FITNESS TRIBUNE No 1 English

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Archive year 2003 for the only one issu in September

The specialist magazine for the international fitness and wellness industry Europe € 6.90 USA $ 7.-

15 th year, issue no. 1, September 2003

www.fitnesstribune.com

Eastern Europe a growth area for the fitness and wellness industry

a NEW sport for health clubs The Magglingen Declaration a CHALLENGE for the fitness industry LOSING WEIGHT a question of GAINING MUSCLE Festival del Fitness - report

Fitness training SAVED MY LIFE Report from IHRSA, San Francisco Ayurveda - the soft body massage

Strenflex World Championships - Kiev - Ukraine - September 10 th to 12 th

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Contents

editor’s letter

fitness news

commentary

exhibition news

Jaques Rogge

ENFA news

club manager news

exhibition news

Magglingen declaration

back to the roots

Festival del Fitness

Rimini report

Strenflex News

be balanced

body mind spirit

HIT

Ayurveda

Dr. Gottlob column

brainstorming

Ayurveda

wellness club news

IHRSA report

IHRSA 2003

events - advertiser index

imprint

Fitness Tribune International 1

Editorial

A view to the future! What a pleasure it is to be writing the first editorial for what I hope will be many issues of FITNESS TRIBUNE INTERNATIONAL (FTI), the first English language edition of FITNESS TRIBUNE. The German issue of FITNESS TRIBUNE has been published now for over 15 years and this new project, an English edition, is the first step towards bringing a specialist magazine which spans the whole world, to market. Many of my friends abroad, mainly those from the USA who are au fait with German, have been trying for years to persuade me to publish a version of FITNESS TRIBUNE for the English speaking countries. This would also bring the magazine’s content within the reach of people worldwide who have learned English as a second language - and many sooner or later do. This first issue doesn’t yet contain the explosive, up-to-the-minute inter views that have made FITNESS TRIBUNE a leading magazine in Ger man speaking Europe. FITNESS TRIBUNE doesn’t simply report what some industry leaders would like to hear - no, we say what we think. Over the years our comment and articles have caused a great deal of controversy and this is what makes FT a good professional specialist magazine. What use would a glossy “all things to all people” consumer magazine be? Our job is to actively question, criticize, polarise opinion and initiate controversial discussion on hot topics whilst providing balanced and, most importantly, unbiased coverage on all aspects of the fitness industry. We also see it as our job to praise where praise is due - see the FITNESS TRIBUNE awards for example - and to promote a positive view of our industry to the world. This mixture of professional reporting and industry information, not to mention entertainment, will now flow into the English edition - and we won’t avoid the hot potatoes here either! It’s going to take some time to build up a team of reporters from around the world who can competently write country specific articles and comment for the FTI. They are out there and this is a direct appeal for all who are inter ested to contact me - to react and seize the opportunity to take part. A specialist magazine is only as good as the people who write for it! For the first few issues I have decided to expand eastwards with the FTI - Ukraine, Russia and Byelorussia, - the up and coming nations. The second phase is also on the way - and readers in the U.K., Scandinavia, France, Holland, Italy and Spain followed by the USA will all soon have the FTI in their hands. Neither, of course, have we forgotten Asia, Australia and the rest of the world. It’s coming too. When? Watch this space! A specialist magazine can only expand slowly because quality has to remain our first concern - and there are already enough magazines on the market with “run-of-the-mill” content. I would be more than pleased if, as well as potential advertisers and subscrib ers, industry insiders from the whole planet would recognise the benefits of an unbiased and independent specialist magazine and contact me directly with their ideas. The fitness industry with its thousands of fitness clubs spread across the world is the only industry that is actively doing something to promote pre ventative methods of maintaining health. The time has now come for politi cians and public health services (I’ve been calling them the sick services for years) across the world to at last acknowledge the importance and necessity of our industry. We shall continue lobbying them - in English now too!

See you in the next issue. Jean-Pierre L. Schupp

Fitness Tribune International 1

Fitness News

WORLD CLASS KAZAN One of the most exciting events recently in the fast growing Russian fitness industry was the grand opening in June 2003 of World Class Kazan, the biggest ever regional fitness centre. Attending the opening ceremony were many of the most important figures in business and politics, including the pre sident of Tatarstan and the governor of Sverdlovsk. This fitness centre features all the latest fitness equipment including treadmills, cycles and the unique elliptical cross trainers from Precor. All the Precor

equipment was supplied by MFitness, exclusive distri butors for Rus sia and Ukraine, and it covers not only strength and cardiovascular training but also flexibility training and delivers it in a smooth, fluid way. Precor machines are probably the best known brand in Russian fitness circles and they have already been installed very successfully in major fitness clubs like World Class, World Gym and Dr. Loder, plus all the health clubs in Mar riott hotels in Moscow and other regio nal cities.

Special touch sensitive console techno logy features on Precor equipment for interactive control and moni toring by the exerciser. There are numeric keys, intuitive keystroke sequencing, and multiple feedback opti ons. Large displays and accompanying graphics are combined for exceptional clarity. With Precor, it›s also even easier to use because the displays are in the Russian language. All the latest Precor models can be seen and demonstrated in Russia›s largest fit ness equipment specialist at 53 Vernad skogo Avenue, Moscow. For full details call MFitness on tel +7 (095) 974-1234 that after a few months his or her moti vation crumbles, boredome kicks in and the feeling of visible progress is lacking. According to a British study after three months over 40 percent of new members on average go to the gym under four times per month and the number of peo ple still working out three times a week plummets to 14 percent. At this point the membership is often terminated. To prevent this from happening Life Fitness has come up with Strength IQ, a new integrated and progressive strength trai ning concept. Info: www.lifefitness.com

Life Fitness offers progressive strength training to diminish membership fluctuation

The retention of existing and the acqui sition of new customers has become the single most important as well as difficult topic for gym owners. Hence, marketing strategists concentrate their efforts on those tasks. After its top position in the cardiovascular market has become undeniable Life Fitness, the leading manufacturer of a full line of cardiova scular and strength-training equipment,

now wants to increasingly focus its efforts on the strength-training realm. «Strength IQ» is the title of a recent initiative aimed at a considerable dimi nishment of membership fluctuation through progressive strength training solutions. Gym owners know the problem all too well: Bristling with enthusiasm, a new member signs his contract only to find

Whole Body Vibration Interests and possibilities In whole body vibration, mechanical vibrations are transmitted to the body through a vibration plate. Muscles react to the vibration by contracting and rela xing automatically. Whole Body Vibration works on the entire body so the effects can be obser ved in various body tissues. * Vibration training strengthens muscles, increasing not only explosive power but stamina too. * During the training the nerve paths are sensitised and activated, and circulation is improved.

* The contractions encourage blood circulation. Waste products are removed more quickly! * The combination of muscle strengthening and local fat burning indirectly leads to a reduction in cellulite. The skin looks noticeably smoother and more toned. After training, you feel relaxed. You feel good. Info: www.fitvibe.com

Fitness Tribune International 1

Commentary

Beautiful new fitness world OR «THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM UNDER PRESSURE?»

Anyone who may have looked through the fitness fairs this year and kept their eyes open could hardly have missed the fact that “interactive workouts” have once again returned to the news. IHRSA, FIBO or FITNESS FESTI VAL - the manufacturers are all try ing their best to combine workout with computer game. After so many unsuc cessful attempts in the past to network human beings, exercise machines and computers - many disappeared from the screens faster than it took to install them - the industry is now hopeful again that, thanks to increasingly realistic graphics, these animation machines will experi ence a renaissance. Those who have not yet experienced the Cardiodisco from Exertris, either live or on the promotional video, may find it difficult to imagine. So here is an attempt to explain: The cardio-bikes are situated in a blacked-out room, at a gym for example, disco-sound reverberates, flashes emanate from the strobes and, depending upon the particular set-up, the computer game appears on an LCD screen in front of each individual rider or on the large screen in front of all. These are specially designed bikes and the computer games are especially dedi cated to them. The speed and dynamics of the game are directly related to the speed and resistance required for the cardio-training itself. If you observe the players it quickly becomes clear that their minds are mainly on the game with the result that their cycling movements are rather jerky. It’s quite obvious; even the modern body of a twenty-something is not capable of coping with a hectic computer game and producing smooth, harmonised movements at the same time. The situation is similar when Ree bok with its CyberRider or Technogym with the Sony-PlayStation2-Integration go hunting for customers at shows. It appears that the higher the fun-factor, the more motor activity suffers. In addition it seems that with such an overstimulation of the senses it is impossible to both concentrate fully on training and to really shut down so that

the autonomic nervous system comes to rest. These are well known factors that appear right at the top of the list of reasons why people go to gyms. Johnny G., the inventor of indoor cycling recog nised in the 1980’s already, that all the “bells and whistles”, those little lights and computer screens, do more harm than good and his bike concept (includ ing all of the good and bad copies) has proven itself millions of times over around the world. If we didn’t already know before the American Internet cardio-bike flop that human beings don’t want to and can not spend the whole day in front of a computer screen, then we do now. The fact that these playthings actually cost a small fortune should come as a surprise to no one. On the whole quite clear-cut, one would think. Just another of the industry’s “bright ideas” which nobody really needs and which will be forgotten before long anyway. There is however praise from some quarters for these new cardio-games. The British women’s magazine ZEST has labelled the new machines as vision ary and so has Bill Gates, founder and CEO of Microsoft, who even mentioned the product (Exertris) in a keynote speech. The sale of these machines is also being pushed by the industry of course, especially when it involves pro viding alternatives and opening up new markets. New target group The “next generation” - those now in their mid-twenties - has grown up in a world of TV zapping, computer games and the Internet, a world that many older people don’t really understand. Sadly, this generation is hardly capable of reading a book or enjoying normal freetime activities like going for a walk or cycling etc. They live in a fast-mov ing world with constant overstimulation of the senses. As soon as one stimulus is past then they’re already looking for the next. Sport seems to be almost unim portant these days. It rather appears that

the trademark of the new generation will be overweight and lack of movement. The new cardio-discos could however provide a way to reach this new poten tial market group. Mens sana in corpore sano (A healthy mind in a healthy body) If you believe the statisticians, then it seems that everything will be better in future for the “next generation” com pared to their lives to-date with their lack of movement and poor nutrition. It’s possible that training on these games machines can alleviate some symptoms even if they in no way improve motor activity. Or the machines could function as a sort of bait to lure the new potential customer base into the gyms. But be careful not to affect the well-being of your existing members. All new things have their attraction and the hunt for new members can easily go wrong. A cardio-disco hardly goes hand-in-hand with a well thought-out comprehensive fitnessclub concept. It is more likely to torpedo the fitness and wellness idea instead. Maybe the answer is to develop separate “game catacombs” for the new generation, set aside from the main stream health club and blessed with the hope that they will do more good than harm after all. Maybe the newcomers will then realise for themselves that the real benefits of training, including relaxation and improved aerobic capac ity, can only be 100% achieved if they fully concentrate on their training…. A chance for the adventurous Anyone who dares to focus all his efforts on this target group may well find that he is one of the few who, for a few years, enjoys spectacular growth in an indus try that is at best growing slowly. From the beginning though, the main thing is to know the right time to get out again, because the only constant in this target group is change. And the next short lived trend is definitely on the way. 

Fitness Tribune International 1

Exhibition news

The fitness and wellness industry is also growing in eastern Europe! The Day Spa Association, the leading international business organisation for public bathing facilities, and which has the most complete Internet directory, is sponsoring the “Spa, Health & Fit ness” trade fair. Managing Director Hannelore R. Leavy says: “We are very pleased to be able to play a central role in this outstanding new event; the first of its kind with a main emphasis on bringing together owners and managers of spas, sports facilities, gyms, wellness clubs and beauty salons with interna tional sales organisations from all over Europe”.

On behalf of the International Exhibi tion Group (IEG) we cordially invite you to attend the upcoming “Spa, Health & Fitness” trade fair in Kiev, Ukraine. This international event has been expressly endorsed and is actively supported by the State Council for Presidential Affairs and the government of the Ukraine. “Spa, Health & Fitness” will take place in the capital Kiev from Sep tember 10th - 12th 2003. “Spa, Health & Fitness” is a unique forum which will bring you together with Ukrainian representatives from the wellness, skin and haircare, fitness, cos metics and sportsnutrition industries. It will allow you to secure your share of this up-and-coming market and expand your product-sales in a country with almost 50 million inhabitants. Today, the spa, fitness and beauty industries in eastern Europe are enjoy ing a significant upturn. One of the most important newspapers, the “KYIV POST” has recently declared the year 2002 the “Ukrainian year of health and fitness clubs”. “Spa, Health & Fit ness” has been conceived to satisfy the demand for the newest equipment for the modernisation and upgrading of existing facilities, according to IEG Director Alex Sakin. There is already a huge interest in health, beauty and fitness issues in the Ukraine; eastern Europe is one of the most profitable and booming markets in the world for equip ment and service suppliers in the spa, health and beauty industries.

World Championships in tandem with the international trade show. The fit ness market is exploding in this country, and STRENFLEX intends to promote this form of popular sport from the very beginning”, comments Sylvia Gattiker, president of STRENFLEX in Wallisel len, Switzerland (www.strenflex.org). IEG offers all interested parties a special “all-inclusive package”: Air travel (either from Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna or Zurich), help in obtaining a visa, transfers, hotels, complete exhibi tion stand (with table, chairs, spotlights, power supply, lockable doors, carpet, side-wall panelling etc.), 1⁄2 page adver tisement in the official four-colour exhi bition catalogue and a whole page four colour advertisement in Fitness Tribune International magazine (the first English edition, to be published at the beginning of August). For further information (in English) please contact Alex Sakin. Tel: +1-203-357-1400 or e-mail Asakin@iegexpo.com. Info: www.iegexpo.com/ukr_spa.htm

The 2003 STRENFLEX World Championships will take place in tandem with “Spa, Health & Fitness”. STRENFLEX, the international fit ness-sport organisation based in Swit zerland has chosen the Ukrainian trade show because of its similar objectives and exhibition themes and the explo sion in the wellness and fitness market in Europe’s second largest country. “We are very pleased to be able to hold our

Fitness Tribune International 1

Association News

ENFA NEWS The European Network Fitness Association (ENFA) is a not-for-pro fit organisation that aims to promote physical activity to all the citizens of Europe. ENFA is a membership orga nisation made up of exercise and fitness organisations from across Europe. ENFA has recognised that there is a lack of common standards for fitness trainers/instructors and that the quality of fitness instruction can vary between European countries. In response to this ENFA has established a qualifications working group. The ENFA qualifications working group is aiming to create a framework for the harmonisation of qualifications and standards in exercise and fitness between European countries. The harmonisation of qualifications is in line with European Commission directives on the movement of professionals and will result in: • Increased mobility of health and fitness professionals across Europe • Guaranteed quality of fitness instruction qualifications and training centres • Improved customer confidence in fitness instruction • Promotion of best practice in health and fitness instruction and qualifications across Europe • The promotion of a healthy lifestyle to all European citizens

The work of the ENFA qualifications working group concentrates on three key areas: 1. The development of an agreed European wide qualifications framework This work will focus on re-developing the European Qualification Structure for Fitness (EQSF) five level structure of competencies, skills and knowledge in the European exercise and fitness industry. The new EQSF will serve as a minimum standard against which fitness qualifications and qualification structures in member countries can be compared. 2. The validation of national qualification structures This work will focus on achieving a recog nised European system of comparability of qualifications in the following way: • Qualification providers will be able to map their qualifications to the new EQSF • Successfully mapped qualifications may then be validated by ENFA to allow them to achieve recognition on a Pan European Level. 3. The promotion of national registers of fitness trainers/ instructors.

Some countries have an independent national register of fitness professionals. This allows trainers/instructors with recognised qualifications to demonst rate to customers and clients that they are qualified and capable of working in the fitness industry. The ENFA qualifi cations working group will aim to work towards a network of independent nati onal registers based on European-wide approved qualifications which map to the European Qualification Structure for Fitness. Enclosed with this letter is a question naire which is aimed at organisations that are interested in the quality of fitness instruction and qualifications in the European fitness industry. We are requesting feedback from interested parties on the work of the ENFA quali fications working group. You can also download the question naire through this link on the ENFA website (image below): http://www.e-nfa.org/content/article/ detail/2463?PHPSESSID=ee01a938d1 da92bfce0503339d8df5e5 If you would like further information on the work of ENFA, the Qualifications Group or would like membership infor mation please contact enfa@global eu.com or log on to the website at www.e-nfa.org 

Fitness Tribune International 1

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Club Manager

Diary of a club manager

Learn through mountaineering, or, risk will lead you to success

One of the pioneers of the fitness industry Karl J. Neeser , born on 4th August 1947, qualified sports instructor and scientist, during the last ten years set up and has been running two success ful fitness clubs in French-speaking Switzerland. After selling his busi ness he established his own consulta tion company in collaboration with Mike Chaet, CMS, Helena/Montana. Karl J. Neeser lives both in Swit zerland and in California, where at present he is preparing his doctorate in the area of old-age prevention.

Successful people are not only open to all kinds of experience but they are generally also prepared to run risks. My friends and acquaintances told me that “it’s too big a risk” when, years ago, I gave up my interesting and well-paid job as a university lecturer in order to become self-employed. Even though today I can look back at two successful and extremely profitable clubs with satisfaction and pride, I still admire my courage at the time to have run such an elevated risk. At 40 I wanted to look for a new professional challenge, to build a fitness centre for people of the middle and older generations. As a lecturer with a secure job offering lots of spare time, at the beginning I thought the risk did seem a bit too big. But eve rything changed on a memorable day back in September 1987 in California. In the grounds of Stanford University, during my lunch break, I watch how a man trains his climbing technique on the walls of the physics building. It looks dangerous. Some time later, we start a conversation. Jim, a lecturer at Business School, is an enthusiastic mountaineer. He spends plenty of time in the grounds of his school in the midst of the easy hills on the peninsula of San Francisco; however, even though he is far away from natural climbing possibilities, he keeps fit by improving his climbing technique at university. Jim tells me that climbing is one of the most risky and creative things he has ever done. It is an uninterrupted prob lem-solving process, because there’s no map for the various inclinations. You look at the bare rock face and tell your self that there probably is a way. But you must take risks and you’ll only discover them while climbing. Through climbing you’ll learn the meaning of creativity and risk in economy. It doesn’t really matter whether it is a climbing tour or

an economic start-up, both of them look terribly dangerous from the outside. But if you take chances while climbing, if you don’t consider something in detail, if you tackle a difficult bit and then give up your secure hold, then you are already thinking about what would hap pen to you if you fell. But that’s exactly when you develop creativity and mobi lize all of your energies in order to stay on the wall. At Business School Jim teaches his students that they should always keep all possibilities open and that they can take risks if they believe in their poten tiality. If you want to tackle a problem in a way no one has ever done before then you should let go of your driven-in thought patterns. You cannot reach the mountain peak if you keep one foot on the ground. A few days later, after a climbing tour together across half the campus - Jim always took precautions and secured me - I told him about my fitness project. He answered that “you know, you can never be sure whether things are going to work out or not in the business world. But you are going to make it. You show enthu siasm for this task and you are ready to run a big risk. I know out of experience that the possibility of being successful in your business life gets better as soon as people become totally involved in it and run risks”. So I took this risk, I took the chance of an arduous climb, I’ve been climbing for the past ten years and nearly lost my hold a couple of times. But I never gave up and have invested all of my strength and energy to look for new solutions in order to stay on the wall. That’s how I reached the mountain peak. Today I know how instructive moun taineering can be.



Fitness Tribune International 1

Exhibition News

On Behalf of International Exhibition Group (IEG) we cordially invite you to attend & exhibit in the upcoming «Health & Fitness Club Management» trade fair in Moscow, Russia. «Health & Fitness Club Management» will take place in the Moscow from December 2-5, 2003.

This event was created to satisfy the demand of the surging fitness industry in Russia for the latest in equipment to modernize and expand existing facilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a certified Martial Arts expert, has publicly stated the need for the Russian people to adopt a more active lifestyle and to improve their health through exercise. The Russian people have responded according to IEG Director Alex Sakin. “Worldwide interest in health and fitness has finally caught on in Russia, and suppliers of fitness equipment, services, and apparel are finding in Russia one of the most lucrative emerging markets in the world today.” The Russian health & fitness industry has grown enormously in the past five years and today it is estimated that this country of 144 million people contains close to 7,500 clubs and spas. Vadim Prozorov, the manager in charge of Gold’s Gym in Moscow states that a successful fitness club in Russia must provide their clients with world-class equipment and services. “Our fitness hall is what we sell and people today demand the best. We are very, very interested in attending Health & Fit ness Club Management”. The need for outfitting and supplying clubs, spas, and athletic teams is so great in Russia today that most buyers must look internation ally for the systems they need. According to industry trade specialists, the fitness equipment market of Russia’s two major cities is around $30-35 mil lion. The entire sporting goods sector is projected to steadily develop in the coming years and fitness equipment is

considered one of the most promising sub-sectors, offering the best prospects Western exporters. The fitness equipment market in Rus sia has not yet been penetrated. Recent market research conducted in Mos cow by marketing research agency INKOMARKET has shown that nearly 50% of buyers of specialized fitness equipment have not been satisfied with the price and quality of available prod ucts, which led to not making a pur chase. Studying consumer preferences has shown that 67.7% of Muscovites prefer to buy imported sporting goods, because of the quality, design, comfort and reliability. Fitness Tribune and Fitness Sport Pub lisher Jean Pierre L. Schupp became involved because “Many companies are looking for new markets and one of the very largest markets is Russia. Even though they have their own fit ness industry, the quality is not yet up to European or American standards. This is a big opportunity for many potential exhibitors. On the other hand, fitness club owners are looking forward to getting good and interesting informa tion. Fitness Tribune can provide the Russian market with the newest infor mation about Europe and America, so it’s a great opportunity for us as well”. Fitness Tribune Magazine is the media sponsor for this event. For more information about exhibiting at Health & Fitness Club Management, contact Alex Sakin at International Exhibition Group, by phone at USA# (203) 357-1400, by fax (203) 356-1700, or email to: ASakin@iegexpo.com.

Fitness Tribune International 1

2-5 December 2003

Moscow, Russian Federation

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Report

The Magglingen declaration A challenge for the fitness industry

“Sport and development” was the motto of the first world forum on sport which was held between Sunday 16th and Tues day 18th February 2003 at the sports college in Magglingen (Switzerland). This international conference was opened on the Sunday evening by Heinz Keller, principal of the sports college in Magglingen; Walter Fust, director of Deza; and Samuel Schmid, Swiss Federal Councillor and minister for sport. They were delighted to be able to welcome over 300 professionals from the areas of sport, science, commerce, politics and the media from across the world. Highlights of the event “Challenges and Objectives” was the motto for Monday and the first official workshop in Magglingen was opened with a video message from Kofi Annan, UN General Secretary. Kofi Annan made clear his opinion that sport can and must play an imporant role, along side all of the other UNO activities, in peacekeeping and the promotion of peace. Adolf Ogi, ex- Federal Council lor and special advisor to Kofi Annan on sport and peace supported this call. He has often been to third-world countries and during his travels has confirmed time and again that the problem in these countries is not lack of movement but lack of peace. For this reason campaigns such as “SPORT FOR PEACE” have been launched in some countries. On Tuesday Adolf Ogi spoke, amongst others, on sport as the best school of life and IOC president Jacques Rogge on his vision for encouraging youths. Follow ing this, the RIGHT TO PLAY project was launched (known also under its former name “Olympic Aid”). Johann Olav Koss, multiple Olympic champion

with his exercise campaign. Mrs Etsuko Ogasaware, director of JWS (Japanese association for Women in Sport), emphasized here that women play practically no sport for reasons of discrimination, religion etc., - and not only in third-world countries. Fit mothers, fit children In my opinion this is exactly where a source of important potential could lie for the fitness industry - worldwide the proportion of women members of fitness clubs is 70%. When the women exercise then so do the children. Women represent the future for sport and fitness. Men take part in sports up to a maximum of 28 years of age. After this, their career takes over and becomes increasingly important. A chance for the fitness associa tions The “Magglingen declaration” is a chance for the fitness industry to at last close the gap between the international sports world and the fitness industry. Sports scientists and sports officials should no longer look down their noses at the “new” fitness industry but should accept them as equal partners. Now is the time, when UNO and the WHO (World Health Organization) are launching their worldwide MOVE FOR HEALTH programme, to make the first move towards global coopera tion between fitness and sport. Many of the topics brought up by the WHO have been relevant to the fitness industry for decades. For example:

Kofi Annan - Adolf Ogi

is responsible for this. This campaign to encourage international sports projects awoke great interest with the media who came from across the world to cover the event. According to a survey by the WHO, around 60% of the population take no exercise at all! Pekka Puska (director of the WHO department DNDPHP) introduced the MOVE TO HEALTH project in Magglingen. Dr. Gro Har lem Brundtland, president of the WHO underlined the importance of this cam paign by video. Various organizations which are active across the globe have launched similar initiatives over the past 2-6 years and these are intended to motivate people into becoming more physically active. Victor Mat sudo, director of CELAFISCS, Agita Mundo, started already six years ago in South America and has been successful

HOW MUCH TRAINING IS NEEDED TO INCREASE OR MAINTAIN PERSONAL HEALTH?

SPORT AND DEVELOPMENT

Fitness Tribune International 1

Report

Adolf Ogi and Jaques Rogge

Jaques Rogge encircled from the press

Fitness Tribune International 1

Report

Extract from the list of participants: During the first Magglingen conference workshops with over 300 professional per sonalities from the worlds of sport, science, commerce, politics and media experts from around the world were held. E.g. Adolf Ogi, special UN commissioner for sport, ex Federal Councillor and president of Switzerland; Jacques Rogge, IOC president; Walter Fust, principal of Deza who financed this conference; Heinz Keller, director of the Federal Office of Sport - the host in Magglingen - and many more: Wladimir Andreff, professor at Paris-Sorbonne; Carol Bellamy, UNICEF; Marco Blatter, CEO - Swiss Olympic; Jean Camy, Prof. University of Lyon; Phil Craven, president of the Int. Paralympics; Prof. Gudrun Doll-Tepper, president of ICSSPE; Patrick Gasser, UEFA; Andreas Herren, FIFA; Riz Khan, Journalist (earlier with CNN); Stephen King, BBC; Aleksander Kwasniewski, president of Poland; Stavros Lambrinidis, Director IOC for Athens; Viktor Matsudo, CEO of AGITA MUNDO; Christine Neveu, UNHCR; Etsuko Ogasawara, Int. Working Group on Women and Sport IWG; Denis Oswald, ASOIF; Michel Perraudin, CEO WFSGI; Bertrand Piccard, UNFPA; Pekka Puska, Director WHO; Urs W. Schöt tli, NZZ; Peter Sloterdijk, professor of philosophy; Aidan White, general secretary of the IFJ (Int. Federation of Journalists). ACCORDING TO A WHO SURVEY 60% OF THE POPULATION DO NOT EXERCISE AT ALL. THE FOLLOWING WHO TABLE INDICATES HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS NEEDED TO INCREASE OR MAINTAIN PER SONAL HEALTH.

Heinz Keller and Denis Oswald

Johann Olav Koss, Jaques Rogge, Adolf Ogi, Walter Fust

Johann Olav Koss, Adolf Ogi and Jacques Rogge

IOC President

Demanded interview partner: ski idol Bernhard Russi

Fitness Tribune International 1

Reportage

Heinz Keller, perfect host

It is high time for the fitness industry asso ciations to consider new perspectives. They must, on their own initiative, make contact with UNO or the WHO and actively par ticipate in their “MOVE FOR HEALTH” efforts. Also, the gyms belonging to the associations must be convinced that they should partake in social programmes too - and without continuously harbouring the thought of “earning money - always and everywhere”. “He who sows shall also reap the rewards”. There is huge potential in the fitness indus try. First of all though, this emerging indus try must cooperate more fully then, together with the respective fitness associations, “earn” a “link” and “acceptance” with the larger organizations too. Where would the world be without the fitness industry? So, an appeal has now gone out to the fit ness associations! Now they can show what advantages they can offer the industry! Text and photos: Jean-Pierre L. Schupp

Johann Olav Koss

Back to the roots

Losing weight is a question of gaining muscles

“False doctrines” Strengthening muscles or strength training, i.e. a physical exercise with additional weights, has been and will be the best means for stimulating the body’s muscles. Aerobic activities such as walking, jogging, bicycling or cardio vascular training equipment, which are available at almost every gym, are excel lently suited for working the heart and burning a few calories, but they are not as effective as strength training. One of the most persistent myths regarding body fat elimination states that the best training method is aerobic or cardiovas cular exercise exclusively. It’s not that easy! While aerobic activities do have a certain impact on fat reserves, they are by far not the best method for losing fat and – most importantly – transform ing a person’s body. Just take a look at the thousands of people that regularly engage in such activities. Listen to their desperate attempts at improving their figure… Despite a sometimes grim and desperate effort on cardio equipment and in aerobic classes, they do not suc ceed in ridding themselves of their odious fat ripples! On the other hand, strength training is the most radical and fastest method to achieve this goal. Today, new scientific findings confirm that strengthening mus cles is more effective at eliminat ing body fat than cardiovascular exercise. The reason is that regu lar strength training increases the basic metabolic turnover by building muscles. “Building muscle to lose weight” The active metabolism refers to the energy consumption necessary for stay ing alive and being able to perform eve ryday activities. On the other hand, the basic metabolic turnover refers to the energy consumption when the body is at rest. Even when you are at rest, i.e. dur ing sleep, you burn calories. These calo ries add up to almost 75 percent of the overall calorie consumption required for living. The lower your basic metabolic turnover, the more you are prone to gain weight. Our metabolism is closely

You are ready to tackle your physical transformation. But before you rush forward without looking right or left, you should know how the machine, i.e. your body, works! If you understand the processes of your organism, you can better understand the practical advice of the Challenge Method. Therefore, let’s start with a little bit of theory... Over the course of 10 years, the number of obese people has quadrupled. About 35% of the European population is overweight. According to experts, 60% of the European population will suffer from obesity in about 30 years. Excess weight has become a serious problem for the health of the general population. Even worse, it has become a genuine epi demic. While it is true that the tendency to gain weight has genetic causes, which the medical profession has only just begun to research, our genes have not changed over the past century. Yet our ancestors were not affected by such an epidemic. This proves undeniably that our way of life is the main reason why we gain weight. Many different kinds of convenience and the absence of hard physical exertion are the causes for such a physiological disaster. Around the year 1900, there were no automobiles, eleva tors or escalators. Central heating or air conditioning systems and work equip ment in the form of computers did not exist either. But since we can not turn back time and such luxury also has its pleasant aspects, there is a remedy that can force the organism to burn its fat reserves: physical exercise. It is the one and only universally acknowledged means to achieve this goal! Intensive, regular exercise does not just use up calories but maintains or even builds muscle, and muscles use up a particularly large number of calories. Even at rest, muscles burn almost twice as many calories as fatty tissue! As a result, the fewer muscles you have, the more quickly you will gain weight. In addition, you should know that you lose about two kilograms of muscles per decade after the age of 40. So, what can you do to avoid this loss of muscle? Per form strength training!

Pascal Guzzo earned his diploma as a physical therapist in 1993. He worked as a physical therapist for the first Lausanne Hockey Club team from 1993 to 1995 and works with Daniel Gressier, physical therapist of the Swiss national soccer team. He was junior champion in the deadlift (270 kg) and the Swiss French champion in bodybuilding. Pascal Guzzo has served as a muscle training and nutrition consultant for several athletes, works as a physical therapist exclusively for athletes and teaches muscle training at the Uni versity of Lausanne.

Fitness Tribune International 1

Back to the roots

Angelo Gallietta, age 35, from Geneva body fat ratio before: 30.42%

body fat ratio after: 14.06%

up five times less space. Therefore, the battle for a slim figure can only be won with firm and toned muscles! Take a look at the body of a sprinter: He has firm muscles and virtually no body fat. Most sprinters have a minimum of aerobic exercise on their training pro gram. The predominant part is com prised of short, intense and explosive exertion. Such training allows stimula tion of the muscles to such a high degree as to achieve an adjustment: The mus cles become stronger. Strength training facilitates the reproduction of such exer tions during training and to trigger this adjustment process. Conclusion Accompanying a diet with addi tional weight training is indispen sable in avoiding muscle deteriora tion. This was also proven through a variety of scientific research projects. 

connected to our muscular system: The more muscles you have, the greater your metabolism and calorie consumption. Strength training will significantly increase your daily energy requirement. It impacts calorie consumption in triple fashion. First, calories are consumed during physical exercise. Secondly, the organism requires energy to repair the exerted muscles. And finally, the mus cle mass increased through strength training results in a greater number of calories being burned. Even when you are asleep! As a result, the body will procure the calories from fatty tissue that it requires to function properly. When the organ ism is at rest, it covers its energy require ment from fats and saves the sugar reserves for intense exertion. For every kilogram of developed muscle mass, you will burn 100 to 200 calories per day. Furthermore, muscle tissue is about six times as heavy as fatty tissue but takes

Fitness Tribune International 1

Rimini Report

The 15th Fitness Festival in Rimini is already his tory. This mammoth event took place over

a record duration of 10 days from June 6th to 15th.

Gabriele Brustenghi, who has been organ ising this event since 1989, was once again very satisfied with this year’s sta tistic of over 450,000 visitors. He fields criticism that he in par ticular, as event organiser, and the Rimini hotel sector have profited from his festival: “We have never seen a media pres ence like this year. Practically every big-name newspaper or magazine and all of the big TV stations have reported on the Fitness Festival - and thus on the exhibitors too - over two weekends. The increase in visitor numbers also justifies the extended duration of the event. In comparison to last year this year saw around 100,000 more festival visitors.” Exhibitors were a little more doubtful. For them, the costs involved were large - they had to staff the event for 10 days, and for the first weekend and the fol lowing few days there were not so many visitors to be seen. “It seemed to us that there were as many visitors as in the previous two years, just distributed over more days”.

Brustenghi, a PROGETTI Group company, can look back on a very suc cessful event anyway. 450,000 x 18 Euros entrance fee (on average) plus the exhibitor’s stand charges etc., leave all other fitness exhibition organisers “out in the cold”. From 2004, and for the following 10 years, a “Fitness Festival” will be held for certain at the Olympia Park in Munich. Together with Rimini, Miami and Munich, possibly from 2005 in Moscow and Rio de Janeiro too, the PROGETTI Group will set the tone for fitness events worldwide.

In Germany, only YOU and FIBO would need to take place simultaneously and there would be a “ready-made” fit ness festival already - only the time of year and of course, the location, would need to correspond. For Gabriele Brustenghi exhibitions like FIBO and IHRSA are a relic of the past and condemned to death: “If we want to inspire the masses - old and young - to ‘think fitness’, then we need to inspire potential customers and future gym members and persuade them to visit events like Fitness Festival. The “old” exhibition organisers still depend too

Fitness Tribune International 1

Rimini Report

Some participation figures for various activities: 150 in the Reebok Masterclass 130 in the Nike Masterclass 100 master classes were held in total 10,000 at Freddy 5,000 at BCube and Adidas 20,500 bottles of Gatorade sold

180,000 bottles of Vitasnella mineral water distributed 30,000 bottles of San Benedetto mineral water distributed 50,000 Emmenthaler Degustationen tastings of Emmenthal 12,000 bottles of Budweis beer 6,500 in Acquagym lessons in the five pools 15,000 in Spinning lessons

much upon traditional exhibition concepts (see IHRSA), which no longer have a place in the dynamic fitness industry at all or which miss the market entirely.” (See FIBO, which simply doesn’t want to realise that bodybuilding is no longer a hot topic at all). On the international market there are virtually no German equipment manufacturers or even German fit ness products in general. Dr. Wolff, who visited the Festival del Fitness in Rimini for the first time was quite amazed: “It’s unbelievable, aside from Dr. Wolff equipment which is being exhibited by our Italian agent, there are no German makes to be seen”. Unfortunately the Germans are much too focussed on the domestic market and have realised much too late that, in the international fitness market, Germany plays only a minor role. Conclusion: If you don’t make your presence felt in the European or world markets you will sooner or later lose your standing in the domestic market too

600 at the Adidas Night and Day run 400 at the Trentino Fitness Triathlon 800 at the various Fitness Games 1,200 at the Italian fitness federation

1,155 at Adidas Basket 5 federations present 45 minutes live broadcast by RAI 60 minutes of reports by RAI and other television channels 100 doctors took part in the Enerzone congress 100,000 “California” magazines distributed 150 helpers to the organisers (15 years ago the figure was 16) 85,000m2 exhibition space 90,000 - a record visitor figure on a single day, Saturday June 15th 5,000,000 Euros in costs to stage this festival 444 accredited journalists and photographers 3,500,000 clicks on the www.fitnessfestival.com website over 10 days Doping cases: 0

Fitness Tribune International 1

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