Gray Matters

Fitness clubs are graying--that's the conclusion from surveys done by IDEA, an association of health and fitness professionals. "Clubs are seeing more 55-plus members joining," says IDEA's David Gilroy. In its 1998 survey of fitness programs, IDEA discovered that a stunning 29 percent of respondents' clients are age 55 or older. "Seniors know the Surgeon General says that physical activity can mean a longer life and better quality of life, and they're taking fitness seriously," says Gilroy.

And experts expect sustained growth in senior health-club members. "This is going to be a very big market for the fitness industry," says Gilroy.

This article was originally published in the January 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Gray Matters.