[May 12, 2013] Survival of the fittest Tweet May 12, 2013 (Lewiston Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Can a community have too many fitness options Health club operators in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley don't think so. Two new gyms have opened in the last two weeks -- Turning Point Fitness in the Lewiston Orchards and Snap Fitness in Clarkston. They join Gold's Gym, which is settling into its new home in the former Walmart and working on an expansion that includes a swimming pool, basketball courts and other amenities. There are a slew of other choices for those looking to get fit. Among them are no-cost options like walking on the levee system, a company gym at Regence and the publicly owned Asotin County Family Aquatics Center, which has lap swimming, water aerobics and a fitness room. In spite of the proliferation, gym owners and managers say they don't believe the market is oversaturated. "There's no shortage of people who could benefit from a healthier lifestyle," said Loretta Tye, owner of Northwest Natural Health Care in Lewiston. Darrin McGeoghegan, manager of Gold's Gym, agrees. About 150 members joined in the last two weeks of April, even though the improvements won't be ready for about five more months. "I don't think we've reached critical mass," said Nick Bacon, director of the Asotin County aquatics center. "We'll see what happens. The new Gold's changes things because of their size." Each facility has a different business model, Tye said. "The hardest thing for a gym is getting people to walk through the door. That's a scary thing for people -- fear of the unknown, change, fear of failure. A lot of times they don't know what they're doing." She offers classes such as yoga and Pilates, along with a boot camp she teaches at World Class Fitness in Lewiston. Plus she provides orthopedic massage and some nutrition counseling. Turning Point Fitness near Rosauers is seeking certification for CrossFit, a national brand of training that focuses on traditional exercises, said owner Josh Huffaker. Members will pay $100 a month in exchange for being able to take classes as often as they'd like. They'll have seven choices of one-hour time slots Monday through Friday as well as a Saturday option. Typically people go at least three times a week, Huffaker said. CrossFit uses traditional exercises such as jump rope, lifting weights and pull-ups to help people get into shape. Each routine can be adjusted to be moderate enough for someone who just made a resolution to be more active or intense enough to challenge an extreme athlete, he said. Gold's wants to be the place that has everything and can cater to the entire family, said McGeoghegan, noting its day care program is a critical element of that approach. On a recent day at noon, members were walking and running on treadmills. Music blared as a body pump class met on the west side of the gym and a CrossFit group went through its exercises on the north side. Even though its permanent home on the east side of the building isn't ready, the move is already benefitting its members, McGeoghegan said. "Just because we have more space, it's a lot easier for our members." The aquatics center's mission is somewhat similar to Gold's, although one of its biggest goals is to make its fees affordable, Bacon said. "You can certainly get a good workout on our equipment and it's good equipment ... but we don't necessarily revamp our equipment with industry trends." Still others are focusing on availability. Anytime Fitness, across from Gold's on Thain Road, is open 24 hours a day, and caters to shift workers at places like Clearwater Paper, ATK and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, said Nathan Yoder, an owner of the business. It also is smaller. Often there's at least 70 cars outside Gold's, compared with seven rigs in his parking lot, said Yoder, who will renovate his gym with new equipment and flooring at the end of June. "It's laid back." Williams may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2261. ___ (c)2013 the Lewiston Tribune (Lewiston, Idaho) Visit the Lewiston Tribune (Lewiston, Idaho) at www.lmtribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]