I recently received a report from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association that asked why people chose to exercise at fitness centers. Two of the top five reasons jumped off the page: "increased energy" and "feeling good after." Interestingly enough, the same two reasons are also often cited by people who frequently tan. One other reason for regular exercise, "increase strength" is one of the benefits of vitamin D, which is produced when skin is exposed to ultraviolet light.

We all understand how looking good is tied tightly to feeling good. Study after study finds a direct correlation between appearance and self-esteem. A healthy suntan is one component of a healthy look to many people. Indoor tanning delivers a healthy, glowing tan almost immediately – and it stimulates the production of vitamin D. There is emerging evidence that vitamin D is tied to several important health issues: bone density, strength and even resistance to disease.

Incidentally, there is a difference between outdoor tanning and indoor tanning beds. Indoor tanning beds deliver an even, more precise exposure to ultraviolet light than does the sun. Ultraviolet concentrations in sunlight vary based on time of year, time of day and atmospheric conditions. Tanning beds simply are not affected by these problems. Additionally, tanning beds provide less of the "sun burning" type of ultraviolet light (called UVB) and more of the "deep tanning" UVA light. Responsibly using indoor tanning beds reduces your chances of getting sunburn while still stimulating the consistent production of vitamin D.

In the last two years alone, more than eight studies have found the positive benefits of vitamin D. Below are a few points of interest from some of those studies:

• According to David Feldman of the Stanford University School of Medicine, vitamin D's effects include regulating cell growth, immunity, and energy metabolism.
  
  
• A 2004 study performed by Dr. Michael Holick, of the Boston University School of Medicine, found that persons who tan indoors had 90% higher levels of vitamin D than the control group. Dr. Holick also determined that persons who tan indoors had higher bone mineral density.
  
  
• A 2005 study, by nutritional epidemiologist Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, found that higher vitamin D concentrations correlated with a remarkable difference in leg and thigh strength. Bischoff-Ferrari also found that the increase in strength led to a reduction in injuries due to fewer trips and falls.
  
  
• Another 2005 vitamin D study, by Kassandra Munger of the Harvard School of Public Health, presented evidence of a reduction in the risk to developing Multiple Sclerosis, a devastating and debilitating neurological disorder.

So, if vitamin D is so powerful, why don't people get enough? The answer is diet and lifestyle (sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?) What makes vitamin D unique among vitamins is that it is the only vitamin that your body can naturally produce. Tanning isn't the only way to get vitamin D. Eating the exact right foods, or taking nutritional supplements, can increase vitamin D levels, too. One strategy that simply does not provide enough vitamin D is the normal American diet. Most Americans simply don't eat enough vegetables and drink enough vitamin D-enriched milk. Because of lifestyle changes, many Americans may not even get enough sunlight to produce substantial vitamin D. As a result, for many Americans, responsible indoor tanning may be the most "lifestyle-compatible" way to get vitamin D – just like fitness centers are the most convenient way for many Americans to exercise.

Fitness centers share one thing in common with tanning salons: customers. People who workout are highly likely to use a tanning salon. The question I have is, "Why don't more fitness centers offer tanning as a service?" Many fitness center customers already tan. Most people who tan could save substantial time if they could tan at their fitness center. That means that by offering tanning, you can offer your customers the opportunity to save a little money and a lot of time, in addition to offering them several powerful health benefits.

If good health and convenience aren't enough to convince you, there is one other feature that a tanning bed has that no piece of exercise equipment in your center has: It works immediately! No waiting for recovery, no waiting for the body to grow new muscle or to metabolize fat. Tanning offers you a way to help your clients look and feel good immediately. Tanning also offers you a way to increase your fitness center's revenues by $28,000 to $31,000 per tanning bed, annually. This year, consider adding tanning to your fitness center. It just makes sense.

Courtesy of "ClubSolutions Magazine", February 2006