by Holly Ridgeway

Created on: November 10, 2009   Last Updated: December 23, 2009

Yoga, which once seemed another passing fad, has become a force supreme in the fitness industry. It is now a multi-billion-dollar business consisting of fitness professionals offering yoga classes and retailers peddling yoga products. So if you're a club owner or manager who has not yet tapped into the yoga market, you're missing out on perhaps the most lucrative fitness craze since Jazzercise. Indeed, yoga could be one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to boost member retention and recruitment.

A fitness club should begin by attracting seasoned yoga fans. Many gyms will succeed in increasing revenue just by targeting this existing market. Offer up some classes with a certified yoga instructor to help bring in members. Since the equipment required is relatively inexpensive - most exercisers own their own mats, and other implements can be purchased in bulk rather cheaply - expenses can be kept to a minimum. Gyms should also consider allowing non-members to pay for classes offered, as there are many yoga enthusiasts out there who are not looking for the traditional amenities of a club.

How about offering yoga products for sale? Yoga equipment and apparel are big revenue generators in the retail market. Don't have the stomach for selling? Consider trading referrals with a local yoga product provider to help increase enrollment.

You might even try targeting the uninitiated. Many health club members have never tried yoga and hold some misconceptions about it. Some fear that they are not flexible enough to perform yoga. Men may have the impression that it is too girly. Some may even feel that yoga is altogether too hip. If Madonna's doing it, then they're not doing it.

Many fitness club members are not familiar with yoga products either. You mean I have to carry a mat around with me? Are these building blocks? Sandbags? Zafu what? And like martial arts, yoga has many bizarre-sounding disciplines. Most people simply don't know svaroopa from sivananda. These factors combine to put an exotic stamp on yoga, something that intimidates many gym goers.

So how does a fitness center break through these barriers? Try posting a list of yoga myths and truths. Tout the benefits of yoga, such as its role in alleviating lower back pain and lowering stress levels. Let people know that they need not contort their body into the shape of a pretzel. Create a poster explaining yoga products.

Too often, yoga doesn't leave the studio, so classes are limited to those who are already hooked on it. If you're interested in turning members on to yoga, hold a quick how-to session on the gym room floor, and afterward encourage people to sign up for a class. By bringing the session to the floor, those bored or frazzled by the same humdrum workout who might otherwise consider giving up their membership will have a chance to try something new.

The gym has long been the place for muscle heads, those swingers of iron plates and bars. But not everyone is looking for bulging biceps. By adding some yoga products to your equipment cache and hiring a top-notch yoga instructor, you'll help meet your retention goals. Perhaps you'll even add some new members too!

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