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By Josh Leve, AFS Founder & CEO The annual Convention & Trade Show of the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) was held March 21-24 in San Diego. From the AFS corporate perspective, we held over 30 meetings with a wide variety of fitness industry leaders including major equipment suppliers, new-wave technology firms, certifying organizations, influential trainers, and leading studio operators. It was great, as always, to connect with AFS Advisory Council members, including [...]

NEWS RELEASE AFS Launches SUCCEED! 1st-ever major Business Convention & Expo for current and aspiring studio/gym owners! (OAKLAND, CA, April 12, 2018) – The Association of Fitness Studios (AFS) today proudly announced the launch of SUCCEED! – the first-ever major Business Convention & Expo for current and aspiring studio/gym owners! The event will be April 12-14, 2019 at Hotel Irvine, in Irvine, CA. SUCCEED! will be an event like none other in the fitness industry with 2.5 [...]

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FitMatch is a social app that connects fitness enthusiasts such as workout buddies, training partners, running partners and much more. Whether you're in need of a spotter, running partner or swimming buddy, FitMatch makes it easy to connect with people in your area, using geolocation technology. Each user can create a brief bio and share photos to find the perfect workout buddy in your area that matches your personality and fitness interests. The matching algorithm [...]

Ngo Okafor is an entrepreneur and trainer, a father and a philanthropist. He spent his childhood bedridden in Nigeria, where his dedication and hard work lead him to have his mother photo copy class notes when he was confined to the hospital to keep up with his school work. Ngo moved to the United States to study computer science at the University of Connecticut. He took up boxing at the relatively advanced age of age [...]

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Are you interested in becoming a personal trainer? This kind of work certainly has a huge range of advantages from the fun and social aspects of the working environment to the individual challenges of specific clients and their goals. But becoming a great personal trainer isn’t easy. Here, Dakota Murphey shares some tips to help you on your way to success. Get the right qualifications The term ‘personal trainer’ is not regulated legally, so anyone [...]

The fitness industry today has an unusually high employee turnover rate, especially among millennials. As a result, facility owners are constantly having to train new staff members, resulting in increased expenses and lost revenue. eLearning can be a valuable tool to both retain staff members and to reduce the cost of training new employees. eLearning keeps its users up to date with industry standards, trends and current events. Mobile learning is also a cost-effective means [...]

What are the primary liability exposures for fitness facilities? By Jennifer Urmston Lowe / National Account Manager / Sports & Fitness Insurance Corp. There are four primary types of liability exposure common to all health clubs, gyms and fitness studios: First, premises liability. This relates to the facility itself and applies to any member, guest or visitor. Examples of premises liability injuries that can lead to claims include slip and fall on the sidewalk, over [...]

As medical and recreational marijuana use becomes legal in some states, many health club and gym owners are trying to figure out if cannabis-enhanced classes could be a growth opportunity. An article in Club Industry explores how some yoga and fitness businesses are allowing members to consume their own marijuana before class, while others are offering their own organic edibles as part of the program. While this can be a viable way to attract new [...]