For women only - health clubs

American Fitness, July-August, 1990 by Jill Schmidt

For Women Only

A far cry from the pampered pink salons of the '60s, today's health club for women is being revolutionized by Audrey Sedita.

Gaining weight in the corporate bank account while helping thousands of women lose weight by sensible exercise and eating is as easy as a walk on the Stairmaster for Audrey Sedita.

Capitalizing on her 21 years in the fitness business beginning at a posh Beverly Hills health club in the late-'60s, 56-year-old Sedita is muscling in on the $8 billion health club industry with her Women's Workout World (WWW). With 15 company-owned and 11 franchised WWWs in operation, Sedita knows what works and what doesn't in the industry of women's fitness clubs. "When aerobics began gaining popularity in the late '70s, early '80s, I knew the 3,000 to 5,000 square-foot, equipment intensive facilities I was running would outdate themselves," says Sedita. "So I sold my centers, moved to Chicago to start a national franchise of 8,000 to 10,000 square-foot, for-women-only, moderately-priced membership fee workout centers in a major metropolitan market. Having experienced control problems running health clubs all over the United States, I decided to franchise because franchisees have a vested interest in making the centers succeed -- they're owners.

"Many overweight women prefer an all-women environment for exercise," says Sedita. "We're able to keep membership costs down because we don't have high overhead on running tracks or social amenities such as restaurants and bars that can run memberships up.

"The no-frills program, 18-22 aerobic and general exercise classes daily, works," adds Sedita. "We have a full line of state-of-the-art equipment for every part of the body, along with a complete weight loss and recipe program. If it's new, innovative and works, we'll buy it."

The standard package of equipment includes Cam-Star, Eagle and Nautilus exercise machines, stationary bikes and treadmills. In addition, WWW offers, (for an additional charge), the Life Program, a cardiovascular fitness program that features Liferowers, Lifecycles and Stairmasters. Sedita recommends members work out three times a week to stay fit and lose weight and follow their sensible eating program. The program encourages a balance between low imkpact aerobic workouts, general exercise, controlling caloric intake and sensible eating and exercise habits, such as the new "TLC, Ten-pound Loss Challenge."

The company projects opening 30 franchises in 1990. Expansion is targeted for California, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and in the Midwest, Michigan, Wisconsin and Kentucky.

PHOTO : Women's Workout World

Jill Schmidt is a freelance writer living in Northbrook, Illinois.