Ten years ago, Jakartans went to the mall with credit cards and cash, now they may also have a gym membership card in their wallets.

Thanks partly to an ever-increasing focus on healthier living and partly to the economy, fitness clubs are popping up all over Jakarta -- many within malls -- and there are more on the way.

Celebrity Fitness, which started in Indonesia and also has outlets in Malaysia; Fitness First, a chain of gym clubs in the U.K, Europe, Australia, and the Asia-Pacific region; and the international chain Gold's Gym are all convinced the market can support the added gym space.

By the end of 2008, the chains will have a combined membership of more than 80,000 people.

Celebrity Fitness has nine outlets throughout the city, having increased its membership from 4,500, when it first opened five years ago in Plaza EX on Jl. Thamrin, to 50,000 today.

Fitness First, which opened in 2005, has seven outlets, with 28,000 members. While Gold's Gym now has four outlets, with 6,000 members.

These figures still exclude hotel gyms and no-frills clubs such as Club Ade Rai, which was founded by prominent bodybuilder Ade Rai. Ade said there were 15 Ade Rai gyms in the city.

He said the rise of gym culture in Jakarta was a result of increased awareness among people of the need for healthier lifestyles.

Gyms have muscled their way into the public consciousness as people fear they are suffering the consequences of living in a polluted and overcrowded city like Jakarta, as well as being glued to their computers and televisions day after day.

This is combined with high stress levels and poor diets -- people are breaking away from the "three meals a day structure" in favor of foods that are calorific.

The need for fitness centers in the city is obvious, Ade said.

"We have more access to information from the media about healthy living; we have role models in the form of public figures who go to the gym; we see movies starring well-built men and women; and more fitness centers are opening up in the city," he said.

Ade said the rise of fitness center happened during the economic crisis of 1997 and 1998.

"It's interesting to note that when the economy was in havoc that was the time when people started to get more interested in fitness," he said.

"At that time, people were stressed and there was uncertainty in business. What they could control was their bodies, so there was an increase in the demand for fitness centers," he said.

This was observed by business players in the health industry, who consequently opened more gyms, Ade said.

Celebrity fitness regional manager Hendra Nugraha, however, believes the chain paved the way to make the gyms-in-malls concept work, from a business point of view.

"We changed the whole concept of gyms in Jakarta," he said.

Before Celebrity Fitness opened its first outlet in EX shopping center in 2003, all gyms in Jakarta were either in hotels or their own buildings.

"Fitness centers were seen as places for men with the buff bodies of soldiers. Our fitness centers are for ordinary people who want leaner bodies like celebrities," he said.

The gym prides itself on using local celebrities to promote its image but is also known for its aggressive marketing efforts.

"This (Celebrity Fitness) changed the image of gyms, encouraging both men and women to join up," Hendra said.

Either way, fitness magazine Muscle Indonesia's chief editor Teddy Tjahjadi said the soaring number of gyms in Jakarta today was just the beginning.

"Even with new gyms opening up, the number of people going to the gym is still only around 2 to 3 percent of the total market," he said.

He said the concept of setting up gyms in malls was "brilliant".

"Now, whenever there's a crowd there's a gym."

But Celebrity Fitness, which has 20 clubs at present, isn't the only one wooing locals bent on getting buff.

Fitness First, which has more than 500 clubs worldwide, opened its first club at Plaza Semanggi in 2005. It has the simple philosophy of providing affordable fitness and aims to help adults of any age exercise correctly.

Hendra said Celebrity's focus was on keeping members entertained. Its clubs have funky interiors and pop music is constantly played.

"Our fitness centers do not only serve as a place to work out but also as a place to socialize," he said. "After work you can go to the mall, go shopping and then work out," Hendra said.

In 2006, Gold's gym, which is dubbed "the mecca of bodybuilding" expanded to Jakarta.

Teddy, who distributes Muscle Indonesia in the three fitness centers, said each had its own character.

"Celebrity fitness is more for socializing. Members come to the gym, socialize, work out, socialize, and then go home. Fitness First is more for the solitary people, who comes to the gym just to work out; while Gold's Gym is more for the people who are serious about building their bodies," he said.

Teddy said people were influenced by their friends, doctors, or even the movies, to join a gym.

"Western movies have brought attention not only to the gym itself, but to the body in general," he said.

"And with the competition between fitness centers, it's relatively inexpensive to join a gym."

Celebrity Fitness' monthly fees range between Rp 429,000 and Rp 495,000, Fitness First's between Rp 350,000 and Rp 500,000 and Gold's Gym's between Rp 250,000 and Rp 350,000.

The first edition of Muscle Indonesia was launched in August 2007. Teddy said it was aimed at the growing population of gym members.

Ade said the fitness industry was expanding not only in terms of gyms. "Magazines that talk about fitness, gym wear, food supplements, healthy food restaurants -- you name it. The market is growing," he said.

The question is, are there enough fitness professionals in the city to go around?

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