THE LAUER REPORT: INSIGHTS FROM STATISTICS
by Catherine Masterson McNeil

For nearly two decades, Harvey Lauer, the president of American Sports data, Inc. (ASD), a research firm based in Hartsdale, New York, has been tracking the statistics that tell the story of the American fitness movement. His persistent pursuit of the numbers, coupled with his knowledge of exercise and human psychology, has provided the fitness industry not only with facts, but also enlightenment.

"Physical exercise is inherently painful and inconvenient, and it defies the ‘pleasure principle,’" he observes. "Some people may disagree with that notion, but the point is that most of us need some sort of external motivation to exercise. That’s why health club memberships and personal training are growing, despite a stagnating fitness movement."

Still fit and trim at age 59, Lauer, a former sub-three-hour marathoner, understands, from his own experience, the value of group support. "I started running in the late 1970s because I was out of shape and overweight, and felt I just had to do something," he says. So Lauer joined, and eventually became president of, the Scarsdale (New York) Antiques, a running club founded by mature adults. "The group support really helped to get me going," he recalls.

At about the same time, Lauer began working for the Public Agenda Foundation, a public policy research organization, established in 1975, by statesman Cyrus Vance and social psychologist Daniel Yankelovich. Lauer had met the latter while pursuing a master’s degree in psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York City, where Yankelovich was a visiting professor of psychology.

"As a $3-per-hour graduate student, I was the foundation’s charter employee," muses Lauer. In 1983, Lauer seized the opportunity to integrate his two main passions—running and research—and launched the Comprehensive Study of the American Runner.

Shortly thereafter, ASD was born.

Frequently referenced by the media, ASD conducts research that influences the fitness industry in both subtle and dramatic ways. Among the firm’s more than 150 clients are: Coca-Cola; L.L. Bean; Sears; IHRSA, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA); venture capital companies; fitness equipment manufacturers; health club chains; universities; and USA Today, Reader’s Digest, and other major publications.

A highly disciplined man himself, Lauer has long struggled to understand why most Americans seem to lack the fortitude required to exercise regularly and achieve their fitness goals. His desire to make sense of that issue, and in some way, to have a positive impact on the population, has been at the heart of many of the studies he’s undertaken.

Lauer employs two of his other passions—writing and rhetoric—to breathe life into the charts and graphs that constitute much of his work. Though adamant about being cautious when using research statistics, Lauer has a tendency to make use of colorful adjectives and a clever turn of phrase to drive home the meaning behind the numbers. Consider, for example, the following quote from one of his press releases—or, as he calls them, "essays"—regarding the need for a greater focus on youth fitness:

"Historically, teenagers have been powerful calorie-burning machines who—though blasé about weight control and fitness until they grew older and heavier—naturally gravitated toward such youthful pursuits as baseball, skateboarding, basketball, volleyball, and hiking. But even here—despite the growing popularity of ‘extreme’ sports, and evidence of increased health club usage due to the growth of family memberships—overall participation numbers for the 12–17 age group are in severe decline. This not only represents a major assault on the sporting goods industry’s bottom line, but is also a chilling omen for the future of public health in the U.S."

If we’re to help ensure a healthier future for our nation’s youth—i.e., tomorrow’s health club members—it’s important, concludes Lauer, that club operators make every effort to "raise the consciousness of educators, public offices, and, especially, parents—individuals who can make the most difference in the lives of children."

Will the industry meet the challenge?

Lauer, rest assured, will keep us all posted.

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This article originally appeared in the August 2002 issue of Club Business International.

Catherine Masterson McNeil is a contributing editor for Club Business International and can be reached at cmm@ihrsa.org.