WITH HEALTH awareness in Hong Kong at an all-time high, the fitness industry has taken off - creating a booming new avenue for careers.
A decade ago there were only a handful of gyms, focused predominantly on aerobics, helping weight-conscious women keep trim. Men traditionally played sport.
But now, as people seek ways to cope with increasingly demanding lifestyles, fitness clubs are all the rage, fuelled by high-velocity workouts fusing disco and hip hop, satellite TV to alleviate the monotony of solo exercising, and an exotic selection of exercise options. These range from pilates and yoga to kick-boxing and RPM team cycling, dubbed a 'rock concert on wheels'.
A proliferation of job advertisements underlines that the fitness industry, while still relatively small, is among the fastest growing in Hong Kong. There were 747 positions advertised in the third quarter of last year, compared with 647 in the second quarter and 399 in the first.
As new clubs and gyms continue to open for the growing numbers of people inspired to perspire, there is no sign the demand for staff will ease.
Fitness trainers and specialist instructors in the disciplines of yoga and pilates are in extremely hot demand. But opportunities extend to areas where little or no previous experience is required, from service staff running club restaurants and bars to sales representatives marketing club membership offers.
Since 1996, the first global player in town, California Fitness, has grown from one club in Lan Kwai Fong to six around Hong Kong. With more than 400 staff, the group was looking to expand further in Hong Kong and the region, said regional fitness director Rocky Chow. 'With plans to grow to 20 clubs in the region by the end of 2005 from 13 now, we have a huge demand for staff,' he said.
