Consumers in Raleigh may be confused about where to shop for health club memberships.  Over the past few years there have been a lot of changes in the fitness sector nationwide and in Raleigh. Health clubs have come and gone and there have been several high profile closures. 

Most recently, the parent company of some Peak Fitness health clubs in the triangle filed bankruptcy, a sprinkling of Peak Fitness locations closed, and this week Butterfly Life women’s centers closed a location.

“Due to the transient nature of health clubs in the Raleigh market, the consumer confidence is at a low,” says industry insider and President of Lifestyle Family Fitness Kevin Laferriere. Laferriere says that Triangle residents currently shopping for health club memberships should seek out: no long term contracts, clubs owned and operated by companies that have been around for more than a decade, organizations with a philosophy of commitment to health club members, and clubs with a high level of service and programming.

“Paid in full or long term contracts are a disadvantage to the consumer,” says Laferriere.  “If I was a consumer, I’d be hesitant to get into a contract that was set up to lock me in and that’s why our health clubs only have month to month options.”

Laferriere says consumers are still shopping for the perfect place to work out and the industry is doing well overall, despite recent events.

“During these tough economic times, the last thing consumers can forgo is the stress relief provided by a strenuous workout,” adds Laferriere, who has been in the fitness sector for the past two decades. 

As a matter of fact, researcher Ibis World identified a handful of industries it predicted would grow in 2009 and the fitness sector ranked fifth.

“Among the factors contributing to the industry's ongoing achievement are: its growing sophistication, rising healthcare costs, and increased public appreciation of the benefits of regular exercise,” says Laferriere. 

Experts also say the industry is thriving because of a large aging population concerned about functionality, longevity, and quality of life.