Nifty after Fifty - A Senior Health & Fitness Chain Is Booming With Franchising Expansion Plans

By: Nifty after Fifty | 6 Shares 190 Reads

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It's all boomers at Nifty After Fifty (NaF), an exclusively designed senior health & fitness chain with a wellness vibe. NaF has 6 full service locations in Southern California, with expansion plans to develop 9 more by 2009. NaF is taking the next step and expanding with franchising opportunities (now has 10 deals in pipeline).

CEO - Sheldon Zinberg, MD, age 75, is the founder of this innovative, highly profitable fitness empire. The NaF Fitness franchise is successfully catering to the senior market. This untapped demographic has the largest amount of leisure time and disposable income. Moreover, the baby boomer population is estimated to reach 80 million over the next 10 years.

Dr. Sheldon Zinberg landed in the fitness industry via CareMore Medical Group, the organization he founded in 1993 that provides senior health care coverage. CareMore proved to be a successful endeavor and was purchased by Crystal Cove and JP Morgan for $237 million dollars in 2006. Zinberg was convinced active seniors displayed superior long term health than those with sedentary minds and bodies. As part of his research, Zinberg acquired health club memberships for more than 500 of CareMore's senior members, supervised their training and recorded results that far exceeded his expectations.

"Within 12 months, we saw a dramatic decrease in fractures and hospitalizations in the members who participated in the program," Zinberg says. The experience encouraged him to open NaF facilities and fulfill his vision for "active aging."

At NaF, each member starts with a comprehensive evaluation with physical therapists and fitness coaches. This achieves a fitness program tailor-made for their specific history, goals and limitations. Strength training is done with state-of-the-art computerized pneumatic resistance machines for smoother workouts and accurate monitoring. Additional space is devoted to aerobic training devices, yoga, mat Pilates and Cane-Aerobics. NaF seniors decreased their risk for falls and fractures by more than 85%.

Zinberg's concept of senior fitness is a holistic one, and the framework of the clubs largely reflects that sense of overall balance. For this, NaF fitness centers include programs like:

Reviving Your Driving
Brain Aerobics
Personalized Nutrition Guidance
Spa Services

Growth has been so fast that Zinberg is preparing to expand outside his California territory (Arizona, Texas and Florida). "NaF is the only club that's truly designed to cater to the needs of the baby boomers and older adults," he says.

Owning a NaF franchise is affordable and can produce great profit margins. It is the ideal niche in Senior Fitness. For more information about franchises, please visit www.niftyafterfifty.com or call Michael Conigliaro at 714.823.4400.

Dr. Zinberg's NaF was featured on the cover of 'Club Solutions' July 08 issue. He is also a celebrated best selling author of the books "Nifty After Fifty" and "Win In The Second Half."

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