During times of economic hardship, the value of a healthy body and sound mind can’t be underestimated.

For instance, in a recent story headlined “Staying Healthy in a Sick Economy ", The New York Times related how fitness professionals in Wall Street were responding to the very serious economic troubles confronting their clients in the financial capital.

The story goes on to say that although “concerns about staying buff could seem trivial” when markets and companies are collapsing, fitness regimens and joining health clubs are actually helping the beleaguered American professionals to combat stress, stay positive in tough times, and create networks leading to other job opportunities.

In the Philippines, fitness and wellness professionals likewise note a growing trend among Filipinos to conscientiously observe a lifestyle of fitness, health and sustainability. According to Marjorie Lopingco, past president of the Spa Association of the Philippines Inc. (SAPI), this trend indicates that the country is entering the so-called “experience economy,” one where market value is based on creating experiences that are relevant to consumers’ needs.

Lopingco says that just like spas and health clubs, fitness gyms aim to create the best experience for their customers, who not only want to get fit but also want to feel good while doing it.

This is one major reason why the fitness industry expects to see continuing growth this year and beyond. This gives entrepreneurs a wealth of new business opportunities anchored on the “health is wealth” theme and promising relief from the many discomforts of daily life.

Just as there are many ways to achieve good health, the fitness and health club industry has many sectors—each one an industry in its own right, and each an avenue any Filipino entrepreneur can explore.

Besides the traditional weightlifting gyms, sports clubs and aerobics centers, also under the industry’s umbrella are makers and suppliers of fitness equipment, sporting goods and health supplements, plus services in weight reduction, chiropractor treatments and sports medicine and fitness education.

Meanwhile, like the tourism and wellness sectors, the Philippine fitness industry has grown steadily through the years, mirroring the explosive growth of the fitness industry in the United States, which is now valued at over $15billion. In the last five years, home-based gyms and local branches of international health clubs alike have sprouted on many a street corner throughout the Philippines, alongside a start-up boom in new badminton courts and boxing gyms as well.

So significant has been the fitness industry’s growth in recent years that the Association of Fitness Professionals of the Philippines (AFPP), the oldest existing and the most respected fitness organization in the country, had decided to change its name to Fitness Network Philippines (FitPhil). FitPhil says this was done to expand its scope and cover not only fitness pros and enthusiasts but other professionals as well from such allied fields as medicine, health care, education, nutrition, sports conditioning, and athletic training.

One other highly visible sign that more and more Filipinos are embracing a fitness regimen is the growing number of local branches of international health clubs. For instance, Gold’s Gym, the largest gym chain in the world, now has six branches in the Philippines. Fitness First, which began in the United Kingdom, now boasts of 16 regular clubs and two Platinum clubs in the country. This worldwide network of over 550 clubs had opened its initial outlet in the country in October 2001 at the Robinsons Summit Center in Makati City.