Quick Fitness offers convenience, healthy habits

From Staff and Wire Reports

After eating, drinking and partying from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, it’s no wonder one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is getting into shape. The options now available for losing weight and feeling better are varied from buying personal fitness equipment for home use to joining the “mega-size” health club with swimming pools, a variety of classes and racquetball courts.

One of the most popular new concepts in staying fit is the smaller “boutique” fitness center that offers its members access to cardio and strength training 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Members are given a bar-coded access key that allows the member to work out whatever time they choose. Fitness staff is on site only a part of the week, usually during peak hours of 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

The smaller fitness clubs, averaging around 3,500 square feet, are becoming popular with the 30-and-older population segment who typically find less time to stay in shape as lifestyles become more hectic and occupied with career, family and social demands.

The basic idea of a boutique fitness center is to provide smaller, fully equipped facilities near the center of more densely populated areas in highly visible and upscale retail centers along a heavily traveled route. The close proximity and convenience of these clubs provide the basic needs for staying fit without the larger overhead and operating costs of large clubs so membership fees stay lower and provide more flexibility.

One of these new fitness centers is in its second month of operation on West Broadway Avenue in Maryville. Quick Fitness 24/7 was developed by former Maryville resident Robert Dailey, who now resides in the Atlanta suburbs.

“The ideal location for our product is defined by a demographic profile that includes a minimum household count and average income level within a three-mile radius of the club, as well as the availability of an upscale, new building on a high-traffic count street”, said Dailey.

The small retail center on U.S. 411 South (currently housing the Bed Store) fits the company’s demographic profile almost perfectly, according to Dailey.

New to the region

“The 24-hour boutique center concept is relatively new to East Tennessee, but in other areas, like Atlanta, these clubs are popping up all over the place,” he said.

“We looked at six different locations in the East Tennessee area, and the site we chose for our first club met our requirements to the letter.”

Dailey said it is ironic that he lived in Royal Oaks from 1998 to 2003, less than one mile from his new club.

Quick Fitness 24/7 closely resembles a couple of the leading national franchises in this new fitness club trend, including Anytime Fitness, based in Minnesota.
Daily said, “I came very close to buying the franchise rights for Anytime Fitness for Maryville and the surrounding areas, but there were a few things I wanted to change, so I decided to develop my own ideas and those improvements are included in the Maryville location.

“Not only is our club co-ed, but it is well-suited for any level of fitness training from beginner to advanced, younger crowd to senior citizens.”

The club is equipped with cardio equipment including the latest technology in treadmills, elliptical, bikes and climbers, as well as circuit training machines, Olympic free weights and floor exercise equipment like power balls and the BOSU.

According to Daily, the facility environment was designed with the workout experience in mind. Multiple televisions with Cardio Vision audio receivers and easily accessible remote controls allow the members to choose their own channels and listen to the TV of their choice while exercising.

“From my own experience, I like to watch the news when I work out early in the morning,” said Dailey.

“I knock out my fitness routine and get my daily news dose at the same time.”

Safety and security

Daily said Quick Fitness 24/7 was also designed for safety, security and ease of use.

“Our club is under 24-hour video surveillance and we also provide Life Fone immediate response alert devices that, if a member desires to wear during their workout, will immediately put the member in voice contact with a live monitoring center 24 hours a day, if activated in an emergency.

“You are really never alone when you are in our club.”

Instruction for equipment use is posted on each piece of equipment for people who are not familiar with strength-training selectorized machines.

The local club is managed by Ray Shindledecker and is staffed with membership services reps who not only sign up new members, but offer advice and help with exercise routines.

“We offer private, personal trainers to our members as an add-on service, if wanted,” Daily said.

“One of the interesting differences in Quick Fitness 24/7 and larger health clubs is our approach toward membership prices and fees. Some clubs will not even tell you how much it costs over the phone. You have to come in and sit through a sales pitch with a salesperson.

“I hate that pressure-type approach, so we post our fees openly — available to anyone.”

Quick Fitness 24/7 is located at 2024 W. Broadway Ave. in Maryville.