Riding the Fitness Boom to a New Wave of Resort Profits

Call this a tale of two numbers. More than two in three adults in the US are obese or overweight. Gym, club, fitness center membership in the US now tops 50 million. Put the numbers together and what we see is the early stage of what I believe will be a massive, highly profitable resort trend that will dwarf what we have seen in the spa business over the last 20 years.

People need fitness bootcamps. Many want them. And they will pay for them because the right fitness retreat will let a guest leave at a lower weight, with higher fitness, and with a plan in hand for achieving life changing fitness goals.

I was there as the destination spa industry took off and I always applauded the work. We gave guests relaxation, even serenity.

But a fitness hotel is different, much more exciting. What we will give guests is a plan for changing their lives.

And, yes, good spa will be a part of a smart fitness camp because what feels better after a day of workouts than a refreshing massage?

Obviously, too, the gimmicky reality TV weight loss approaches don't work. Who expected otherwise?

Right now, the fitness focused resort movement is in its infancy. There are maybe a few dozen facilities scattered around the country and generally they offer two distinct tracks - weight loss and, for other guests, an activity-focused fitness retreat (where the activity is, say, golf or tennis or marathon running).

The market potential for this model is immense, many multiples of where we are now, and we see that in an America where two in three adults really need more fitness and the other third - who are fit - seem interested in upping their game. By some estimates the wellness business is already approaching $1 billion - and the further upside is immense because of the market need.

That's the beauty of the product: it may appeal to just about every American adult.

Spa always has been a niche product, and always will be. Its sweet spot is a clientele than can afford to pay to be pampered, if only for an hour or three.

The fitness sweet spot is all of us. And there is room for many, many more players who want to gear resorts to serve this need.

But it will take the right programs. This remains a work in progress, as different players try different tactics. That's all good and, luckily for me, I am working with a client that is determined to be a pioneer and a leader in this field.

I envision riffing off proven destination spa packages, with four-day and seven-day programs. All will feature full days of fitness activities (with enough rest breaks and spa treatments built in to keep participants happy). There will also be pre-arrival fitness guidelines and, during the program, the participants will meet multiple times with a personal coach to finetune an individualized program that will set out personal goals as well as a step-by-step agenda for getting there.

There is experimentation. Will women only programs soar high? How about men only? Can fit participants be mixed in with those who are there to lose weight? All this is getting sorted out, answers are fast emerging but now is the time to be learning.

One certainty: Great, healthy food will be a cornerstone of the retreat. I see multiple menu tracks - a low-calorie, traditional weight-loss menu (probably around 1,200 calories daily), a low-carb (Atkins style) track, and a vegan track (that will give diners a choice of low-carb or high-carb meals). The kitchen will have to be smart and flexible to serve these diners.

I also want to bring in local farmers to talk about what they do, and I want cooks who can share the excitement of cooking healthy with guests.

Guests need to leave knowing how to approach food in ways that support their fitness, and don't undermine it.

Put the pieces together and I see these retreats as fun, educational and energizing. It is not about suffering. It is about finding a new trail that leads to a new, better, healthier you.

That's a big change. Historic "fat camps" were about suffering. There is no need for that and it's not even clear that it ever worked. What we are aiming at is a program that helps people change and maintain the change. For ever. For the better.

And smart resorts have the opportunity to be frontrunners in this movement.

Look around America. We need a New Fitness Deal, a reinvention of who we are as a people and what our relationship is to food.

That's what this is about and it is why we now have an opportunity to do work that really matters.

How cool is that?