I got to work with a real good friend of mine, who is also B&B  , last night.  People walk up to take over for day shift.  One asked so how did it run last night?.......My buddy says "Well we both had hair at the beginning of the shift"      I don't care who you are that's funny    Just thought I'd share. 

Someone years ago actually once used that line or a similar one prior to doing a presentation to a group of leisure managers, i.e. he had hair when he started on this project.  It was a great intro actually.

It was me working with them that was the challenge!!  I used to manage a project about making the fitness industry more accessible for disabled people.  Had a bit of an impact in the states actually linking with a guy from Chicago.  But trying to make such an image conscious industry include wheelchair users and people with learning difficulties etc was more than a little challenge!

It was me working with them that was the challenge!!  I used to manage a project about making the fitness industry more accessible for disabled people.  Had a bit of an impact in the states actually linking with a guy from Chicago.  But trying to make such an image conscious industry include wheelchair users and people with learning difficulties etc was more than a little challenge!

I see the point, although from my long experience as a customer of fitness facilities, I have seen lots of wheelchair users that use the equipment, and unfortunately many other people working out who obviously had "learning disabilities", they just weren't conscious of how badly impaired from a mental point of view they were, at least IMO considering how they conducted themselves.  But seriously, although I've never seen evidence where the "industry" actively seeks participation by such a population, I've never seen them discouraged either.  And, post New Year's Resolution time--lots of people with serious weight issues--to the point of disability--show up, but quickly drop away.   

I can only speak for New Orleans and the places I've visited traveling for work.  At home, Katrina wiped out my old gym, a really rough and ready place run by a former NFL player.  It wasn't fancy but it had everything anyone could want, free weights, machines, cardio/vascular equipment--bikes, elliptical trainers, etc., indoor track, pool, nice people overall except it had a high number of Steroid Stallions--down to shooting up in the locker room.  But Katrina seriously damaged the building and it was Kaput.  I moved out to a place run by one of the four non-profit hospitals--the only ones that came back after the Storm.  Of course all these accept the disabled and some are there w/ special trainers for disability rehab.  A few others have opened, & I'm thinking of moving gyms--but that's a very serious move for me.
On the road, a stand alone at the home office in Upstate New York, not too bad & complimentary w/ the hotel we use, in other cities I've found the hotels have a deal w/ Gold's mainly.  They're okay, but due to my nature, nothing like my regular gym, where I can just plug into my iPod, and mindless enter my routine, without  having to look for anything.  But, I've never seen or heard of the "search" for "young and attractive."  That's kind of "sick" in my mind, although a couple of weekends ago another guy & I were the only people in the Hammer Strength room, when a trainer walked in w/ about 8 rather "ample" people and immediately took over a lot of the equipment in a circuit training program.  As we cleared out, I mentioned to the other guy--who is also sly-- that it looked like the old Elizabeth Taylor movie, Elephant Walk.  He put it down to greater numbers for the trainer, more $$$--and he was probably right.  It's one practice there that kind of puts me off, but so did the Muscles & Needles crowd.