Franchise Spotlight: Curves for Women

With over 9,000 locations worldwide, Curves for women has quickly taken the spot as a top leader in women’s fitness. Gone are the days when Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig were the only choices on most women’s minds when it came to weight loss, weight management, fitness, and exercise. Curves is a growing concept that has enabled women to focus on the health benefits of exercise, diet control, and weight maintenance.

Each Curves center is equipped with exercise machines and tools in a ‘safe,’ comfortable environment. Women can work out together in an enclosed, group setting, and forego the hike to a gym or co-ed fitness facility where many may not be comfortable. The idea has been successful so far, with almost 4 million members. The concept is simple; membership requirements ask that each member come in to their closest center for 30 minutes, three times per week. Curves may be akin to a fitness club, but is focused on long-term strategies to stay focused, inspired, and motivated

The Weight Management Plan offers the Curves 6 Week Solution. This is a set of small classes that introduce women to adequate nutrition, formulates a healthy and sensible plan based on goals and needs, and provides resources for more information. The effect is an educational, rather than an enforced approach, and is just one way that Curves hopes to empower women to stay healthy without a need for a ‘diet’.

In December 2005, Curves was announced as the 10th largest franchise company in the world, and also made its way through partnering with large donations to hurricane relief efforts, joining with Avon for beauty promotions, and offering franchise outlets to countries worldwide. The concept was founded by Gary Heavin over 27 years ago, where he took over a health club in Texas and subsequently opened the first center in 1992.

The idea to franchise enabled Curves to populate many locations in both small towns and large cities. Local owners can then market to their communities, and groups that join feel more welcome, at-home, and encouraged by their peers. The weight loss equipment is well-maintained, available to all, and provides an opportunity to learn different exercises comfortably with an on-site instructor. Still, some may be hesitant to recognize any benefits from the 30-minute, three-time-per week approach. It certainly may not be enough time to create a large-scale weight loss. It is limited in training/scope, and may lead to a plateau fairly quickly. However, women are still being educated, trained by a certified instructor, and have the tools necessary to increase their fitness regiment at home, and on their own time.

The Curves appeal, and market, is focused moreso on a slow-long-term approach to lifestyle changes. This is making sure that women return for information, education,a nd peer support, and will likely commit to a program than feel too pressured to ‘finish’ and move on. In many ways, it is an ideal setting for socializing at a healthy outlet.

Each fitness center is designed to encourage women who may be intimidated, or simply uninterested, in joining a full health club or gym. It provides a smaller, customized approach to health and wellness, and its boom in every location is proving itself to be a success with its supportive environment.