Anytime Fitness Releases Annual "Weight of the Union" Report

HASTINGS, Minn., Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2011, more Anytime Fitness members worked out late at night, cashed in on health insurance reimbursements and made March the busiest workout month.

The statistics are part of the second annual Anytime Fitness "Weight of the Union" report, which examined the fitness and nutritional habits of its 1.3 million members. Anytime Fitness is the world's fastest growing co-ed fitness club with more than 1,800 clubs in 50 states and 11 countries.

"The obesity epidemic in this country continues to rise and Americans need to get serious about health and wellness," said Chuck Runyon, CEO of Anytime Fitness and co-author of Working Out Sucks.  "While our Weight of the Union report gives a good snapshot of our more than 1.3 million members, and it is encouraging to see our members continuing to take charge of their lives through fitness and nutrition, there is still more work to be done."

The study found there were more than 52 million workouts in 2011, an increase of one million workouts over 2010. In addition, late-night workouts from midnight to 3 a.m. totaled 1.2 million, up from 900,000 the previous year.

And, contrary to popular belief that January is the busiest month at health clubs, more than 5 million Anytime Fitness members hit the gym in March compared to four million in January.

"By the time March rolls in, people who have really made that full-commitment to their January resolutions are in full swing," said Rebecca DeRossett, psychologist and co-author of Working Out Sucks. "March is also the time that people start shedding those winter clothes and look forward to getting ready for swimsuit season."   

Money Motivates
The study found that financial incentives were a significant motivating factor in recurring gym visits. In fact, Anytime Fitness members received nearly $4 million in health insurance reimbursements for working out 12 or more times a month, up $1 million from 2010.

"We are seeing an increase by both health insurance providers offering this benefit to employees and employees taking advantage of these programs that pay them to exercise," said Heidi Holiday, National Director of Healthy Contributions, a fitness incentive administration company who works with Anytime Fitness.  "It is really a win-win for everyone."

To view the full report, click here: http://cdn.anytimefitness.com/en-us/weightoftheunion2012-anytimefitness-final.pdf

Additional findings include:

• More men visited the clubs In 2011 than women; 54% of men versus 46% women—although women are trending higher already in 2012!
• Top 5 states with the highest gym usage per member:  New Hampshire (54%), Minnesota (53%), Delaware (49%), Vermont (49%), and Iowa (46%).
• Most popular day of the year to work out: March 28
• Least popular day: Dec 25
• AnytimeHealth.com members burned more than 443 million calories and lost 200,000 pounds!

In addition to creating an optimal workout environment, Anytime Fitness offers online fitness and nutritional support on AnytimeHealth.com – a personalized wellness tool that offers scientifically accurate health trackers, health information from expert sources, fun contests, community forums and much more.

Anytime Fitness plans on releasing "The Weight of the Union" report on an annual basis in an effort to gauge the country's progress in health and fitness.

About Anytime Fitness

Founded in 2002, Anytime Fitness is now the fastest-growing fitness club franchise in the world, with more than 1,800 clubs worldwide. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness prides itself on providing its members with convenient and affordable fitness options in friendly, well-maintained facilities that feature top-quality exercise equipment. Clubs are now open in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, India and Japan. Join one club and have access to them all. Members also enjoy free access to AnytimeHealth.com, the most comprehensive wellness website available.

About AnytimeHealth.com

Launched in 2010, Anytime Health is quickly becoming the best health and wellness website on the Internet. This comprehensive, open-access web portal is dedicated to nutrition, fitness, and disease prevention and management. It's essentially a one-stop shop for all of your health and wellness needs, and includes a diet tracker, activity tracker, workout planner, and a robust community with support groups and a unique question and answer section. To check out the tools and features, sign-up for a free account, purchase a premium subscription or join an Anytime Fitness club near you!

SOURCE Anytime Fitness