packages which are offered at Fitness First offers are annual, half yearly and month on month (payable monthly) in the price range of Rs 2,500 a month to Rs 3,100 a month. The members get some add on like membership lounge and complementary beverages too.
