Membership Soars in Singapore Gyms

Fitness chains in Singapore have seen their membership levels rise by rates of over 10% in the past six months.

According to a report in Singapore's The Straits Times, a survey of seven local fitness chains shows that in some cases membership had risen by up to 100%.

The Straits Times article backed up the recent MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Purchasing Resilience which showed Singaporeans spending on fitness and wellness industry had the second-highest resilience index score at 73, after the property and renovation category. This, according to Chan

Wai Lin, Assistant Director of Sports at the Singapore Sports School, is not surprising because as "in times of recession, people look for a way to keep their mood up and relieve stress."

The Straits Times reported showed that budget gyms showed the largest rise in membership.

"One, Fitness Force, with one outlet at a community centre at Cairnhill, has seen membership double to 300. It charges S$65 a month.

"The other, women's gym Contours Express, has reported a 30% membership increase at its three gyms - to a total of 600 members. Members pay S$59 each a month.

"Three other chains - ClubFITT, Sky Fitness and Speed Institute - showed a 10% to 17% increase.

The Straits Times quoted Fitness Force owner Keith Tan as saying "numbers are really picking up. Most of the new members are working adults between the ages of 25 and 50. We thought the recession would mean fewer people signing up, but the opposite happened."

Click here to view the original article in The Straits Times.