Fitness centers losing their vim in sapping crisis

By Izabel Deuff

JAKARTA (JP): While many people are losing their jobs and struggling to survive, a few lucky ones still lead an easy life. They still have time to have fun and enjoy themselves, to relax, play sports and exercise to keep fit.

Genny Mann, a dynamic working woman in her 50s, has been a member at the Sari Pan Pacific fitness center for eight months. She goes there two or three times a week, does some rowing, bicycling and stretching.

"I usually go after 11 in the morning. At that time, they (the guests) are just housewives and rich and idle women. So I don't see any change because of the crisis. People who go there are not affected by the crisis. They can afford it."

You too could be one of the 200 members of the Sari Pan Pacific fitness center if you can pay Rp 1.9 million a year.

If you have more money, you could join the Hilton Executive Club, the annual membership fee of which is US$3,500 (excluding fees for each facility), with a fixed rate of Rp 4,500 to US$1. The Mercantile Athletic Club charges members US$99 annually with a fixed rate of Rp 5,000 to the dollar. Members are free to use all the facilities of the club.

John Paul, manager of the Sari Pan Pacific Executive Health Club, said the crisis had not really affected the business.

"There is not so much change. Some of our members went to Singapore (due to the May riots) and came back."

He said 20 percent of the club's members were foreigners and 60 percent Chinese-Indonesians.

Other upper-class fitness and health centers in the city also claim that for them, it is business as usual.

"I haven't notice any major change in the number of members," said Andra Djajadiningrat of the Hilton Executive Club.

"Most of them still come to do some training or practice their favorite sport."

Andra admitted that the number had slightly decreased but added quickly that "it has not been really alarming".

The manager of the Mercantile Athletic Club, Ika Sutan Assin, has noticed little change. She said the number of new members was lower than before. "Not all members can keep on going."

But she added: "We are still welcoming 200 people per day... We still have a lot of members coming for the bar, snacks and to use the facilities."

Nevertheless, some fitness centers such as the one at the Holiday Inn acknowledge a significant decrease in their membership numbers.

Dewy Koes, manager of Holiday Inn's fitness center, said the center had lost 25 percent of its visitors since the beginning of the crisis last year. To lure them back, the club intends to improve its facilities and services through the instructors and reception staff.

Some people who cannot afford a five-star hotel fitness center have decided to keep on practicing their favorite sports at places that offer lower fees.

Abdul, a businessman, was a zealous patron of the Shangri-la sports center until two months ago when he moved to the Ascott.

"Shangri-la became too expensive for me as it charged more than Rp 20 million a year. I moved to the Ascott because it is only Rp 6 million a year," said Abdul, who goes there five times a week to do aerobics and run.

A fitness instructor from the Jakarta Hilton Hotel, who asked for anonymity, said there were less students in his class.

"I used to have 40 students, now there are only 15."

Wondering why some of the younger students stopped coming to his classes, he telephoned them and found that people were afraid to let their children go to workout for security reasons.