According to the most recent figures from the Office de la protection du consommateur, Quebec has no less than 727 fitness centers on its territory.
They have thousands of subscribers, overbook and fuel the obsession with thinness and the perfect physique. But fitness centers offer- do they really have a healthy approach?
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At certain times of the year, especially in early January and the day after Labor Day, fitness centers are taken over by well-intentioned people looking to get back in shape, lose weight or gain mass muscular. However, several observers say: persistence is not always there, and 'the dropout rate is approaching 50% after the first six months of a fitness program,' notes Yvan Campbell, kinesiologist and specialist in chronic pain.
According to the most recent figures from the Office de la protection du consommateur, Quebec has no less than 727 fitness centers on its territory; the vast majority belong to independent owners, sometimes offer very specialized services, while others are linked to well-known chains, such as Éconofitness (nearly 60 branches), Nautilus Plus (39), Énergie Cardio (33), or World Gym (6).
What drives hundreds of people, year after year, to adhere to a formula that is not necessarily suitable for those who wish to return to a healthy lifestyle? An effective marketing strategy does not explain everything, because flexible hours (some are open 24 hours a day), competitive prices, and geographic proximity help attract followers ... and keep them loyal.
This is the case of Eric Bédard, a history professor at TELUQ, a loyal subscriber to a center located close to his work since 2013, whom he visits up to three times a week. 'I have no goal, he says, and my motivation is to move because my job is sedentary. I always do the same routine, I have no coaching, no coach, but I consider sport as a necessity, just like eating, because who can say that he never has time to eat? And it is definitely not a social club: people are in their bubble, me too! '
Long live overbooking
According to experts in Physical Activity Sciences, some companies adhered to the health model of fitness centers, while other establishments are mainly aimed at making money, and selling derivatives, such as supplements. Several gyms practice overbooking. If their capacity is 300 people, they will subscribe to 500, because the statistics prove it: the attendance decreases from the month of February, but the profits return anyway because people subscribe for one year.
In this logic, several clients are quickly left to their own devices, with little or no supervision - even if some are looking for just that, as evidenced by the growing popularity of 'low cost' centers like Éconofitness. For Yvan Campbell, this trend marks the return of the 'arm gym' that prevailed until the 1990s, while other strategies remain timeless 'including, for 30 years, the famous Before / After for weight loss, because people are very sensitive to aesthetics and appearance issues. ”
Someone who trains a lot, or badly, without worrying about their diet will never have good results
This obsession with thinness, several centers know how to cultivate it, but for Pierre-Alexandre Boyer Leclerc and Laurent Goulet, co-owners of the Kinesiology clinic Gestion Santé K5S, who also run a blog on preventive health (lekinesiologue.com), we would have wrong to overwhelm them with all evils. 'Influencers, social networks, in short, the surrounding culture, all this promotes disinformation,' deplores Pierre-Alexandre. No wonder customers are forced to buy supplements or omega-3s, wanting results quickly. And many have very specific ideas in mind. For example, I have a wedding in three weeks and I want to go in my suit! Nothing bad, but health cannot be assessed in the short term. Unfortunately, some centers sell a product, not a process. '
And this process can be demanding because it takes determination, persistence, and a lot of understanding. It’s the kinesiologist’s responsibility to educate the client that the change they want will not happen in two weeks. The client must be the agent of his change in the same way as the healthcare professional. And you should avoid pre-chewed solutions, or compare yourself to people who have transformed their bodies dramatically. It is dangerous to take them as models. Another person with the same social, economic and psychological background can achieve completely different results.
Real or pseudo-trainers
Kinesiologists from K5S Health Management, Laurent Goulet (left) and Pierre-Alexandre Boyer Leclerc (right). 'Some centers sell a product, not a process,' says Boyer Leclerc.
These kinesiologists of course plead for their parish, that of a profession still little known, but which is becoming more and more essential in the centers, which was not always the case. Pierre-Alexandre regrets that 'the Federation of Kinesiologists of Quebec is not recognized as a professional order', a recognition that would 'raise the standards, and prevent anyone from becoming a coach,' deplores Laurent Goulet. Responsible for training them, and supervising the internships of his students who are destined for kinesiology, Pierre Sercia notes an interest of the big chains to hire more kinesiologists but also recognizes that several graduates prefer to found their own center and to target clienteles specific: hockey players during the summer season, the elderly, children with posture problems, women after childbirth, etc.
As with restaurants, there is something for everyone, and for all budgets. But we can also decide to cook at home! This is a bit like the philosophy of Pierre-Hugues Geoffroy, owner of the Umanovo center in Quebec, a kinesiologist who worked for five years as a trainer in a center affiliated with a chain before founding his own establishment.
'The gym is a solution if you like it, and it might work. On the other hand, if it's a chore ... 'He recognizes that the promotion around weight loss' is well articulated, a mirage not specific to gyms, but to a whole industry: that of slimming, protein diets, race programs ”, etc.
The sport will seek fear to dominate it, fatigue to overcome it, and difficulty to overcome it
Like Pierre-Alexandre, who questions the insistence of certain customers to display prominent abs - the famous six packs ('Apart from the aesthetic side, what can it be used for?') - Pierre-Hugues Geoffroy does feel free to explore the deep motivations of those who want to take charge of their health. 'In front of someone who says they are 20 pounds overweight, you have to find the reasons for the imbalance that has occurred in their life and have the right approach, because each person is different. I even decided to teach mindful meditation to a totally stressed entrepreneur: his body could not have responded to any training. Easy to do at home, and inexpensive.
This is another aspect that Pierre-Hugues Geoffroy insists on, as do several of his colleagues: health is not just about exercises and dumbbells. 'I know 70-year-old women who are a healthy weight and have never been to a gym in their life: they walk every day and eat well. We overestimate training when at 80%, it is the diet that makes all the difference. Someone who trains a lot, or badly, without worrying about their diet will never have good results. Let the Muscle gentlemen of this world take it for granted.
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