The stars and this business

By Tri Hafiningsih

JAKARTA (JP): Celebrities and the fitness business seem to have a symbiotic relationship. They need each other.

The celebrities need to have good, respectable places to hang out. They need to be in places where a lot of "other" people gather. And fitness clubs seem to be the right place for that.

The celebrities need to be where they can become the center of attraction, while the clubs need to have the celebrities to appeal to other potential, but more "ordinary" members. So they complement each other.

But of course, fitness clubs are primarily a place to workout to keep you in good shape and health.

The Manggala Fitness Center, one of many such clubs in the city, enjoys celebrity memberships. TV actors and actresses including Primus Yustisio, Reynold Surbakti, Pangky Suwito and his wife Yati Octavia, and rock singer Nicky Astria, are a few of the prominent names on the center's membership list. While members of the Warna vocal group, and singer and actress Nafa Urbach, are a few of its frequent visitors.

Primus Yustisio, the leading star of children's favorite TV series Panji, Manusia Milenium (Panji, the Millennium Man), said he preferred to go to the Manggala fitness center because of its friendly and "not too exclusive" environment.

"It's the place where I can work out with friends, or take friends with me to have a good workout," he said, adding that in his line of work, staying in good shape is a must.

He has tried Clark Hatch, a more "exclusive" club, but gave up the "too serious and businesslike establishment for older people", as he prefers a place where he could meet his peers. "It's more relaxing and fun here," he added.

The center's manager Dwi Iriani said people went to health clubs or fitness centers not just for health purposes, but also to socialize and keep up with the trend.

"Some even come here to seek business opportunities," she said.

She said establishing a good relationship with celebrity members helped the center stay profitable.

The center accommodates members' natural curiosity of the celebrity world by providing them opportunities to meet with people from the show business. Fitness instructor turned actress Vicky Burki, TV fitness show presenter Fahmi Fahrezi, favorite instructors of the city's fitness society like Monique, or the former Asia Aerobics champion Jinot, are regularly invited to lead the aerobics and other body conditioning workout classes at the center.

The center, which is located in the heart of the business area in Senayan, currently caters to at least 500 active members who are mostly middle management executives, students and housewives, also develops programs that keep up with the trend, like salsa dance, tae bo, body sculpt and yoga classes.

The celebrities, on the other hand, have easy access to the fitness facilities in the center, Dwi said. Nicky Astria, the Warna vocalists, and Vicky Burki, she said, are some of the celebrities who often use the center's classrooms to practice dance steps for their coming videos or shows.

"They usually use the rooms between scheduled fitness classes as they are less crowded then," she said.

Profitable

Fitness establishments seem to be an easy and profitable business for many people, including celebrities. Quite a number of public figures have opened health clubs or fitness studios to accommodate the increasing number of fitness fans from the younger generations.

Sisters and actresses Minati and Chintami Atmanagara, TV drama actress Venna Melinda, presenter and comedian Ulfa Dwiyanti, Dangdut dancer and model Liza Natalia, former model Etty Febbe, and bodybuilder Ade Rai, are among those who have successfully set up fitness centers.

Minati and Cintami, who opened their first studio in 1990, were among the first go into the fitness business. They currently have two large studios in Tebet and Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, which they claim accommodate to over 1,000 active members. They are planning to open another studio in Pluit, North Jakarta, in the middle of the year.

Minati said that although they are currently experiencing a brisk business, due to the society's increasing desire for a healthy body and mind, the first six years were not profitable and they barely managed to stay afloat.

"Back then, not many people were aware of the importance of keeping fit through regular workouts and body conditioning," she said.

The TV drama actress, now an expert on a body conditioning workout called body language, said she was so satisfied with the results of the workout that she wanted to share her experience with other women. "So I refused to give up the business, although the future didn't look promising for our studio," she said.

She said her fame as an actress helped a lot in promoting body language workouts. "I have easy access to the media to promote the outstanding advantages of this body conditioning workout," said Minati, who would be making a comeback to TV dramas after a two-year absence due to her busy schedule and brisk fitness business.

Another way to enter the fitness "hall of fame", would be to make fitness videos. Many celebrities have earned more fame by making such videos but have also suffered financial losses due to video piracy.

Liza Natalia, popular for her sensual dances in a dangdut music TV series called Joged, and bodybuilder Ade Rai, are a few names that have gained more popularity by releasing fitness videos. However, they could not prevent the sale of pirated copies of their videos.

Other fitness experts such as Berty Tilarso, have launched such videos with guests like actress Meriam Bellina, to boost sales.

Minati Atmanagara, on the contrary, has refused to take part in any such video production or TV fitness shows.

"Body language has a totally different nature compared to other workouts. It requires full concentration. It's not for fun. And it's certainly not easy. It's for a better body and mind, and it will almost totally change bodies, hopefully for the better," Minati said, adding that she did not want to be responsible for any injuries when people do the complicated movements by following the steps on video.

"If you can't give it your full concentration, then you'd better not do it at all," she added.

Management

"People see the fitness business as an easy, money-making one, but it's not that, really," said the Manggala fitness center manager, Dwi Iriani. She said a good program and management, like in any other business, are the most important factors to survive the harsh competition.

Like the other pioneers in the business like Clark Hatch and Fitness International that cater to the high income international community, Manggala was initially established to accommodate top- level executives of an exclusive business community.

"It was established in 1986, exclusively for the top officials and executives of the lumbers' club," Dwi said. The center was established to complement the already existing facilities, such as the Manggala health clinics, of the large office building.

Beside the complete fitness facilities of the gymnasium, Manggala has other supporting facilities such as a swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, and bowling alleys.

The center later lowered its requirements and fees to gain younger and more "fitness-aware" members, she said. "We also had to find ways to survive the fitness boom of the last few years," she said.