Lifestyle Family Fitness Fading Away in Florida

Last month, callers to the corporate office of Lifestyle Family Fitness in St. Petersburg, FL, were greeted with this recorded response:

“It’s a great day at Lifestyle Family Fitness…”

Those days appear to be numbered. On June 18, LA Fitness, Irvine, CA, announced that it had come to an agreement to buy the assets of the remaining Lifestyle Family Fitness clubs. The sale likely would mean the end of the Lifestyle company, which was founded in 1982.

Jill Greuling, executive vice president of operations at LA Fitness, told Club Industry last month the company was hopeful that the transaction would be completed within the next several weeks, pending the completion of certain requirements in the agreement. On July 2, LA Fitness announced that it had completed the purchase of 32 of the 33 Lifestyle clubs. Completion of the purchase of the remaining club is expected soon.

Greuling also said that of the 33 Lifestyle clubs in Florida, one would be closing. Other Lifestyle clubs may be relocated or closed, but some of them could be expanded or remodeled, Greuling added.

Lifestyle Family Fitness, which last year sold nine clubs to Life Time Fitness, Chanhassen, MN, and closed other clubs in Indiana, Ohio and North Carolina, would be the second company to sell off its remaining clubs within the past 12 months. Last August, Equinox, New York, acquired the remaining four The Sports Club/LA clubs from The Sports Club Co., Los Angeles.

“Apparently, this is a time where some of the club industry’s largest club companies are taking advantage of the interest of other sizable firms to exit the industry,” says Rick Caro, president of Management Vision, New York.

Bally Total Fitness, Chicago, is down to around 55 clubs after selling 171 clubs to LA Fitness last year and 39 clubs to Blast Fitness, Auburndale, MA, earlier this year.

• The South Montgomery County YMCA, The Woodlands, Texas celebrated the conclusion of its Partners Giving Campaign where more than $550,000 was pledged to keep the YMCA open. The funds will enable the YMCA to award more than 5,000 scholarships to local children and families all year so they may participate in YMCA values-based programs, such as swim lessons, summer camp, youth sports and child care.
• After construction was completed on the natatorium at the Hays Communities YMCA in Buda, TX, the aquatics program has increased in popularity, last year reaching a total membership number of 9,523. The addition of swimming safety classes and youth sports has helped increase membership at the YMCA.
• The YMCA of Greater Kansas City has signed a contract with facility management company Copaken Brooks, Kansas City, MO, to manage its 22 facilities, the Y announced. This contract represents new ground for the Y, as it marks the first time that any YMCA chapter in the country with a multi-unit portfolio such as this has outsourced 100 percent of its facilities management, according to a release from Copaken Brooks. “Outsourcing the facilities management would allow us to continue to focus on our mission in the community and get the strategic help we need in making sure our facilities are clean, well-maintained and efficient,” stated Mark Hulet, the Y’s COO.