Fitness centers losing their vim in sapping crisis<\/p>\n
By Izabel Deuff<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): While many people are losing their jobs and
\nstruggling to survive, a few lucky ones still lead an easy life.
\nThey still have time to have fun and enjoy themselves, to relax,
\nplay sports and exercise to keep fit.<\/p>\n
Genny Mann, a dynamic working woman in her 50s, has been a
\nmember at the Sari Pan Pacific fitness center for eight months.
\nShe goes there two or three times a week, does some rowing,
\nbicycling and stretching.<\/p>\n
\"I usually go after 11 in the morning. At that time, they (the
\nguests) are just housewives and rich and idle women. So I don't
\nsee any change because of the crisis. People who go there are not
\naffected by the crisis. They can afford it.\"<\/p>\n
You too could be one of the 200 members of the Sari Pan
\nPacific fitness center if you can pay Rp 1.9 million a year.<\/p>\n
If you have more money, you could join the Hilton Executive
\nClub, the annual membership fee of which is US$3,500 (excluding
\nfees for each facility), with a fixed rate of Rp 4,500 to US$1.
\nThe Mercantile Athletic Club charges members US$99 annually with
\na fixed rate of Rp 5,000 to the dollar. Members are free to use
\nall the facilities of the club.<\/p>\n
John Paul, manager of the Sari Pan Pacific Executive Health
\nClub, said the crisis had not really affected the business.<\/p>\n
\"There is not so much change. Some of our members went to
\nSingapore (due to the May riots) and came back.\"<\/p>\n
He said 20 percent of the club's members were foreigners and
\n60 percent Chinese-Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Other upper-class fitness and health centers in the city also
\nclaim that for them, it is business as usual.<\/p>\n
\"I haven't notice any major change in the number of members,\"
\nsaid Andra Djajadiningrat of the Hilton Executive Club.<\/p>\n
\"Most of them still come to do some training or practice their
\nfavorite sport.\"<\/p>\n
Andra admitted that the number had slightly decreased but
\nadded quickly that \"it has not been really alarming\".<\/p>\n
The manager of the Mercantile Athletic Club, Ika Sutan Assin,
\nhas noticed little change. She said the number of new members was
\nlower than before. \"Not all members can keep on going.\"<\/p>\n
But she added: \"We are still welcoming 200 people per day...
\nWe still have a lot of members coming for the bar, snacks and to
\nuse the facilities.\"<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, some fitness centers such as the one at the
\nHoliday Inn acknowledge a significant decrease in their
\nmembership numbers.<\/p>\n
Dewy Koes, manager of Holiday Inn's fitness center, said the
\ncenter had lost 25 percent of its visitors since the beginning of
\nthe crisis last year. To lure them back, the club intends to
\nimprove its facilities and services through the instructors and
\nreception staff.<\/p>\n
Some people who cannot afford a five-star hotel fitness center
\nhave decided to keep on practicing their favorite sports at
\nplaces that offer lower fees.<\/p>\n
Abdul, a businessman, was a zealous patron of the Shangri-la
\nsports center until two months ago when he moved to the Ascott.<\/p>\n
\"Shangri-la became too expensive for me as it charged more
\nthan Rp 20 million a year. I moved to the Ascott because it is
\nonly Rp 6 million a year,\" said Abdul, who goes there five times
\na week to do aerobics and run.<\/p>\n
A fitness instructor from the Jakarta Hilton Hotel, who asked
\nfor anonymity, said there were less students in his class.<\/p>\n
\"I used to have 40 students, now there are only 15.\"<\/p>\n
Wondering why some of the younger students stopped coming to
\nhis classes, he telephoned them and found that people were afraid
\nto let their children go to workout for security reasons.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fitness-centers-losing-their-vim-in-sapping-crisis-1447893297",
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