Excerpt from "ClubSolutions Magazine", March 2006
 I recently received a report from the Sporting Goods
Manufacturers Association that asked why people chose to exercise at fitness centers. Two of the top five reasons jumped off
the page: "increased energy" and "feeling good after." Interestingly enough, the same two reasons are also often cited by
people who frequently tan. One other reason for regular exercise, "increase strength" is one of the benefits of vitamin D,
which is produced when skin is exposed to
ultraviolet light.
We all understand how looking good is tied tightly to feeling good.
Study after study finds a direct correlation between appearance and
self-esteem. A healthy suntan is one component of a healthy look to
many people. Indoor tanning delivers a healthy, glowing tan almost
immediately – and it stimulates the production of vitamin D. There is
emerging evidence that vitamin D is tied to several important health
issues: bone density, strength and even resistance to disease.
Incidentally, there is a difference between
outdoor tanning and indoor tanning beds.
Indoor tanning beds deliver an even, more
precise exposure to ultraviolet light than
does the sun. Ultraviolet concentrations
in sunlight vary based on time of year,
time of day and atmospheric conditions.
Tanning beds simply are not affected by
these problems. Additionally, tanning
beds provide less of the "sun burning"
type of ultraviolet light (called UVB) and
more of the "deep tanning" UVA light.
Responsibly using indoor tanning beds
reduces your chances of getting sunburn
while still stimulating the consistent
production of vitamin D.
In the last two years alone, more than eight studies have found the
positive benefits of vitamin D. Below are a few points of interest from
some of those studies:
According to David Feldman of the Stanford University School
of Medicine, vitamin D's effects include regulating cell growth,
immunity, and energy metabolism.
A 2004 study performed by Dr. Michael Holick, of the Boston
University School of Medicine, found that persons who tan indoors had
90% higher levels of vitamin D than the control group. Dr. Holick also
determined that persons who tan indoors had higher bone mineral density.
A 2005 study, by nutritional epidemiologist Heike A.
Bischoff-Ferrari, found that higher vitamin D concentrations correlated
with a remarkable difference in leg and thigh strength.
Bischoff-Ferrari also found that the increase in strength led to a
reduction in injuries due to fewer trips and falls.
Another 2005 vitamin D study, by Kassandra Munger of the
Harvard School of Public Health, presented evidence of a reduction in
the risk to developing Multiple Sclerosis, a devastating and
debilitating neurological disorder.
So, if vitamin D is so powerful, why don't people get enough? The
answer is diet and lifestyle (sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?)
What makes vitamin D unique among vitamins is that it is the only
vitamin that your body can naturally produce. Tanning isn't the only
way to get vitamin D. Eating the exact right foods, or taking
nutritional supplements, can increase vitamin D levels, too. One
strategy that simply does not provide enough vitamin D is the normal
American diet. Most Americans simply don't eat enough vegetables and
drink enough vitamin D-enriched milk. Because of lifestyle changes,
many Americans may not even get enough sunlight to produce substantial
vitamin D. As a result, for many Americans, responsible indoor tanning
may be the most "lifestyle-compatible" way to get vitamin D – just like
fitness centers are the most convenient way for many Americans to
exercise.
Fitness centers share one thing in common with tanning salons:
customers. People who workout are highly likely to use a tanning salon.
The question I have is, "Why don't more fitness centers offer tanning
as a service?" Many fitness center customers already tan. Most people
who tan could save substantial time if they could tan at their fitness
center. That means that by offering tanning, you can offer your
customers the opportunity to save a little money and a lot of time, in
addition to offering them several powerful health benefits.
If good health and convenience aren't enough to convince you, there
is one other feature that a tanning bed has that no piece of exercise
equipment in your center has: It works immediately! No waiting for
recovery, no waiting for the body to grow new muscle or to metabolize
fat. Tanning offers you a way to help your clients look and feel good
immediately. Tanning also offers you a way to increase your fitness
center's revenues by $28,000 to $31,000 per tanning bed, annually. This
year, consider adding tanning to your fitness center. It just makes
sense.
Bill Pipp is the CEO of ETS, Inc. He can be contacted at 800.668.5193, or by email at
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