Over the past four years, two franchises have vied for the title of fastest growing franchise in the nation: Subway restaurants and a chain of fitness centers called Curves for Women. Call it a national struggle between fat and fit, and it’s nowhere more intense than in Wisconsin.
Nationally, more than 21 percent of adults are overweight or obese, but the number swells to 23 percent in beer-loving, cheese-gobbling Wisconsin, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Meanwhile, Wisconsin boasts more than 220 Curves clubs, more than any state of comparable population. How have we managed to be a leader in both obesity and women’s fitness centers?
Something’s not working here – and if you’re a member of Curves, it may be you.
Curves is geared toward women who seek a simple, fast workout. Each club boasts a uniformly Spartan atmosphere. Members perform a half-hour circuit-training routine three times a week – what the company calls “basic training for an active lifestyle.”
“Our members are those who would not typically join a mainstream gym,” says Becky Frusher, media contact for Curves International Inc. Among the reasons, she notes: “Most equipment at conventional gyms is sized for men and may be intimidating to operate.”
The FDA recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity daily to maintain weight, twice that if you’re trying to lose. The Curves exercise program falls way short of this recommendation.
But then, Curves is much more than just a fitness center. The Curves empire boasts a comprehensive weight-management plan, two best-selling books, a clothing line and a magazine, diane, among its offshoots. The result of this well-branded lifestyle is that many members eat, sleep and breathe Curves.
Joan Golz, who owns a Curves franchise in Thiensville, is one such devotee and has nothing but raves for the chain. She’s seen many members gain control over their weight – and their lives – through their experiences at Curves.
What Curves offers goes straight “to the heart,” Golz beams. “It’s so much more than an exercise facility.” She goes on to list the social, physical and spiritual benefits of a Curves membership, while admitting that “for some people, it’s just a matter of going someplace.”
But fitness experts have criticized Curves for its bare-bones routine, calling it at best ineffective and at worst even potentially dangerous.
“The Curves fitness program utilizes outdated exercise programming that predisposes the exerciser to an abundance of overuse injuries… and does not deliver optimal results in the safest manner possible,” writes Kyle Battis, a fitness specialist certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Curves has combated the bad press by publicizing a recent Baylor University study concluding that it is possible to burn up to 500 calories in one 30-minute Curves workout. This runs in sharp contrast to a previous study conducted by the American Council of Exercise, which found that the average Curves member burns just 184 calories per workout. Why the disparity? Perhaps because the ACE study employed unaffiliated researchers from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, while the more positive Baylor study was funded through a nonrestricted grant from Curves.
But for many busy women, Curves is the only convenient and appealing option for exercise. In that case, be realistic about what results you can expect, Battis cautions. “Curves is a great program for an absolute beginner,” he says, “but it can only bring you so far.”
