The stars and this business

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.