The Newsletter

I would like to respond to recent statements made in the latest FitNet Newsletter with regard to the Neighbouring Rights Collective of Canada's (NRCC) proposed Tariff 6 (Use of Music to Accompany Dance and Fitness), which is now before the Copyright Board of Canada.

NRCC is the Canadian not-for-profit music licensing company that is dedicated to obtaining fair compensation for artists and record companies for their performance rights. All amounts collected by NRCC are distributed to its members, representing thousands of artists and music creators, less costs.

ST. CATHARINES, ON - The battle between John Fulton, owner of Downtown Health Club for Women and Fulton Fitness, in St. Catharines, Ont., and a pre-operative transgender woman who sought membership in his club in 2006, is over. The plaintiff, Lisa MacDonald, dropped the human rights complaint in October 2009.

In the summer of 2006, Fulton was closing a membership deal with who he assumed was a middle-aged woman, when she paused just before signing and said, "I need to be honest with you - I'm a guy."

CONCORD, ON - Fitness equipment retailer Fitness Source, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forzani Group Ltd., has signed an exclusive service agreement with mobile personal training service Trainers On Site.

"As personal trainers, we are often referred to as assistant buyers," says Robert Foster, president of Trainers On Site. "We know most of these products inside and out, and we have an idea about what will fit in our client's homes and what will give the best bang for the buck. We deliver after-sales service while educating the consumer for Fitness Source. This creates an opportunity to offer in-home personal training for its equipment. I see this as a win/win situation."

Legislation Would Devastate NJ Health Club Industry and Health of NJ Residents

BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) expressed today its vehement opposition to New Jersey Senate Bill 2164, which is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor certification bill that could effectively shut down these activities in New Jersey health clubs. To date, more than 7,400 emails have been sent by fitness professionals to state legislators expressing their opposition to the bill.

"If passed, this bill will have devastating effects on the livelihood of an estimated 10,000 fitness professionals in New Jersey and ultimately the health of the state's residents," said Joe Moore, IHRSA's president and CEO. "The restrictions the bill imposes are overly burdensome, substantially deviate from current industry practice and ignore the high accreditation standards established for clubs throughout the U.S.," he said.

SUNNYVALE, CA - Interactive Fitness Holdings (IFH) announced that it had acquired the assets and intellectual property of Expresso Fitness as part of a larger strategy to acquire, organize and deliver a wide range of interactive fitness solutions to commercial customers. These products are being re-launched as the Expresso line.

"Products like Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution have demonstrated a large and growing consumer market for interactive fitness products and services," said company chairman Bill Stensrud. "The commercial market is just as exciting but lacks a compelling range of products with sound financial support; IFH will bring breakthrough solutions to commercial fitness facilities in the U.S. and around the world."

Importance of educated fitness professionals again takes top rank

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - A lasting trend is developing in health and fitness, according to an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) survey published in the November/December issue of ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal. The importance of experienced and educated fitness professionals remains the top predicted fitness trend for the third straight year.

The survey, now in its fourth year, was distributed to ACSM certified health and fitness professionals worldwide. Nearly 1,500 completed surveys were received from respondents around the world. Thirty-seven potential trends were given as choices.

ORANGE COUNTY, CA - Iron Grip Barbell Company, the world's largest supplier of commercial free weight equipment, has released the newest version of its eWeight Planner facility planning software. The Planner has been recently updated to include the most current free weight and plate-loaded lines from 13 of the top commercial fitness equipment manufacturers.

The program is a free online tool to help customers plan the proper number of weight plates, bars, dumbbells and barbells for their fitness facilities.

The eWeight Planner is available at www.eweightplanner.com.

by Brenda Abdilla

Anyone posting a position in the current job market knows that candidates can be overwhelming in their numbers as well as passionate in their insistence that they are the right person for the job. Personalized feedback is not always possible and probably not a great idea anymore. Hiring managers are often too busy, plus there is the liability issue; being honest with people about their shortfalls can backfire.

Here are some tips to help appropriately reject job candidates:

MISSISSAUGA, ON - Rubbermaid Commercial Products has acquired Technical Concepts and is now marketing Technical Concepts' innovative product solutions for professionals in the cleaning, waste and restroom hygiene industry. Technical Concepts offers solutions in the air care, skin care, surface care and touch-free categories through the sales of fixtures, proprietary dispensers and associated refills. The products and systems provide hygiene solutions in schools, food service settings, hospitals and health care institutions, as well as commercial, industrial and public facilities.

For more information, visit www.rcpworksmarter.com or call 800-347-9800.

DAVIS, CA - A study in the November/December issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior suggests that food advertising aimed at children may be a large contributor to the U.S. childhood obesity problem.

Researchers at the University of California-Davis examined the types of food advertisements seen by children watching English- and Spanish-language American television programs on Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons. Twelve networks were included in the study: Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Kids' WB, MTV, BET, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and UPN, and Univision and Telemundo.

The findings showed that nearly 1 in 5 advertisements was for a food or nutrition-related product, with 5.2 food advertisements presented every hour. Fast-food restaurants, junk food and sugary drinks accounted for more than 70% of food commercials.

JEFFERSON CITY, MI - Lincoln University, a historically black college, has recently instituted a requirement that students with a BMI over 30 must take a physical education class in order to receive their diplomas.

The program "Fitness for Life" began in 2006, but this is the first year the effects will be felt. This spring, the new requirement will keep over two dozen students - who did not register or dropped out of the course - from graduating.

The new rule has has not been received well by the student body who don't believe the university should play a role in students' nutritional and physical education.

Fitness Business Canada (FBC) is the trade magazine in Canada for owners, managers, directors and staff of health and fitness facilities. FBC is the primary trade publication for health and fitness facilities across Canada. FBC has earned outstanding reviews and respect from facility operators to its first issue in January 2000.

To get your copy, call our office at 888-920-6537 or email us at fbc@fitnet.ca